Sonny Shroyer

Otis B. Shroyer was born in Valdosta, Georgia on August 28th, 1935. He attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship, but earned his BBA Degree at the University of Georgia. Sonny was a model and this exposure got him roles in movies and on television. Sonny enrolled in an acting class (the instructor was future Sheriff of Hazzard County, James Best) and together he and James worked in the Burt Reynolds movie Gator. He went on to appear in two more of Burt Reynolds' movies, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit.

Also at the University of Georgia with Sonny was Dukes creator, Gy Waldron. After directing Sonny in a commercial, Gy wrote the part of Enos with Sonny in mind. When one of the show's producers went to Georgia for an open casting call, Gy said, "When you get down there, for the character of Enos, see if you can find an actor named Sonny Shroyer." The producer forgot the note, but later phoned Gy to say he thought he'd got someone to play Enos. Gy asked who it was, and the producer said, "It's an actor I found named Sonny Shroyer." So Sonny became the first person to be cast in Dukes.

Sonny has done numerous guest roles on television since the Dukes. Sonny has also appeared in many movies including playing Coach Bear Bryant in the feature film Forrest Gump and in two John Grisham films, The Rainmaker and The Gingerbread Man. Sonny has two sons named Mark and Christopher who own the Sinfully Good Candy Company.