Bio: American character actor and teacher. Born Jewel Guy in Powderly, Kentucky, on July 26, 1926, he was orphaned at three and adopted by Armen and Essa Knowland Best, who renamed him James Knowland Best and raised him in Corydon, Indiana. Following high school he worked briefly as a metalworker before joining the Army during World War II in July 1944. The majority of his service was as an MP in Wiesbaden, Germany just after the end of the war. While still in Germany, Best was transferred to Special Services and began his acting career. According to Best, he first acted in a European tour of "My Sister Eileen" directed by Arthur Penn. Upon his return to the U.S., he toured in road and stock companies in plays and musicals, and was finally spotted by a scout from Universal Pictures, who put him under contract. A handsome young man, his rural inflections perhaps kept him from frequent leading man roles. During the 1950s and '60s, he was a familiar face in movies and television in a wide range of roles, from Western bad guys to craven cowards and country bumpkins. Physical ailments curtailed his work for a long period late in his career, and he established a well-respected acting workshop in Los Angeles. He also served as artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi, teaching and directing. He worked in both acting and producing capacities for Burt Reynolds on several of the latter's films in the late 1970s, before taking on his greatest commercial success. Although the The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) TV series was far beneath his talents, his role as Sheriff Rosco Coltrane was the part that gave him his greatest fame. He continued teaching, both in Hollywood and later in Florida (at the University of Central Florida). Semi-retired, he makes personal appearances and exhibits his paintings. James Best starred in the 2007 feature film, Moondance Alexander (2007), along with Don Johnson, Lori Loughlin, Kay Panabaker, Sasha Cohen and Whitney Sloan.
Tivia: Cousin of singers Don Everly and Phil Everly.Had a black belt in karate.It was Best's idea to bring his real-life dog on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) with him; her name was "Flash".In the mid-70s he decided to take a semi-retirement, and became an artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi. During his two years there, he taught motion picture technique and drama, directed four plays, established the Mississippi Film Commission and was elected to the university's Hall of Fame.When casting The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), there was a concern about Best's health. He had had at least one heart attack and insuring him was problematic to the degree that he might not have gotten the part. His friend Clint Eastwood stepped up and posted the insurance bond for him.In The Dukes in Hollywood (1984), Roscoe (Best) and Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) are discussing who should play them in a fictional movie about Hazzard County. Roscoe picks Burt Reynolds. Reynolds was a former acting student of Best, and the two had been friends for many years. Reynolds later played "Boss Hogg" in The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).Before she took up acting, Lindsay Wagner babysat for Best's children. It was Best who encouraged Wagner to take acting lessons and, in effect, kick-started her career.One of the jobs he had prior to becoming an actor was as a bagger at a Kroger's supermarket.Met Denver Pyle when both worked in The Left Handed Gun (1958). Some 21 years later he would co-star opposite Pyle on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), in which Pyle played the patriarch of the Duke family. The friendship would last for almost 40 years, until Pyle's death in late 1997.Was the youngest of eight boys and one girl. His mother died when he was three and he was taken to an orphanage when his Kentucky-born father, a coal miner, could no longer keep the family together. He was adopted at age 4 by Armen and Essa Best of Indiana.Met comedian/singer Andy Griffith on the 3rd episode of The Andy Griffith Show (1960), where Best's character was portrayed that of a guitar player. They were friends for 52 years, until Griffith's death in 2012.Founded the first school to teach actors motion picture technique in the 1970s. He taught in Hollywood for 25 years and worked with such stars as Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Gary Busey, Teri Garr, Lindsay Wagner, Farrah Fawcett and Quentin Tarantino.Was set to film "Old Soldiers" with Mickey Rooney and Hugh O'Brian. Unfortunately, while the movie was in the planning stage, all three actors passed away.Best remembered for having taken John Schneider under his wing, when he was 18 years old, when they were working together on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). Their friendship had lasted for over 35 years, until Best's death in 2015.Acting mentor and friends of Tom Wopat, John Schneider and Catherine Bach.Former roommate of Adam West.Every Friday for the first initial season, he commuted from his house in Conyers, Georgia to shoot The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), by the time the show relocated to Burbank, California, by the entire second season, he'd have to fly to and from the set, every week.He and wife Dorothy Best, along with Kevin Lang, formed their own production company, Best Friend Films. The company specializes in high-definition production, featuring the Panasonic Varicam, with a Pro 35 lens adapter, which enables them to use Panavision 35mm film lenses on a digital camera. They also feature an HD online edit suite, making them a "one-stop shop in HD production" for the independent producer.Not long before his death, he along with his longtime friend Robert Fuller attended the 100th birthday party of their friend, Norman Lloyd, in Los Angeles, California.When he guest-starred on one of the three episodes of Laramie (1959), the writers jokingly created the name of Johnny Best, whose character was named after him.Best appeared in each and every episode of The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), with the exception of five, in the second season, due to a dispute regarding the dressing rooms.Best's adoptive father, Armen Neely Best, died on June 1, 1984, at age 87. His adoptive mother, Essa Knowland Best, died on March 30, 1988, at age 92.His billing for Three on a Couch (1966) read: "Introducing James Best", despite the fact that he had been in movies for 16 years and had appeared in over 30 films.Father-in-law of Michael Damian.Began his career as a contract player for Universal in 1949.Shortly before his death, he was placed in hospice care, and was suffering from pneumonia.He established The James Best Theatre Center, located in Toluca Lake, California, on Riverside Drive (at the southwest corner of Mariota) in the upstairs rear portion of the Honey Baked Ham building.Moved to Florida in 1987 and taught on campus at the University of Central Florida. He was also appointed to the Advisory Council for the Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Industry of Florida. In 1992 he was the recipient of Florida's "Crystal Reel Award" for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series, for an episode of In the Heat of the Night (1988) with Carroll O'Connor.Best known by the public for his starring role as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979).Graduated from Corydon Central High School in Corydon, Indiana, in 1944.Had a son, Gary, from his first marriage and two daughters, JoJami and Janeen, from his second marriage. He had three grandchildren.Over his long life, he had 11 hobbies: fishing, boating, painting, petkeeping, writing (scripts, plays and poetry), riding horses, social media, spending time with his family, playing guitar, traveling and karate.Until Best's death, his ex-The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) co-star, John Schneider, called him "Jimmie".Went fishing with Robert Fuller and Paul Newman.In an acting career than spanned 65 years, James Best was the only actor to ever have appeared in more than 600 episodic television shows and 85 movies, more than anybody else.Despite being a well-established name with a long history in film and television, he was never nominated for an Emmy nor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.His former The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) co-star, John Schneider, worked with him on two different shows: CMT Cribs (2009), in 2010, and Return of the Killer Shrews (2012) in 2012, where Best reprised his role from a half-century ago.Met a rising Western character actor, Robert Fuller, when Best was guest-starring on the 6th episode of Laramie (1959). They were very good friends for 56 years, until Best's own passing in 2015.At 23, Best moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1949, to pursue an acting career. He would live there, until around 1976, when he decided to move to Oxford, Mississippi, to become an acting coach, in college.Father of Janeen Damian.A detective television show buff.Was friends with Jerry Lewis. He introduced Best to comedy.Former neighbor of Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward.Had been taught a lot of boxing skills, marksmanship with assorted firearms and a lifelong passion for fishing and the outdoors, by his father.Best was still trying to get an appropriate accounting from Warner Bros. about royalties earned on commodities, while working on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). According to his contract, he was to earn 5% of Warner Bros. share on all his commodities with his image. The following year, while Warner Bro. made $180 million for the show. Best did not received not a single fraction of his full share.Had learned each and every one of his comedy skills that he used on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) - from Jerry Lewis.Director Quentin Tarantino has said that the work of Best "taught me how to act". Ironically, when Tarantino appeared in a 1990s Broadway revival of the play "Wait Until Dark", he received some of his worst acting reviews ever.Brother-in-law of John Collier.Has highly praised James Stewart for his stardom in acting.Had worked with James Arness, in episode of both series. He worked on 3 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955) and 1 other episode of How the West Was Won (1976).