Anais Gutierrez
Actor Tom Wopat was arrested Wednesday in Massachusetts on charges of alleged incident assault, battery and drug possession. According to the police, he was released on a $1,000 bail and told to stay away from the woman.
The actor who starred in the ’80s series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ is part of a theatrical production in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Drug possession and incident assault
‘Dukes of Hazzard’ star Tom Wopat was arrested on Wednesday night by the Waltham Police. He was charged with drug possession and indecent assault.
Police were actively looking for Wopat Wednesday night and pulled him over in his Bronco. The police placed him under arrest after finding him.
According to the police statement, they found two baggies with white powder they believe is cocaine.
Also, the actor was charged with incident assault. According to the victim, during a rehearsal Wopat walked behind her grabbed her buttcheeks.
However, there are two other incidents involving Wopat and women during rehearsals. In the police report, one woman says he came up from behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Another woman says he peeled the sunburned skin off her arm.
When Wopat was arrested Wednesday he denied the claims but told police there was on the incident with a woman where he ‘lightly touched her hip’ and said to her, ‘I like the way you work.’
He was released on a $1,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Thursday morning. Just hours before he was set to appear in a Boston performance of the musical “42nd Street.”
The indecent assault and battery is a felony. The coke possession is a misdemeanor.
The 65-year-old actor, who played Luke Duke in the television series, was in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he is starring in a production of the musical ’42nd Street.’
The Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham announced on its website that its production of the Tony Award-winning backstage musical, ’42nd Street’, would open with a different actor playing Wopat’s role of Broadway producer Julian Marsh.
The Dukes of Hazzard
Wopat’s jump to stardom came in the ’80s when he starred in the popular action-comedy ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’. It was an adaptation of the 1975 film.
The series ran on CBS from 1979 until 1985, spanning seven seasons and 147 episodes.
It followed the adventures of “The Duke Boys,” cousins Bo Duke, played by John Schneider, and Luke Duke, played by Tom Wopat. They lived on a family farm in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.
The duo was completed by their attractive cousin Daisy, played by Catherine Bach and their wise old Uncle Jesse, played by Denver Pyle.
The Duke boys race around in their race customized 1969 Dodge Charger stock car. Dubbed The General Lee, evading the crooked and corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg, played by Sorrell Booke, and his bumbling and corrupt Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, played by James Best.
The series was a major hit. During the show’s second season they began incorporating a “celebrity speed trap” into some episodes. Featuring top country stars of the day performing their hits.
Singers who were featured in the “speed trap” segments were Hoyt Axton, Donna Fargo, Freddy Fender, The Oak Ridge Boys (twice), Roy Orbison, Buck Owens, Johnny Paycheck, Mel Tillis, Dottie West, Tammy Wynette and Waylon Jennings who was the show’s narrator. In charge of the original soundtrack was Doug Kershaw, who also appeared on the series.
There were two made-for-TV reunion movies that aired on CBS, ‘The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!’ (1997) and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood’ (2000). Also made were ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ in 2005 and a direct-to-video prequel ‘The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning’ in 2007.
Longlasting career
Wopat’s career lists numerous guest appearances on multiple shows. Recurring roles in ‘Cybill’ in the mid-1990s, for which he shared in an Emmy nomination for outstanding ensemble performance in 1996, and on ‘Longmire’ more recently.
His movie roles include a U.S. marshal in the Oscar-winning ‘Django Unchained‘. More recently, he starred in ‘County Line’ in 2017.
He’s been performing in ’42nd Street’ for years, on Broadway and in regional theaters. His other stage credits include ‘A Trip to Bountiful’ (2013) and ‘Catch Me If You Can'(2011) on Broadway, according to his website.
In 2005 he appeared in his first Broadway drama as part of the ensemble in the Tony-winning (for best revival of a play) production of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ with Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber.
He’s recorded multiple albums, including jazz tunes in 2013 ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ and pop standards in 2009 ‘Consider it Swung’.
His touring schedule includes concerts in addition to stage performances. In 2005, he toured nationally with Faith Prince for Over The Rainbow, featuring the songs of Harold Arlen.
Source: Daily Mail
