Sorrell Booke

Sorrell Booke (January 4, 1930 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor who performed on stage, screen and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Jefferson Davis Hogg in the television show "The Dukes of Hazzard".

Born in Buffalo, New York, and fluent in five languages including Japanese, Sorrell Booke graduated from Columbia and Yale Universities and served in the Korean War as a counterintelligence officer. Booke had parts in noteworthy 1960s films such as "Black Like Me", "A Fine Madness" and "Fail-Safe" before focusing primarily on television parts in the 1970s and voice acting in the 1980s and 1990s.

Booke earned himself an Emmy nomination for his appearance in the TV series, "Dr. Kildare" in the episode entitled, "What's God to Julius?" He can also be seen in an episode of "" from the first season in 1966. Booke also appeared in two early episodes of "M*A*S*H", one of which, "Chief Surgeon Who?", marked the debut of the character Corporal Klinger, whom Booke's character had previously dealt with. Additionally, he had a recurring role in Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom "All in the Family" as Mr. Sanders, personnel manager at Archie Bunker's workplace, Pendergast Tool and Die.

His most notable role was in "The Dukes of Hazzard" as the humorously wicked antagonist to Bo and Luke Duke, J.D. 'Boss' Hogg. The series ran from 1979-1985, and spawned an animated series, "The Dukes" (1983), two reunion TV specials, and a feature film. Booke was actually only slightly overweight and wore a fat suit during the entire run of the series.

He also once conducted the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Booke continued to work professionally until he succumbed to colorectal cancer in Sherman Oaks, California at age 64. He is interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

His tombstone reads "Beloved Pa, Grandpa, Brother and Boss".

Booke had two children, Alexandra and Nicholas, and a brother named Fred.

Filmography

* "Rock-A-Doodle" (1991)
* "The Cat from Outer Space" (1978)
* "Record City" (1978)
* "The Other Side of Midnight" (1977)
* "Freaky Friday" (1976)
* "Special Delivery" (1976)
* "Mastermind" (1976)
* "The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery" (1975)
* "Bank Shot" (1974)
* "Devil Times Five" (1974)
* "The Take" (1974)
* "The Iceman Cometh" (1973)
* "Slaughterhouse-Five" (1972)
* "What's Up, Doc?" (1972)
* "Bye Bye Braverman" (1968)
* "Up the Down Staircase" (1967)
* "A Fine Madness" (1966)
* "Matchless" (1966)
* "Les Félins" (1964)
* "Fail-Safe" (1964)
* "Black Like Me" (1964)
* "Gone Are the Days!" (1963)

TV work

* "" (1992)
* "Gravedale High" (1990)
* "Full House" (1989)
* "Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers" (1987)
* "You Again?" (1986)
* "The Dukes" (1983)
* "The Smurfs" (1981)
* "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979)
* "Little House On The Prairie" (1978)
* "The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened" (1977)
* "" (1977)
* "The Amazing Howard Hughes" (1977)
* "Soap" (1977)
* "Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II" (1976)
* "Brenda Starr" (1976)
* "Adventures of the Queen" (1975)
* "The Last Angry Man" (1974)
* "Dr. Max" (1974)
* "" (1974)
* "M*A*S*H" (1972)
* "The Manhunter" (1972)
* "Adventures of Nick Carter" (1972)
* "Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law" (1971)
* "The Guiding Light" (1952)
* "The Borgia Stick" (1967)
* "The Million Dollar Incident" (1961)
* "The Iceman Cometh" (1960)
* "The Streets of San Francisco" (1975)
* "Hawaii Five-O" "The Double Wall" (1970)

tage appearances

* "Morning, Noon and Night" (1968)
* "Come Live With Me" (1967)
* "The White House" (1964)
* "Purlie Victorious" (1961) - (1962)
* "Finian's Rainbow" (1960)
* "Caligula" (1960)
* "Fiorello!" (1959) - (1961) (Replacement)
* "Heartbreak House" (1959)
* "Nature's Way" (1957)
* "The Sleeping Prince" (1956)

External links

*imdb|0095368 Retrieved on 2008-02-05
*amg name|2:7341
*findagrave|id=1395 Retrieved on 2008-02-05
* [http://members.fortunecity.com/nightshade35/hogg.htm/ More about Sorrell and his character, "Boss Hogg".]
* [http://www.hazzardnet.com/ A very popular site dedicated to the TV series, "The Dukes of Hazzard" with information about Sorrell Booke and the rest of the cast.]