American character actor and teacher. A handsome young man, his rural inflections perhaps kept him from frequent leading man roles. During the 1950s and '60s, he was a familiar face in movies and television in a wide range of roles, from Western bad guys to craven cowards and country bumpkins. Physical ailments curtailed his work for a long period late in his career, and he established a well-respected acting workshop in Los Angeles. Although the The Dukes of Hazzard TV series was far beneath his talents, his role as Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane was the part that gave him his greatest fame.
His billing for Three on a Couch read: "Introducing James Best", despite the fact that he had been in movies for 16 years and had appeared in over 30 films. Cousin of singers Don Everly and Phil Everly. Father of Janeen Damian. Director Quentin Tarantino has said that the work of Best "taught me how to act". Ironically, when Tarantino appeared in a 1990s Broadway revival of the play "Wait Until Dark", he received some of his worst acting reviews ever. Father-in-law of Michael Damian. Brother-in-law of John Collier.