Catherine Bach: Daisy Duke Then & Now | Revised 2024 (2024)

Catherine Bach may be best known as the hot pants-wearing Daisy Duke onThe Dukes of Hazzard, but there’s much more to the Southern belle than meets the eye…

TV icon Catherine Bach was born Catherine Bachman in 1954. She is a descendant of the Verdugos, one of the earliest Californian families, and grew up in South Dakota.

She briefly studied drama at UCLA before branching out into her career as a professional actress. Her first screen appearance was in a great but now sadly forgotten murder-mystery movie starring Burt Lancaster,The Midnight Man.

It’s a great exercise in neo-noir in which Burt Lancaster stars as an ex-convict who becomes embroiled in the murder of a college co-ed. Catherine played the co-ed and made her mark, even in such a small role.

Next, Catherine Bach played a key supporting part in the blockbuster Clint Eastwood movieThunderbolt and Lightfoot. It co-starred a young and Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Jeff Bridges.

She followed that up in 1975 with a bit-part in the hit noir movieHustlestarring Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve. The next year, Catherine married David Shaw, step-son of the famous actress Angela Lansbury.

Catherine Bach – Daisy Duke

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In 1977, she would undertake an audition for a brand new TV show. A comedy-adventure series calledThe Dukes of Hazzard.

To begin with, it looked as though Catherine didn’t stand a chance. After all, the producers were looking for a voluptuous and blonde-haired Dolly Parton lookalike for the main role ofDaisy Duke. But in spite of that, they saw something in Catherine Bach, and eventually, she was offered the role.

Unusually for a major TV show, Catherine was also given the opportunity to actively participate in developing the character of Daisy Duke. She asked if she could try out in her own clothes, and wound up sporting the cut-off jeans and high heels which would come to define the character.

“I had go-go boots, a white turtleneck and a blonde wig because the creator loved Dolly Parton. I thought, “We need a costume change.” So I got my jean shorts that I could never get even, with cowboy boots and a little top… They loved it.”

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The series proved a hit, attracting almost 22 million viewers at its height, coming second only toDallas. Likewise, the twin images of Catherine Bach in her Daisy Duke get-up and the famous Dodge Charger the “General Lee” became iconic.

Daisy Duke is a rogue Southern Belle and a cousin of the main series protagonists, Bo and Luke Duke. She frequently becomes embroiled in their picaresque misadventures and is also a major sex symbol.

The character’s trademark look was so recognizable even at the time that her style of denim shorts became colloquially known as “Daisy Dukes,” and are often referred to as such even today.

One Million Dollar Legs

Likewise, Catherine’s legs were insured for one million dollars at the height of the show’s popularity. A publicity stunt that helped to engrain the image of Daisy Duke in the public consciousness.

This was further emphasized when she modeled for the figurehead of San Diego schoonerCalifornianin 1985. In July of 2003, theCalifornianwas designated the official state tall ship of California by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Catherine Bach posed as Daisy Duke for a poster photoshoot. The finished product proved to be a phenomenal success, shifting five million units and attracting an unlikely admirer in the form of First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Catherine also played Daisy Duke in a number of spin-offs fromThe Dukes of Hazzardfranchise including the short-livedEnosin 1981 and the Saturday morning cartoonThe Dukes. But sadly, ’81 was also the year that Catherine’s marriage to David Shaw ended in divorce.

The Dukes of Hazzardran for a total of seven seasons, finally drawing to a close in 1985. Contract disputes with the two lead actors Tom Wopat and John Schneider led to the characters of Bo and Luke briefly leaving the series.

This drastically harmed its ratings. Even when they returned for seasons six and seven, the writing was on the wall.

Life After The Dukes of Hazzard

Immediately after the end ofThe Dukes of Hazzard, Catherine Bach took a step back from acting and made only a few appearances in minor films during the next few years.

These included the 1987 action movieStreet Justice. Though this proved to be a forgettable and lackluster effort, it was Catherine’s first leading role on the big screen, capitalizing on her popularity as Daisy Duke.

Next came the thriller’s Criminal Act and Driving Force, strictly b-movies but ones that benefited from Catherine’s prestigious presence.

In 1990, Catherine Bach married for the second time. This time, to showbiz lawyer Peter Lopez who was famed for representing Michael Jackson and opera star Andrea Bocelli. The couple had two daughters together: Sophia and Laura.

Subsequently, in 1992, Catherine took on a major role in the two-season run of a brand new Canadian series,African Skies.

African Skieswas a family drama series set in post-Apartheid South Africa that followed the trials and tribulations of two families, one black and one white. Catherine was one of the leads in a cast which also included movie legend, Robert Mitchum.

In the mid-’90s,The Dukes of Hazzardexperienced an unexpected spike in its popularity thanks to reruns airing on The Nashville Network. This led to a TV movie in 1997,The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!.

It enabled Catherine Bach to reprise the role of Daisy Duke in a brand new storyline which saw the character about to embark on her second marriage.

The success of this movie was repeated in 2000 with the sequelThe Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood. It featured Daisy Duke taking on work as a Hollywood stuntwoman.

In 2010, Catherine’s husband Peter tragically committed suicide by a gunshot wound. In 2012, after two low-key years outside of the public eye, Catherine Bach took on a new challenge. A long-term recurring role in the long-running soap operaThe Young and the Restless.

Her character of Anita Lawson is a schemer and manipulator who injected considerable drama into the series and invigorated several major storylines.

Catherine remains a stalwart of the show and continues to thrill a new generation of fans who were not even born when she first appeared on our screens.

Time has been kind to Catherine Bach. She has lost none of her charm or screen charisma and shows no signs of slowing down at age 66.

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An amateur guitarist, avid music lover, movie buff and Owner of Rocks Off Magazine. A bit of an old soul who enjoys a good hit of nostalgia!

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Catherine Bach: Daisy Duke Then & Now | Revised 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Who had a crush on Daisy Duke? ›

As with her cousins, Daisy never finds a long-lasting beau of her own over the course of the series, though Deputy Enos Strate has a long-running crush on her that spans the life of the series.

What happened to Catherine Bach from Dukes of Hazzard? ›

After the series ended, Bach had roles in a number of low-profile films. From 1992 to 1994, she starred in the Canadian family drama series, African Skies. In 2006, she guest-starred on Monk, and in 2010 had a small cameo in the comedy film You Again.

Who was the original Daisy Duke? ›

Fame10 - Happy Birthday, Catherine Bach! The original Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard turns 67 today! | Facebook.

What is Daisy Dukes middle name? ›

Daisy Mae Duke is a fictional character, played by Catherine Bach, from the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard.

Does Daisy Duke marry Enos? ›

Spousal Privilege: Daisy decides that, in order to keep from being forced to testify against Enos, they will get married.

Was Daisy Duke Hispanic? ›

Her father had German ancestry and her mother had Mexican ancestry. Cut-off denim shorts are sometimes referred to as "Daisy Dukes" as often worn by her character Daisy Duke on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). Descended from the Verdugo family, one of California's earliest landed families.

Did Daisy Duke have a car? ›

Daisy's yellow 1974 Plymouth Road Runner lasted only the first 26 complete episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard (1979)'s 146 episodes. It was destroyed & replaced in the 27th, The Runaway (1980). The last 119 episodes, Daisy Duke drove the 1980 Jeep CJ7.

How are Bo Luke and Daisy Duke related? ›

The Duke boys share the CB call sign or handle "Lost Sheep". Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach) is Bo, Luke, Coy, and Vance's cousin.

How old was Catherine Bach during Dukes of Hazzard? ›

In The Dukes of Hazzard, Daisy is the cousin of protagonist cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat). Catherine was 24-years-old when she first started working on the iconic show and was kept on as a main character throughout all seven seasons, even going on to star in two TV movies.

What gender is Daisy? ›

Daisy is a feminine given name. The flower name comes from the Old English word dægeseage, meaning "day's eye". The name Daisy is therefore ultimately derived from this source.

What is Daisy's maiden name? ›

Daisy Buchanan's Background

Daisy Buchanan, born Daisy Fay, is from a wealthy family in Louisville, Kentucky.

What is Daisy Dukes short? ›

Meaning of daisy dukes in English

very short pants that end just below the hip, made from jeans that have been cut short: She was dressed in daisy dukes and a blonde wig.

Who did Daisy date in Dukes of Hazzard? ›

Daisy falls in love and plans to marry another one of Boss's nephews, Jaimie Lee Hogg, although before the wedding she realizes he is a villain and the marriage is called off.

Who does Princess Daisy have a crush on? ›

In the intro of Mario Party: Island Tour, she is seen walking with Luigi and talking with him, which shows that she has feelings for Luigi. The information for Daisy's trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee says that she is Luigi's lover. Daisy also appeared in Mario spin-off games since NES Open Tournament Golf in 1991.

What gender is Daisy secret crush on you? ›

Daisy seems to prefer what western queers might regard as a nonbinary identity, so less female than femme, in that Daisy likes to be pretty, even to be called "beautiful lady” and similar, but doesn't fall fully into what we would think of as a trans identity.

What happened to Enos on Dukes of Hazzard? ›

His character was written out at the start of the third season to be given a spinoff series titled Enos in 1980. The new show was not a success and was canceled after eighteen episodes. Shroyer returned to The Dukes of Hazzard at the start of the fifth season in 1982 and remained with the series until it ended in 1985.

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