Tom Wopat became a household name when he starred on the beloved television show “Dukes Of Hazzard” from 1979 through 1985. While some celebrities let fame go to their heads and come to resent the shows that make them well-known, Wopat loves “Dukes Of Hazzard” to this day, calling it a “blessing” in a recent interview.
Wopat Cast On ‘Dukes Of Hazzard
Wopat had grown up wanting to be a singer, so “Dukes Of Hazzard” came as a surprise when it was offered to him.
“Singing has always been my number one priority,” he told Fox News. “’Dukes’ was really kind of an aberration. I never really aspired to do television. I put my focus on making records, doing live shows and being in the theater. But ‘Dukes’ really was a ride.”
Wopat, 71, had been spotted by a casting director in an off-Broadway production of “Oklahoma!”, and he was seen as a perfect fit for the sitcom.
“They had everyone lined up by then,” he recalled. “I was asked to go to Los Angeles for a screen test. So I took a paper bag full of clothes and got on a plane. I met John [Schneider] on a Wednesday, we did a test on a Friday and 10 days later we were shooting in Georgia.”
It wasn’t long before “Dukes Of Hazzard” became a hit.
“You can never tell when something’s gonna pop,” Wopat continued. “But some time in the first year, we just knew we had something amazing here. The fans are unique in that they hand down their love for the show from generation to generation. I’ve met third and fourth-generation fans. It’s amazing. It’s a gift. The show will long outlive me, that’s for sure.”
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Wopat’s Highlight Of ‘Dukes Of Hazzard’
Looking back, working with John Schneider was the highlight of Wopat’s time on “Dukes Of Hazzard.”
“I don’t know if there ever were two guys who made each other laugh as hard as we did,” he said. “We really enjoyed each other. We became lifelong friends. But the whole cast was pretty darn close.”
“We tried not to take ourselves too seriously and I think we did a pretty good job of that,” he added. “We’ve lost some of the older guys since then and it’s a shame. We were a family on set… I still see Catherine [Bach] and John to this day… I love him like a brother. [The show] was a blessing.”
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When “Dukes Of Hazzard” came to an end in 1985, Wopat went back to his true passion of music.
“I was blessed with the fact that I had already done musicals before ‘Dukes,’” he explained. “Sure, I did a couple of short-lived things, but they were never as fun as what we did… I think bouncing around in different mediums and keeping busy is key to this business. I’m always writing songs to keep me fresh.”
Wopat is still performing to this day, starting in the sequel to 2017’s County Line titled County Line: All In. Check out a trailer for that in the video below.
Wopat Looks To The Future
Though he’s over 70, Wopat is far from done working, and he’s eager to see what the future holds for his career.
“I think creating something that’s for all generations is in short supply these days,” he said. “And I think that stuff is still makable. Hallmark is not really my cup of tea, and I’m not really into rom-coms. But I think people do want something they can watch with the family and look back on.”
“Dukes Of Hazzard” was truly a one-of-a-kind show that is still beloved to this day. We’re glad that Wopat seems to have nothing but fond memories of his time on this sitcom!
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