{"id":20368,"date":"2025-07-05T02:55:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T02:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=20368"},"modified":"2025-07-05T02:55:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T02:55:13","slug":"he-made-us-laugh-with-every-crooked-grin-and-bumbling-chase-and-now-dukes-of-hazzard-fans-are-saying-goodbye-to-one-of-hazzard-countys-most-beloved-faces-rick-hu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=20368","title":{"rendered":"He made us laugh with every crooked grin and bumbling chase \u2014 and now, \u201cDukes of Hazzard\u201d fans are saying goodbye to one of Hazzard County\u2019s most beloved faces. Rick Hurst, who brought the lovable deputy Cletus Hogg to life, has passed away at age 79. Though he played the comic sidekick, Hurst left a legacy far deeper than laughs \u2014 a warm presence, a familiar charm, and a place in the hearts of those who grew up watching him chase the Duke boys week after week."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cDukes Of Hazzard\u201d Star Rick Hurst, Who Played Cletus Hogg, Dies At Age 79<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Actor Rick Hurst, beloved for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg on \u201cThe Dukes of Hazzard,\u201d died on June 26, 2025, at the age of 79. (Photo Credit: CBS via Getty Images)<\/div>\n
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Actor Rick Hurst, Beloved For His Role On\u00a0The Dukes Of Hazzard<\/em>, Has Died<\/h2>\n

Rick Hurst, the man who played Deputy Cletus Hogg on\u00a0The Dukes of Hazzard<\/em>, died on Thursday (June 26) at the age of 79.<\/p>\n

Hurst\u2019s co-star, Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on\u00a0The Dukes of Hazzard<\/em>, confirmed his death. Jones shared the heartbreaking news in a post on the Facebook page for the Cooter\u2019s Place Museum (themed around the show) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

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Jones wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem right that Rick Hurst passed away this afternoon. When something so unexpected happens, it is \u2018harder to process\u2019, as the current expression goes. I have known Rick for over 45 years and there wasn\u2019t a minute of that time that he didn\u2019t leave me smiling or laughing. 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.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He ended his post by saying:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have always thought of our Cooter\u2019s friends as \u2018Hazzard Nation\u2019, Well, Hazzard Nation is sure going to miss Rick Hurst down here around \u2018Cooters\u2019, but his presence will always be near us. Rest in Peace, old friend!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n