Actor From “Dukes of Hazzard” Dies at Age 96

Actor Clifton James has passed away following complications from diabetes.

James, whose acting credits number into the triple digits, was born in Washington state but was most often cast as a southern character, including a role on the Dukes of Hazzard as Sheriff Lester Crabb, thanks to his spot-on southern accent, which Clifton perfected after his graduation from the Actor’s Studio.

With recurring roles in such classics as Gunsmoke and Bonanza, James carved out a niche for himself playing southern lawmen, which landed him a two-time appearance in the James Bond series as Sheriff J.W. Pepper, working alongside Roger Moore as 007 in Live and Let Die as well as The Man with the Golden Gun.

Clifton James was preceded in death by his wife Laurie in 2015 and is survived by two sisters, five children, fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was 96 at the time of his passing.