Ben Lewis Jones was born on 30 August 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina USA, and is an actor, politician, playwright and essayist, but probably best known for playing Cooter Davenport in the television series “The Dukes of Hazzard”, during a career now spanning over five decades.
So just how rich is Ben Jones? According to sources, Jones has a net worth of over $500,000, as of early 2017. His wealth has been established through his involvement in the film and television industry, through his political and writing career, as well as through his “Cooter’s” business.
Ben Jones Net Worth
Jones grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, along with his three brothers, where he attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He later enrolled at the University of North Carolina.
His acting career started in the late ’60s, appearing in the crime drama film “Killers Three”. He went on to land a variety of roles during the next decade, such as in the films “Together for Days”, “Moonrunners” and “The Lincoln Conspiracy”, as well as in television series like “Nashville 99” and “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”. All contributed to his net worth.
In 1979 Jones was cast in the action-comedy television series “The Dukes of Hazzard”, to play the troublesome mechanic Cooter Davenport. The show gained huge popularity, becoming one of the most successful TV shows ever, both critically and commercially, which enabled Jones to achieve a great amount of fame. He remained in it for seven seasons, until the show’s cancellation in 1985. He briefly left the series during the second season, due to a dispute overfacial hair! Aside from boosting his popularity, “The Dukes of Hazzard” significantly elevated Jones’ wealth.
In the meantime, he was involved in other projects as well. He landed parts in films like “Don’t Change My World”, “Deep in the Heart” and “Full Moon in Blue Water”. As for television, he appeared in series such as “Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince”, “Dallas” and “CBS Summer Playhouse”.
After “The Dukes of Hazzard” ended, Jones became involved in politics. As a Democrat, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US House of Representatives from Georgia in 1986. Two years later he ran for the seat again and won. After being re-elected in 1990, he lost in the Democratic primary election two years later. He also ran for the seat in 1994, but in a losing effort. Jones’ four years in the Congress probably improved his net worth.
In the mid-’90s he returned to acting, reprising his role of Cooter Davenport in the television film “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” in 1997, and appearing in series such as “Sliders” and “As the World Turns”. He has kept his political interests as well, writing various political essays, and contributing opinion pieces and columns to newspapers and magazines such as The Washington Post, and USA Today.
Jones has also written a one-man play, in which he plays baseball player and announcer Dizzy Dean, as well as a memoir entitled “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land”. His writing career has additionally increased his wealth.
He went on to appear in the second “Dukes” TV film in 2000, entitled “The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood”.
Two years later, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House from Virginia, but was unsuccessful, and since then, Jones has been quite inactive when it comes to his acting career too.
Aside from his involvement in the entertainment industry and his career in politics, Jones has owned “Cooter’s”, a chain of shops and museums across the country, with current locations in Virginia and Tennessee. This has been another source of his net worth.
Speaking about his private life, Jones has been married several times, having two children from these marriages. He is now married to Alma Viator.
