Bo Hopkins, who played country bad boys in several classic films — and was fondly remembered for TV's Dynasty in the '80s — has died.
A message on his official site announced:
"It is with great sadness that we announce that Bo has passed away. Bo loved hearing from his fans from around the world and although he was unable to respond to every email over the last few years, he appreciated hearing from each and every one of you."
He was 80. No cause was given.
Hopkins was born William Hopkins in Greenville, South Carolina, on February 2, 1942. After serving in the Army (in which he enlisted by age 16), he pursued acting via summer stock. "Bo" was in honor of the character he played in Bus Stop, his first off-Broadway production.
Hopkins made his TV debut on an episode of The Phyllis Diller Show in 1966, going on to make guest appearances on The Virginian (1967), Gunsmoke (1967), The Wild Wild West (1967), The Andy Griffith Show (1967) and others.
After parts in the features Dayton's Devils (1968) and The Thousand Plane Raid (1969), he had an impact as Crazy Lee in Sam Peckinpah's classic The Wild Bunch (1969).
Continuing to act on TV, other features included The Getaway (1972), the George Lucas hit American Graffiti (1973), which kicked off a major nostalgia craze (in spite of being shot only 10 years after the events in its story), The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), White Lightning (1973), Posse (1975), The Day of the Locust (1975), Tentacles (1977), Midnight Express (1978), More American Graffiti (1979) and The Bounty Hunter (1989).
For 18 episodes in the '80s, he was Matthew Blaisdel on the nighttime-soap juggernaut Dynasty (1981-1987), a fondly remembered part for which he continued making autograph-show appearances for the rest of his life.
Some of his other TV gigs during that period included A-list shows like Charlie's Angels (1976), The A-Team (1983) and Hotel (1983).
Hopkins' final film was Hillbilly Elegy in 2020, in which he was directed by his old American Graffiti co-star Ron Howard. Upon hearing of his death, co-star Glenn Close remembered him warmly on Instagram:
Hopkins is survived by his wife of over 30 years, Sian Eleanor Green, his son and his daughter.
