Sorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard. Booke was born in Buffalo, New York, a cousin of Max Yasgur of Woodstock fame. Fluent in five languages , Booke earned degrees from both Columbia and Yale Universities, and later served in the Korean War as a counterintelligence officer. During his early Hollywood acting career, Booke gained acclaim for notable supporting parts in noteworthy 1960s films such as Black Like Me, A Fine... Madness, and Fail-Safe. In 1962, he was in Fiorello! and starred as the namesake's character. In 1965 he co-starred as Sgt. Herschel Aronson in episode 19 "Faith, Hope, and Sergeant Aronson" of 12 O-Clock High. However, he began focusing primarily on television roles in the 1970s and 1980s, and voice acting roles in the 1980s and early 1990s. Booke also once conducted the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Booke earned an Emmy nomination for his appearance in the TV series Dr. Kildare in the episode "What's God to Julius?".
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