Rick Hurst, Who Played Cletus on ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’ Dies

Actor Rick Hurst, best known for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg in the late-’70s hit sitcom The Dukes of Hazzard, died Thursday at age 79.

No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.

Fellow actor and former congressman Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on The Dukes of Hazzard, paid tribute to Hurst in an emotional Facebook post.

“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.”

Jones added that he had known Hurst for “over 45 years and there wasn’t a minute of that time that he didn’t leave me smiling or laughing.”

Hurst with his "Dukes of Hazzard" castmates: John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Tom Wopat and James Best, along with Basset hound Sandy. In the back row are Sorrell Booke, Denver Pyle and Ben Jones.

CBS via Getty Images

“He was a professional comedian, but mostly he just had a heart as big as Texas,” Jones wrote.

The official Dukes of Hazzard Instagram page said goodbye to Hurst, saying he brought “warmth, humor, and unforgettable charm” to his role.

Hurst was scheduled to appear at Cooter’s Place, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, during the first week of July. Cooter’s Place is a museum dedicated to The Dukes of Hazzard. According to the museum’s Facebook page, the event was canceled because of “unforeseen circumstances.”

Born on New Year’s Day 1946 in Houston, Texas, Hurst appeared in 55 episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, plus two revival movies in 1997 and 2000, according to IMDb.

He also appeared in other classic television shows and movies, including M*A*S*H*, Sanford and Son, Murder, She Wrote, The Karate Kid Part III and In the Line of Fire.

Hurst’s son, Ryan, is also an actor. His work in films and TV includes Remember the Titans, Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead.​