James Knowland Best, an American character actor and teacher, was born Jewel Guy on July 26, 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky. He was orphaned at the tender age of three and subsequently adopted by Armen and Essa Knowland Best, who renamed him James Knowland Best and raised him in Corydon, Indiana.
Following his high school education, Best worked briefly as a metalworker before joining the Army during World War II in July 1944. The majority of his service was as a Military Police officer in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he was stationed just after the war ended.
While still in Germany, Best was transferred to Special Services and began his acting career. According to Best, his first acting role was in a European tour of "My Sister Eileen," directed by Arthur Penn.
Upon his return to the United States, Best toured in road and stock companies in plays and musicals. He was eventually spotted by a scout from Universal Pictures, who put him under contract.
Best's rural inflections and distinctive voice perhaps limited his opportunities as a leading man, but he went on to become a familiar face in movies and television during the 1950s and '60s. He played a wide range of roles, from Western villains to country bumpkins.
However, physical ailments curtailed his work for a long period later in his career. During this time, he established a well-respected acting workshop in Los Angeles and also served as an artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi, where he taught and directed.
In the late 1970s, Best worked in both acting and producing capacities for Burt Reynolds on several of the latter's films. He then went on to achieve his greatest commercial success with his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the popular TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979).
Best continued to teach, both in Hollywood and later in Florida, where he taught at the University of Central Florida. He is now semi-retired and makes personal appearances and exhibits his paintings. In 2007, he starred in the feature film "Moondance Alexander," alongside a talented cast that included Don Johnson, Lori Loughlin, Kay Panabaker, Sasha Cohen, and Whitney Sloan.
