‘Dukes of Hazzard’ star Tom Wopat said he ‘never really aspired to do’ TV before hit sitcom: ‘A blessing’
Tommy Wopat, who spent three seasons as the show’s iconic Sheriff J-16, said he “never really aspired” to make a TV show before “Dukes of Hazzard.”
“A blessing,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
The actor said he “just started off wanting to do a show” after first auditioning for the short-lived “Star Wars” spinoff series in 1995, but the idea of “doing a TV show” never took off.
“[I started] in real small, and just wanted to do a show,” he told THR. “But it didn’t really take off. But we had a good time on the TV show, and we had fun on the set, and were just having a good time doing it.”
This is from ‘Star Wars’ spinoff series ‘The Force Awakens’
In his words, Wopat said, “Dukes of Hazzard” “was really, really fun. A blessing from ABC. We did what we had to do, that’s it.”
“I never really aspired to do a TV show at that point,” he added. “I was just doing it because I wanted to. But at the end of the day I’m happy we did it. I think that’s a blessing.”
Tommy Wopat as Dukes of Hazzard’s Sheriff J.Z. Epps in ‘Dukes of Hazzard.’ Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
He said “it’s a blessing for the show and the audience. I think people enjoy it, and it’s a blessing for it.”
Wopat told The Hollywood