Fans of The Dukes of Hazzard fondly remember Rick Hurst, the actor best known for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg. Though he also appeared in Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie, Evening Shade and other beloved series, Rick will always claim a piece of television history for his role as Boss Hogg's second cousin, twice removed.
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Yet even the biggest Dukes fans may not have pieced together that Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead star Ryan Hurst is Rick's similar looking and equally talented son.
American actor Ryan Douglas Hurst (born June 19, 1976 in Santa Monica, California) was born into a Hollywood family. He's the son of Rick and acting coach Candace Kaniecki. He has a half-brother named Colin, whose mother is Shelly Weir.
Ryan's acting career took off after a recurring role on high school comedy Saved By the Bell: The New Class. A boost to his big screen hopes came as Gerry Bertier in Disney's Remember the Titans. Other early film experience came alongside Kevin Costner (The Postman), Tom Hanks (as a paratrooper in Saving Private Ryan and Lump Hudson in The Ladykillers) and Mel Gibson (as Sgt. Ernie Savage in We Were Soldiers).
After steady roles on the USA comedy series Campus Cops and TNT's Wanted (as Jimmy McGloin) and appearances in Touched By an Angel, CSI: Miami and Beverly Hills, 90210, Ryan found his niche as an actor in television dramas.
His rugged appearance made him a fan favorite as Sons of Anarchy's Opie Winston, a role he played from 2008 to 2012. Ryan's portrayal of Opie earned him a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2011.
More recently, he suited the darker world of AMC's The Walking Dead, portraying Beta in seasons nine and 10 (2019-'20).
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He also played Li'l "Foster" Farrell in all 26 episodes (2016-'17) of WGN's Appalachian-based drama series Outsiders plus the character Chick Hogan in Bates Motel (2015-'17).
Other films roles of note include Noble Things (2008) and a voice acting gig in Rango (2011). IMDB lists more recent TV roles in such series as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (as Doug Loveless) and Amazon's Bosch.
Ryan met Molly Cookson in 1994. The couple wed in May 2005 and now run the production company Fast Shoes.
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