‘Dukes of Hazzard’ actor Ben Jones dead at 86

Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on the classic TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard” and also served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, died on Sunday, according to a social media post from his wife. He was 84. “I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack,” Alma Viator wrote on Facebook Sunday, accompanied by a picture of the actor with his dog. “He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees. Ben had the most amazing rich full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so so much,” she concluded. Ben Jones (pictured here in 2000) died Sunday, his wife, Alma Viator, announced in a Facebook post. ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection The actor, best known for playing Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died of a massive heart attack, according to his wife. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection Jones was best known for his role as the friendly mechanic Davenport on all seven seasons of “The Dukes of Hazzard” from 1979 to 1985, but he also had roles in other prominent TV and film projects, including “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Moonrunners,” and “As the World Turns.”However, following his acting career, he took a turn into politics. Jones was 84 years old. Getty Images He’s pictured here alongside the “Dukes of Hazzard” cast (James Best, Rick Hurst, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach and John Schneider) in 1997 when the co-stars reunited. Courtesy Everett Collection Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! In 1988, he ran for Congress in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District, and won. He was reelected in 1990, but lost his next race four years later against Newt Gingrich.Tom Wopat, who played who played Luke Duke alongside John Schneider’s Bo Duke on “The Dukes of Hazzard” was one of the first to post regarding Jones’ death.“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business,” he wrote on Facebook Sunday. “The Dukes of Hazzard” lasted seven seasons on CBS. Jones is pictured here with co-star Kim Richards in December 1983. Courtesy Everett Collection The show ran from 1979 to 1985 and was consistently high in ratings. Jones is pictured here with Schneider, Bach, Wopat and Hurst in 2000. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection “He will be sorely missed… Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, “I’m not your Uncle Jesse!” But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today,” the actor said. “The Dukes of Hazzard” lasted seven season on CBS, and was extremely popular. In 2005, it was rebooted into an action comedy film starring Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!