James Best
Acting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Best (born Jewel Franklin Guy; July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015) was an American television, film, character, voice, and stage actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He appeared as a guest on various country music and talk shows. One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, who began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949, where he met unfamiliar actors Julie Adams, Piper Laurie, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. Best's long career began in films in 1950. He appeared primarily in Westerns, playing opposite Audie Murphy in Kansas Raiders (1950), The Cimarron Kid (1952) and The Quick Gun (1964), Raymond Massey in Seven Angry Men (1955), George Montgomery in Last of the Badman (1957), Frank Lovejoy in Cole Younger Gunfighter (1958), and Randolph Scott in Ride Lonesome (1959). He also starred in the science fiction cult movie, The Killer Shrews (1959) and its sequel, Return of the Killer Shrews (2012). He is most known for playing bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action/comedy Dukes of Hazzard, a role that he revised in The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997) as his character was now "boss" of Hazzard County as well as sheriff, and again in The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).
Known for
Acting153
movieGore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Sweeter Side of Life
2013
Paddy Kerrigan
movieReturn of the Killer Shrews
2012
Thorne Sherman
movieMoondance Alexander
2007
McClancy
movieHot Tamale
2006
Hank Larson
movieThe Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
2002
Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieThe Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood
2000
Rosco P. Coltrane
movieThe Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
1997
Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
movieDeath Mask
1995
Wilbur Johnson
tvThe Dukes
1983
Rosco Coltrane (voice)
tvThe Dukes of Hazzard
1979
Rosco P. Coltrane
movieHooper
1978
Cully
movieThe End
1978
Pacemaker Patient
movieThe Savage Bees
1976
Pellegrino
movieOde to Billy Joe
1976
Dewey Barksdale
movieThe Runaway Barge
1975
Bingo Washington
movieSavages
1974
Sheriff Bert Hamilton
tvHawkins
1973
Sheriff John Early
movieSounder
1972
Sheriff Charlie Young
movieThe Brain Machine
1972
Rev. Emory Neill
movieRun, Simon, Run
1970
Henry Burroughs
tvThe Mod Squad
1968
Clay Lynch
movieFirst to Fight
1967
Sergeant Carnavan
tvThe Green Hornet
1966
Yale Barton
movieThree on a Couch
1966
Dr. Ben Mizer
tvHoney West
1965
Vince Zale
movieShenandoah
1965
Carter, Rebel Soldier
movieBlack Spurs
1965
Ralph Elkins
tvDaniel Boone
1964
Jethro Wyatt
movieThe Quick Gun
1964
Scotty Wade
movieShock Corridor
1963
Stuart
tvBurke's Law
1963
Tucson, 'The Cowboy'
tvTemple Houston
1963
Gotch
tvThe Fugitive
1963
Dan Murray
tvCombat!
1962
Trenton
tvThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
Tom Carmody
tvThe Virginian
1962
Curt Westley
movieBlack Gold
1962
Jericho Larkin
tvThe Andy Griffith Show
1960
Jim Lindsey
movieThe Mountain Road
1960
Niergaard
Aftermath
1960
Hardy Coulter
Pony Express
1960
Bart Gentry
tvStartime
1959
Duke
tvThe Rebel
1959
Ted Evans / Abel Waares
tvThe Twilight Zone
1959
Jeff Myrtlebank / Billy-Ben Turner
tvThe DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
Jovan Wilanskov
tvBonanza
1959
Sheriff Vern Schaler
movieCast a Long Shadow
1959
Sam Mullen
movieThe Killer Shrews
1959
Thorne Sherman
movieVerboten!
1959
Sgt. David Brent
movieRide Lonesome
1959
Billy John
tvBlack Saddle
1959
Ben Travers
tvRawhide
1959
Willie Cain / Brock Quade
tvBat Masterson
1958
Joe Best / Danny Dakota
tvWanted: Dead or Alive
1958
Stoner / Luke Perry
movieThe Left Handed Gun
1958
Tom Folliard
movieCole Younger, Gunfighter
1958
Kit Caswell
movieMan on the Prowl
1957
Doug Gerhardt
tvPerry Mason
1957
Allan Winford / Martin Potter
tvRichard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
Jack Milhoan
movieLast of the Badmen
1957
Ted Hamilton
movieThe Rack
1956
Millard Chilson Cassidy
movieCalling Homicide
1956
Det. Arnie Arnhoff
movieForbidden Planet
1956
Crewman (uncredited)
movieCome Next Spring
1956
Bill Jackson
tvAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Norman Frayne / Hennessy / Bish Darby
tvGunsmoke
1955
Beal / Charlie Noon
movieTop of the World
1955
Col. French's Orderly (uncredited)
movieSeven Angry Men
1955
Jason Brown
tvThe Millionaire
1955
Fred Morgan
movieThey Rode West
1954
Lt. Finlay (uncredited)
tvClimax!
1954
Shag
movieThe Raid
1954
Lt. Robinson
movieThe Caine Mutiny
1954
Lt. JG Jorgensen
movieThe Yellow Tomahawk
1954
Private Bliss
movieRiders to the Stars
1954
Dr. Sidney K. Fuller
movieCity of Bad Men
1953
Deputy Gig (uncredited)
movieColumn South
1953
Primrose
movieSeminole
1953
Corp. Gerad
tvGeneral Electric Theater
1953
Hardy Coulter
movieFlat Top
1952
Radio Operator
tvCavalcade of America
1952
Harry / Slate Morley
movieMa and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952
Marvin Johnson
movieFrancis Goes to West Point
1952
Corporal Ransom
movieThe Battle at Apache Pass
1952
Cpl. Hassett
movieSteel Town
1952
Joe Rakich
movieThe Cimarron Kid
1952
Bitter Creek Dalton
movieApache Drums
1951
Bert Keon
movieAir Cadet
1951
Jerry Connell
movieTarget Unknown
1951
Sgt. Ralph Phelps
movieKansas Raiders
1950
Cole Younger
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Clem Wallace
movieWinchester '73
1950
Crater
moviePeggy
1950
Frank Addison
movieOne Way Street
1950
Driver (uncredited)
Writing3
Production2
movieThe End
1978
Associate Producer
movieGator
1976
Production Assistant
Directing1
tvThe Dukes of Hazzard
1979
Director