Rick Hurst, best known for his role in the original “The Dukes of Hazzard” series during the late 1970s and early 1980s, has died at the age of 79. His wife, Candace Kaniecki, confirmed the news to TMZ on Thursday. She revealed that the beloved television actor died suddenly earlier on Thursday.
No official cause of death has been given. Hurst shot to fame for his role as Deputy Cletus Hogg on “The Dukes of Hazzard”, where he played the cousin of the show’s main antagonist, Boss Hogg. His death comes just a few months after one of the show’s stars, John Schneider, slammed Warner Bros. and so-called “woke” critics.
Sudden and Unexpected Death
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Schneider voiced his frustration after the show was pulled from several television lineups and the production of merchandise featuring the series’ famous car, the General Lee, was halted due to backlash over the show’s frequent use of Confederate symbols and its ties to a pro-slavery legacy.
Hurst died just a week before he was set to appear at a fan gathering hosted by Cooter’s Place—a Dukes of Hazzard-themed museum and store located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee—on Thursday, July 3, according to the venue’s website.
However, on Thursday morning, the museum shared a message on its Facebook page saying the event would be postponed, citing Hurst’s unexpected inability to attend, as reported by TMZ.
That original post now appears to have been removed, and the Nashville branch of Cooter’s Place has since posted a short tribute in Hurst’s memory.
Hurst joined “The Dukes of Hazzard” in its debut season in early 1979, initially appearing as a recurring character for the first two seasons.
He played Deputy Cletus Hogg, a supporting role to Sonny Shroyer’s Deputy Enos Strate. When Shroyer left the series to star in his own short-lived spinoff, Enos, his role was reduced to guest appearances in season three, and he was entirely absent in season four.
From Supporting Role to Main Cast
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As a result, Hurst was promoted to the main cast during that time to fill the void left by Shroyer. In 1982, Shroyer returned as a main cast member for the show’s fifth season, leading to Hurst being moved back to a guest role. He did not appear in the final two seasons of the series.
However, both actors returned to reprise their roles in the 1997 TV film “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” and again in the 2000 follow-up, “The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood.”
In the first season of “The Dukes of Hazzard”, Hurst’s character was primarily as a sidekick to his cousin, Boss Hogg. It wasn’t until the second season that Cletus was officially made a deputy.
After his role was downgraded in The Dukes of Hazzard, Hurst moved on to the sitcom “Amanda’s”, which starred Bea Arthur.
The show was an American adaptation of the British classic “Fawlty Towers”, originally created by John Cleese and Connie Booth. “Amanda’s” marked Arthur’s return to television five years after the end of Maude, and it served as a transitional project before her time on The Golden Girls.
The series was short-lived, canceled after just 10 episodes aired, although three additional episodes that had been filmed were later broadcast in reruns. Hurst portrayed the quirky chef, Earl Nash.
Throughout his career, Hurst often played police officers or detectives on shows like “The Doris Day Show”, “Sanford and Son”, “The Partridge Family”, “Get Christie Love!,” and “The Blue Knight.”
