Acting and First Lady
Nancy Reagan during a taping of
NBC's
Christmas in Washington special in 1982 At the age of 18, he won the role of
Bo Duke, working alongside another newcomer
Tom Wopat and veteran actor
James Best. Schneider learned to drive the iconic Dodge Charger in the show, but to the disappointment of many fans, he admitted he never jumped the car due to the dangerous nature of the stunt. At the height of the series' popularity, he also became a recording artist and a face of merchandise. In 1982, In 2001, he portrayed
Jonathan Kent, the adoptive father of
Clark Kent in 100 episodes of
Smallville. Schneider directed some episodes of
Smallville, including "Talisman". Some episodes contain references to Schneider's work in
The Dukes of Hazzard, e.g. the season five episode "Exposed" is notable for reuniting Schneider with his former
Dukes co-star Tom Wopat. Schneider guest starred for the latter half of season five appearing in the episodes "Void" and "Oracle". Schneider returned for the season 10 premiere of
Smallville, reprising his role as Jonathan Kent in a recurring role. Schneider has appeared in many films and television series, including five guest spots on
Hee Haw In 2014, he returned to the role of Bo Duke, alongside
Tom Wopat as
Luke Duke, in a commercial for Autotrader.com.
Filmmaking In addition to acting, John Schneider owns and operates the John Schneider Studios (JSS) where he writes and produces independent films in
Holden, Louisiana. JSS has created an infrastructure to give independent filmmakers all the tools they need to create their stories and films in one location.
Music During Schneider's
Dukes of Hazzard days, he also entered into music. In the early 80s Schneider signed with Scotti Brothers Label and released his debut full-length album,
Now or Never, which peaked at No. 8 on the US Country Billboard charts. The single "It's Now or Never," a remake of the Elvis Presley hit, peaked at number 4 on the US Country Billboard charts and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981 and is one of the highest charting Elvis covers of all time. Schneider continued to release albums, including
Quiet Man and
If You Believe, and, in 1984, signed with MCA Nashville. Through MCA Nashville, Schneider released
Too Good to Stop Now which included his first No. 1 hits, "I've Been Around Enough to Know" and "Country Girls," peaking at No. 1 on the CAN Country music charts. In 1985, Schneider unleashed ''Tryin' To Outrun the Wind
, followed by A Memory Like You'' which debuted at No. 1 on the US Country Billboard charts, a first for Schneider. The album
A Memory Like You featured "What's a Memory Like You (Doing In A Love Like This)" and "You're The Last Thing I Needed Tonight", singles which both peaked at No. 1 on the US Country Billboard charts and CAN Country. In the late '80s, Schneider continued releasing albums including his Greatest Hits record. Taking some time off to pursue acting opportunities, Schneider returned with
Worth The Wait, ''John's Acoustic Christmas
, The Promise
and Home For Christmas
, with The Dukes of Hazzard'' co-star Tom Wopat in 2014. In 2019, on January 29, LIVE, at a filming of the television show "Good Rockin' Tonight," John Schneider was Inducted on the air into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "I hadn't done music since 1990. People responded to that music, and one thing led to another," shares Schneider. "It's funny. Even though I had a bunch of No. 1 songs, people say, 'Oh, I love that Dukes of Hazzard song you sang!' Well, I didn't sing it, Waylon Jennings sang it. I'm famous for music by a song I never sang. Crazy." In 2023, Schneider competed in
season ten of
The Masked Singer as "Donut". He finished in 2nd place where he also referenced the death of his wife Alicia Allain.
Theater Schneider has also been involved with a number of stage performances:
42nd Street [Pittsburgh, PA (Regional)] Pittsburgh CLO Revival, 2006 Julian Marsh [Replacement]
Chicago [Broadway] Broadway Revival, 1996 Billy Flynn [Replacement]
Grand Hotel [Broadway] Original Broadway Production, 1989 Felix Von Gaigern [Replacement] (source: Broadway World)
Sound of Music [Hollywood Bowl, CA] Starring Melissa Errico, John Schneider with Ben Platt, Marni Nixon Broadway Revival, 2006
Audio books Schneider took part In the "Word of Promise"
Audio Bible series, which featured the voices of many famous actors and actresses. He voiced James in the Book of James.
Dancing with the Stars On September 12, 2018, Schneider was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on
season 27 of
Dancing with the Stars. His professional partner was
Emma Slater. They became the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition on November 5, alongside
DeMarcus Ware and his professional partner
Lindsay Arnold. ==Personal life==