John Schneider has never shied away from his iconic Bo Luke character from "Dukes of Hazzard"; rather, he'll be embracing it with a wink and a smile at Dukesfest this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
It certainly hasn't hindered his ability to get other roles, including Clark Kent's stepdad in "Smallville" and a protective father in the upcoming ABC Family drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."
And he called the AJC Wednesday just moments after finishing a scene canoodling with two female characters for a future episode of FX's risque series "Nip/Tuck" as porn czar Ram Peters.
Q: Playing a guy named Ram Peters. Must be fun!
A: It's pretty darn cool. The scene I just did got heated in more ways than one and I got slapped. Rough day at the office in the satin sheets!
Q: How does it feel now that "Dukes of Hazzard" is 30 years old?
A: Oh my God! I was 18 at the time. I feel exactly the same. I wear the same [type of] clothes. I'm going to wear one of my original shirts from "Dukes of Hazzard" for Dukesfest.
Q: What's the appeal of the show when so many others have fallen by the wayside in people's memories?
A: The show was just so unique. People still connect with it. There's a 2008/2009 calendar of "Dukes of Hazzard" at Wal-Mart. You can't buy a "CHiPS" calendar or a "Laverne & Shirley" calendar there!
Q: Why did you take over running Dukesfest?
A: Ben ["Cooter" Jones] has been doing it for years, but he told me he wanted to write his memoirs and sit on the porch. He asked us because my wife, Elly, is an amazing organizer and delegator. I just show up. I'm Bo. People ask me questions. I sing my songs. I have a good time!
Q: Why did you move the fest from Nashville to Atlanta?
A: I love Nashville but the show really started in Atlanta. They shot the first five episodes in Conyers. And Bo and Luke always talked about racing in NASCAR in Atlanta. We couldn't reference the Atlanta Motor Speedway specifically so we'd always say we wanted to that "big race in Atlanta."
Here's what some of his former colleagues, also attending Dukesfest, are up to:
Tom Wopat (Luke)
He's spent time on Broadway in musicals such as "Guys and Dolls" and "Annie Get Your Gun." He also reappeared TV in the late 1990s on "Cybill." He was nominated this year for a Tony in "A Catered Affair."Catherine Bach (Daisy)
After doing TV movies, she spent most of the '90s raising a family. This decade, she's done a lot of charity work and runs her own clothing line, featuring Daisy Duke-style denim, of course.Ben Jones (Cooter)
Jones jumped into politics as a Georgia Democrat House representative from 1988 to 1992. He started Dukesfest in 2001 and operated the festival until this year, passing duties to Schneider and his wife, Elly. He recently wrote a memoir "Redneck Boy in the Promised Land."About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
