Family and co-stars of Rick Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus Hogg in the TV hit The Dukes of Hazzard, have expressed their shock at news of his death at 79.
Hurst, who was 79, died on Thursday in Los Angeles, TMZ reported, adding that his death was unexpected, according to first wife Candace Kaniecki. Hurst’s cause of death remains unclear.
A scheduled July 3 appearance was cancelled hours before the announcement of his death, with organizers noting, “Rick looks forward to rescheduling for a later date.”
The Dukes of Hazzard ran on CBS for seven seasons from 1979 to 1985. It was one of the highest-rated TV series in its prime.
Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport in the action comedy TV hit, paid tribute on Facebook. “It doesn’t seem right that Rick Hurst passed away this afternoon,” Jones wrote.
“When something so unexpected happens, it is ‘harder to process’, as the current expression goes. I have known Rick for over 45 years and there wasn’t a minute of that time that he didn’t leave me smiling or laughing.”
Jones continued, “Sure he was a professional comedian, but mostly he just had a heart as big as Texas. He was a fine actor, a splendid comic and a wonderfully supportive colleague.
“And since the Dukes is still playing all over the planet, he will continue to make us laugh.”
Jones, who also had a stint in the United States Congress, now runs Cooter’s Place, a string of Dukes of Hazzard-themed museums and shops. It was one of his museums that Hurst had been scheduled to appear at Cooter’s Place in Tennessee on July 3.
Hurst’s Dukes of Hazzard costar John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, paid tribute to Hurst on Facebook. “You were (a) remarkable force for humanity, sanity and comedy my friend,” he said.
“Heaven is a safer and more organized place with you in it. We’ll keep the race going and people laughing until we meet again. Love you, John.”
He also appeared in the reboots The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! in 1997 and 2000’s The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood.
Hurst also had roles in Gunsmoke, Melrose Place, The Partridge Family, Kojak, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Karate Kid and M*A*S*H.
Born in Houston, Hurst had two sons, Collin and Ryan. Ryan is an actor who has appeared in Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead.
