Rick Hurst, who portrayed Deputy Cletus Hogg on the well-known TV series Dukes of Hazzard, has passed away at the age of 79, his ex-wife has confirmed.
Richard “Rick” Hurst, 79, a veteran actor best known for his role as Deputy Cletus Hogg in The Dukes of Hazzard, passed away.
Candace Kaniecki, Rick’s ex-wife, broke the news to TMZ, revealing that Rick had unplannedly passed away in Los Angeles on June 26. The cause of Rick’s death is still unknown, according to Candace at this time.
Confirmation of his passing came through Cooter’s in Luray, VA’s Facebook page on June 26 – a museum and shop dedicated to The Dukes of Hazzard, run by Ben Jones aka Cooter Daveport from the beloved CBS series, and his spouse, Alma Viator.
Cooter drew inspiration from Deputy Hogg’s moving funeral photo tribute. A sepia-toned Rick with a white dove-colored background, his full name, the respectful “RIP,” and a date that ran from January 1, 1946, to June 26, 2025, was depicted in the photo.
A heartfelt quote accompanied the image: “Gone from our sight but never from our hearts. Your love and memories will forever remain.”, reports the Mirror US.
Our hearts are broken, they wrote in a Facebook post, adding: “Our hearts are broken!!” You will be missed. “!.
Rick was scheduled to attend a Meet and Greet event at the Cooter’s location in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, scheduled for July 3-7, and he was only last seen celebrating at Cooter’s retirement party just last month.
Following the news of Rick’s passing, John Schneider, Rick’s co-star from The Dukes of Hazzard and Bo Duke, wrote a heartfelt tribute to him.
On Facebook, John shared a tribute photo of Rick for his passing, claiming, “I just heard about the passing of dear Rick Hurst, a.k.a. Cletus Hogg.” My friend, you were a remarkable force for humanity, sanity, and comedy. When you are in Heaven, you are safer and more organized. We’ll keep the race going until everyone in the end laughs! I cherish you. John”.
On The Dukes of Hazzards, Rick was best known for playing the role of Deputy Cletus Hogg, the cousin of Boss Hogg (Sorrell Brooke). He reprised his role in the 1980s and 1983 movies The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000), which came to an end in 1985, and The Dukes of Hazzard (1997).
Rick has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies throughout his career, including Steel Magnolias, MASH*, The Guardian, The Karate Kid Part III, and The Partridge Family. His most recent acting work was a 2016 TV short titled Be My Guest.
Ryan Hurst and Collin Hurst, Rick’s sons, are also in his life. Ryan is the child of his first wife, Candace, and his second wife, Shelly Weir, is his maternal grandmother.
Source: Mirror
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