Ben Jones AKA "Cooter Davenport"

Ben Jones Filmography

Ben Lewis Jones was born on August 31, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, and was raised in Portsmouth, Virginia.  As a kid Jones seem to have a talent, but only for getting into trouble.  He began drinking at the age of sixteen and having a criminal record of trespassing and battery charges.  He tried to turn his life around by getting into working and he had a succession of odd jobs, including a truck driver, housepainter, and census-taker.  He also worked at Stump Round tree's filling station in Portsmouth, VA.  With the money he earned from that job he enrolled at the University of North Carolina.      While Jones was in college he discovered acting and quickly progressed from university productions to summer stock.  His first debut was in the musical Show Boat.  Jones appeared in eight plays, thirty films and television shows, and over two hundred radio and TV commercials.  At the time the Dukes of Hazzard came about, Jones was living in Rutledge, Georgia when he heard about the series coming to Covington, Georgia.  He learned about the role of Cooter.  Jones went and found some old dirty clothes that were tore up, and wore a ball cap.  He played this crazy good ol' boy, and was cast the role of Cooter.                                                                                   Information from the Dukes of Hazzard Unofficial Companion.

Cooter Davenport was the town mechanic.  There was nothing that Cooter couldn't fix.  Body work, paint job, and building a motor.  He did it all.  He was also a very loyal friend to the Duke family.  Cooter always would help the Dukes out in a jam.  Cooter was just another good ol' boy.