Friday, July 29, 2011

'Dukes of Hazzard' Star Christopher Mayer Dies, Aged 57



It's been announced that actor Christopher "Chip" Mayer died July 24 in Sherman Oaks, Calif., of natural causes. He was 57.

Born George Charles Mayer, III, he was raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey and attended Colgate University.

He made his TV debut in the 1980 ABC pilot 'Stunts Unlimited,' in which he starred as one of a group of stuntmen recruited for espionage work.

Mayer's first major TV role was in the top-rated CBS series, 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' He and Byron Cherry were brought in as Vance and Coy Duke for the 1982-3 season after stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked out in a contract dispute.

Mayer and Cherry were contracted to do 10 episodes but ended up appearing in at least 17. Warner Bros. ultimately reached a settlement with Wopat and Schneider after the show's ratings sagged and they returned for the final four episodes of the season.

Mayer also contributed his voice to an animated CBS spin-off called 'The Dukes.'

He was a series regular on daytime soap 'Santa Barbara,' playing T.J. Daniels in over 130 episodes in 1987 and 1988.





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