Deputy Cletus’ Final Ride: Richard Hurst’s Sudden Exit at 79
Here comes one more showbiz twist nobody auditioned for: Richard Hurst, the affable face behind Deputy Cletus Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, has quietly exited stage left. TMZ learned that Hurst passed away Thursday in Los Angeles at age 79, marking the end of a career filled with badges, laughs and occasional bad hair days. His first wife, Candace Kaniecki, delivered the somber news, admitting that “Rick’s death was unexpected” and that even medical examiners are shrugging at the cause. This feels less like an obituary and more like a cliffhanger nobody asked for.
Hurst was set to make a splash at Cooter’s Place in Pigeon Forge on July 3, but the theme-park museum announced on Facebook that “unforeseen circumstances” forced a no-show. Cue collective fan disappointment—because there’s nothing like a last-minute cancellation to prove the universe has a twisted sense of humor. The late actor first donned that honorary deputy’s badge in the late 1970s and reprised his role throughout the 1980s television series, forever cementing his status as Boss Hogg’s cousin who rarely solved crimes but always looked the part.
Long before binge-watching became a euphemism for Potato Chip Olympics, Hurst racked up guest spots on classic TV staples like Sanford and Son, The Partridge Family, M*A*S*H, Gunsmoke and The Bob Newhart Show. He even tried his hand at the silver screen with family-friendly flicks such as The Cat from Outer Space and Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I, proving he could survive both outer space and ancient Rome without so much as a hair out of place. Because what screams Hollywood grit more than a talking alien cat and a ribald Byzantine emperor?
Fans might find it oddly comforting that Hurst’s son, Ryan Hurst, took a more dramatic path by starring in Sons of Anarchy and Remember the Titans. Those hearty roles probably came with fewer bolo ties but far more leather jackets. It’s the sort of family legacy that makes you wonder if next-generation actors inherit more talent or more Instagram followers.
Despite a career spanning decades, Hurst never sought the limelight outside his craft. His life was a study in steady work, modest fame and the occasional random rodeo of public appearances. The unexpected nature of his passing reminds us that even steady earners in Hollywood can vanish from the marquee without warning. Let’s give it up for a man who spent a lifetime chasing bad guys on screen and met his final curtain call as quietly as a ninja in a curtain sale.
Well, there you have it: a career curtain call worthy of its own series finale. Let’s file this under life’s cruel punchlines and wait for the next guest star to accidentally trip over their own legacy.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ.com, People.com
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
