Dukes of Hazzard Star John Schneider Plays New Roles These Days

The man who was a household name as Bo Duke in the 1980s has turned over a new life in his life. He still has fond memories of sliding across the hood of the General Lee, climbing in the window of the bright orange car and outrunning the law on the Dukes of Hazzard TV show, but his acting choices are a little different since he found Jesus. Schneider now stars in several faith-based films that are more positive and uplifting, including one of this latest films entitled “October Baby.”

October Baby has been talked about a lot for several weeks and this indie movie made more than $5 million in the two months since it made it to the screens in select places across the country. The $5 million revenue is quite impressive for being an indie film that only had a budget of $1 million for production. Schneider, who is now 52 years old, plays the father of a college-aged girl who finds out two things about herself that shatters her world. First, she was adopted at a young age. Second, she is the result of an abortion gone wrong. The movie chronicles her search for her biological mother and her journey through the emotions along with the healing and forgiveness process that she endures.

The story-line of October Baby is near and dear to Schneider’s heart because his family has experienced similar situations. He has been married to his wife for 19 years, but she had to make some difficult and very similar choices when she was a young teenager. He explains that at the age of 15, she got pregnant and many people in her life told her that she should get an abortion. Instead, she decided to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

But 18 years later, Elly decided that she wanted to find her daughter and have a relationship with her. After a long search, she finally found her and they both have a strong relationship with each other. Elly is also a proud grandmother to her daughter’s first child. “It’s the coolest thing in the world,” Schneider says, referring to the unique situation.

Schneider has also starred in other faith-based films in recent years. One of the – Doonby – is a pro-life film that is scheduled to come out in the fall. The story-line involves him being a mysterious drifter that comes to a small town and improves the life of the people that he encounters. According to one description, it’s like a combination of “The Twilight Zone” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

While Schneider isn’t trying to forget about his Bo Duke days, he doesn’t only want to be recognized for that role. He has done some very important and thought-provoking films and movies since he lived with Uncle Jess and cousin Daisy in the Dukes of Hazzard. But he enjoys the recognition nonetheless.

John Shneider's General Lee will always be remembered.