Otis Burt "Sonny" Shroyer, Jr. (born August 28, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in various television and movie roles. He is best known for his role as Deputy Sheriff
Enos StrateEnos Strate is a character on the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard played by Sonny Shroyer.-Fictional biography:Enos was born in Hazzard County to a loving family, and grew up as friends with Bo and Luke Duke. At the age of sixteen, he enrolled at the Hazzard Police Academy, graduated at the...
in the television series
The Dukes of Hazzard. He also starred in a
spin-offA spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator...
called
EnosEnos is an American television series from the 1980-1981 season that aired on the CBS network. A spinoff of The Dukes of Hazzard, Enos focused on the adventures of Enos Strate, a former small-town deputy in Hazzard County, now having moved to Los Angeles to join the L.A.P.D...
based on his
Dukes of Hazzard character. Shroyer is married and has two sons, Chris and Mark.
Shroyer was born in the town of
ValdostaValdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 43,724; by the 2006 census estimate, it had grown slightly to 45,529...
in the US state of Georgia. He attended
Florida State UniversityFlorida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
on a football
scholarshipAn athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, but his career was cut short by an injury. He finished his degree at the
University of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1785, UGA claims to be the oldest public university in the United States....
.
He began a career as a professional model in 1961. His first screen role came in the 1972 film
Payday. Shroyer almost became
typecastTypecasting is the process by which a film, TV, or stage actor is strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters with the same traits or ethnic grouping....
as a bad guy before landing the role of the naive Deputy Enos Strate in the pop culture classic series
The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.
The Dukes of Hazzard role was Shroyer's most visible. His character was given a spinoff series entitled
Enos in 1980. The new show was not a success and was canceled after just 17 episodes. Shroyer returned to
The Dukes in 1982 and remained with the series until it ended in 1985. Shroyer also released a children's album in 1982. The album was called "Back in Hazzard" and featured a cover of
Roger MillerRoger Dean Miller was a Grammy and Tony Award winning American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's classic, "You Can't Rollerskate In a Buffalo Herd".
Shroyer remains active as a character actor. He portrayed
University of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called "the Capstone"...
coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, and Gary Sinise...
, Delbert Birdsong in
The RainmakerThe Rainmaker is a 1997 American motion picture directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon. It is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by John Grisham.-Plot:Rudy Baylor is a graduate of. the Memphis State UniversityLaw School...
, and Governor
Jimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as a Democratic governor of Louisiana ....
in
RayRay is a 2004 biographical film focusing on thirty years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set...
. He is also a talented
countryCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
and
gospelGospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer.
Filmography
- The Price - Ghost (2006)
- The Hole in Willie's Guitar - Memarie Music Video (2005) - Sheriff
- A Tale About Bootlegging (2005) - Sheriff Ed Cooper
- Ray (2004) - Jimmie Davis
- Freedom Song (2000) - Police Chief
- Paradise Falls (1997) - Bert Kyler
- The Rainmaker (1997) - Delbert Birdsong
- Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) - Sheriff
- Forrest Gump (1994) - Bear Bryant
- The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) - Big Billy Hunniker
- Enos (1980) - Enos Strate
- The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) - Enos Strate
- King TV Miniseries (1978) - Police Officer preventing King from visiting an injured friend
- The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance (1978) - Luke
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977) - Motorcycle cop (uncredited)
- Roots (1977) - Seaman Thompson (uncredited)
- The Longest Yard (1974) - Tannen
- Payday (1972) - Dabney
External links