James Best (born July 26, 1926, Powderly, Kentucky) is an American actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard.
Best was born as Jules Guy in Powderly in Muhlenberg County in western Kentucky. After his mother died in 1929, the three-year-old was sent to live in an orphanage. He was later adopted by Armen and Essa Best and went to live with them in Corydon, Indiana. He began his acting career with an uncredited role in the 1950 western One Way Street.
Best would portray a wide variety of characters in a wide spectrum of film genres. Some of his more notable roles include Jason Brown in the 1955 historical drama Seven Angry Men, Kit Caswell in the 1958 western Cole Younger, Gunfighter, Private Rhidges in the 1958 film adaptation of Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead, the vicious outlaw Billy John in 1959's Ride Lonesome, Dr. Ben Mizer in the 1966 comedy Three on a Couch, the cross dressing Dewey Barksdale in the 1976 drama Ode to Billy Joe, and the gunman Drew in 1968's Firecreek, with James Stewart and Henry Fonda.
He has also appeared more than 280 times in numerous televisions shows including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Combat, The Mod Squad, The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, Perry Mason, The Incredible Hulk, The Fugitive, Stagecoach West, and In the Heat of the Night. Fans of The Andy Griffith Show will remember Best for his portrayal of the young guitar player Jim Lindsey in two episodes.
The Dukes of Hazzard role was Best's most visible success. He later revealed that the caricature-like persona of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane was developed from a voice he used when he would play with his young children.
After Dukes, Best continued to act. He later moved to Florida and taught at the University of Central Florida. Now semi-retired, Best runs a production company and takes occasional acting roles. He has also earned a name for himself as an artist and painter. James Best is currently a resident of Hickory, North Carolina.
A highly respected acting coach, he taught drama and acting techniques for over 25 years in Los Angeles. His acting school listed some of the top names in Hollywood as pupils. He also served as artist-in-residence and taught drama at the University of Mississippi for two years prior to his stint on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Family
He has two daughters, Janeen and Jojami, and a son named Gary.
Partial Filmography
Winchester '73 (1950) as Crator
Kansas Raiders (1950) as Cole Younger
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms as an unnamed radar operator
The Caine Mutiny (1954) as Lt. Jorgensen (uncredited)
Forbidden Planet (1956) as an unnamed crewmember
The Naked and the Dead (1958) as Pvt. Rhidges
The Killer Shrews (1959) as Thorne Sherman
The Mountain Road (1961) as Niergaard
Shock Corridor (1963) as Stuart Couter
Shenandoah (1965) as Carter
Three On A Couch (1966) as Dr. Ben Mizer
Firecreek (1968) as Drew
Sounder (1972) as Sheriff Young
Ode to Billy Joe (1976) as Dewey Barksdale
Nickelodeon (1976) as Jim
Rolling Thunder (1977) as Texan
Hooper (1978) as Cully
Centennial (TV miniseries, 1978) as Hank Garvey
The Dukes of Hazzard (TV series, 1979-1985) as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
The Dukes (TV series, 1983) as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane
External links
James Best at the Internet Movie Database
James Best at Allmovie
James Best's website
James Best Bio at HazzardNet.com
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Best"
Categories: 1926 births | Living people | American film actors | American television actors | American voice actors | Kentucky actors | People from Florida | People from Harrison County, Indiana | People from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
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This page was last modified on 13 August 2008, at 13:55.
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