CA Highway Ain’t No Hazzard...Or Is It?

[MonacoMan]

Another fun, action-filled show I grew up with was CHiPs (1977-1983)! I just watched a Season 3 episode, “Death Watch”, from October of 1979. Part of the plot was the late actor Christopher Stone playing this disgruntled, angry movie stuntman driver purposely causing wrecks on the California freeways for insurance money (Stone’s real-life wife, actress Dee Wallace, who many remember as the mom in the movie E.T., also had a guest-spot). 

However, the goofy movie director that Stone’s character was the stunt driver for, was none other than Rick Hurst...aka Cletus Hogg!  Has Hurst ever played a serious role? 

Edited March 5, 2023 by MonacoMan

[HossC]

That episode of CHiPs originally aired the day after Rick's third appearance in Dukes (The Meeting).

1 hour ago, MonacoMan said:

Has Hurst ever played a serious role? 

Looking through his list of acting credits, I'd say that most have been in comedy/light entertainment roles, with several as police officers or soldiers. I remember him in 'Earth Girls Are Easy' and I watched his episode of 'M*A*S*H' a couple of weeks ago. I'd love to see him in 'On The Rocks' (the US remake of the British sitcom 'Porridge'), but a grainy trailer is all that seems to be available online.

It's interesting that his character in CHiPs was 'goofy'. The show sometimes dealt with serious subjects (armed robbery, drink driving, mental heath issues etc.), but there was often some light-hearted relief or even whole comedic episodes. It was a good mix.

[MonacoMan]

44 minutes ago, HossC said:

That episode of CHiPs originally aired the day after Rick's third appearance in Dukes (The Meeting).

Looking through his list of acting credits, I'd say that most have been in comedy/light entertainment roles, with several as police officers or soldiers. I remember him in 'Earth Girls Are Easy' and I watched his episode of 'M*A*S*H' a couple of weeks ago. I'd love to see him in 'On The Rocks' (the US remake of the British sitcom 'Porridge'), but a grainy trailer is all that seems to be available online.

It's interesting that his character in CHiPs was 'goofy'. The show sometimes dealt with serious subjects (armed robbery, drink driving, mental heath issues etc.), but there was often some light-hearted relief or even whole comedic episodes. It was a good mix.

CHiPs sometimes was serious (for the time), as they once in a while even had fatalities & people dying. But, overall it was fairly lighthearted...although it was definitely more serious than DOH.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Rick Hurst in any kind of serious role. 

[RogerDuke]

I watched it but not on a regular basis. My favorite scene was when that tiny car got pulled over and that massive guy got out and was so mad he tore the car apart with his bare hands.  No, it wasn't Big Ed Little. I think it was Rosie Greer. 

[MonacoMan]

1 hour ago, RogerDuke said:

I watched it but not on a regular basis. My favorite scene was when that tiny car got pulled over and that massive guy got out and was so mad he tore the car apart with his bare hands.  No, it wasn't Big Ed Little. I think it was Rosie Greer. 

Yes, it was an early Season 1 episode “Moving Violation”...Rosie Greer guest starred as this huge, massive guy who gets out of an old tiny compact car (it was almost clown-like).  He is so enraged because he’s getting a ticket (I think it was his mom‘s car supposedly, if I remember right—and she’ll be mad at him) that he begins to literally tear/rip the car apart with his hands...Greer’s guest-appearance is credited as ‘Car Killer’, no-less, lol!!!  

[RogerDuke]

I looked him up (spelled Rosey) and he was 6'5" and 290 lbs. I thought he was closer to 400 lbs but that's still huge. I do remember that he was mad about getting the ticket but I didn't remember that it was his mom's car. I can't remember if he was arrested or not but Rosco would have arrested him for littering.