Sorrell Booke

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Sorrell Booke (January 4, 1930 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor who appeared on film, screen, and television.

He is best known for his role as corrupt politician Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard.

Early life and education

Sol Booke, the son of a local physician, was born in Buffalo, New York. He entertained patients in his father's waiting room as a child and started playing on radio at nine. He was known for his impersonations as a young radio actor. He won a radio competition for imitating Adolf Hitler's voice, and he appeared on local radio stations WGR and WEBR. He attended Bennett High School and was valedictorian of the Class of 1946.

Booke came to Columbia University at the age of 16, and he appeared in Shakespearean plays in Columbia's drama club. He graduated from Columbia University in 1949 and earned a Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Drama. He served in the US Army during the Korean War for two years as a counterintelligence officer.

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Career

After his Army service, Booke appeared off-Broadway in The White Devil and had his first television role in the series Omnibus. His Broadway debut was in 1956, in Michael Redgrave's production of The Sleeping Prince. One prominent early role was that of Senator Billboard T. Rawkins in the 1960 revival of Finian's Rainbow. He also appeared in the films Black Like Me, A Fine Madness, What's Up, Doc? and Fail-Safe. In 1962, he starred in the Broadway musical Fiorello! as the title character.

Aside from his film roles he appeared on television, among them The Guiding Light and 12 O-Clock High, and he worked as a voice actor in the 1980s and early 1990s. Booke also was a guest conductor at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Booke received an Emmy nomination for his appearance in Dr. Kildare in the episode "What's God to Julius?". He appeared in an episode of Mission: Impossible from the first season in 1966. Booke appeared in two early episodes of M*A*S*H, as General Barker in "Requiem for a Lightweight" and "Chief Surgeon Who?"; the latter marked the debut of the character Corporal Klinger, with whom Booke's character had previously dealt. He also had a recurring role in All in the Family as Mr. Sanders, personnel manager at Archie Bunker's workplace, Prendergast Tool and Die Company. (He had previously appeared on All in the Family as Lyle Bennett, the manager of a local television station.) Booke was featured on an episode of Good Times, and had a recurring role as the Jewish mob boss "Lefkowitz" on Soap. He also appeared in two episodes of Columbo, Swan Song in Season 3 (featuring Johnny Cash) and The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case in Season 6. In 1976 he played a record producer in Rich Man, Poor Man Book II.

Booke's most notable role was in The Dukes of Hazzard as Boss Hogg, the humorously wicked antagonist to Bo and Luke Duke. The series ran on CBS for seven seasons, from 1979 to 1985. It spawned an animated series, The Dukes (1983), two reunion TV specials (by which time Booke had died, and the character of Boss Hogg was also said to be deceased), a feature film (2005) and The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (a 2007 TV movie).

Booke had stopped appearing physically in acting roles, but he continued to perform voice work on several television shows and movies, occasionally as narrator, and sometimes as a cartoon character's voice, in such movies as Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987 TV movie), Gravedale High (1990 television series), and Rock-A-Doodle (1991).

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