John Schneider Reveals the Lies He Told to Land Iconic Role in ‘Dukes of Hazzard’: ‘We Call That Acting’ (Exclusive)

John Schneider was acting in theater and commercials, eager for a big break, when he landed the role of Bo Duke on ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ which ran for seven seasons on CBS, from 1979 to 1985. Schneider tells PEOPLE that he finds fans still engaged with the series, over four decades after its conclusion.

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John Schneider was acting in theater and commercials, eager for a big break, when he landed the role of Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard

The Dukes of Hazzard ran for seven seasons on CBS, from 1979 to 1985, with 147 episodes

Schneider tells PEOPLE about getting the role and that he finds fans still engaged with the series, over four decades after its conclusion

John Schneider’s life changed months after he officially became an adult.

The Dukes of Hazzard star, 66, landed the role of Bo Duke when he was just 18, a feat that was surprising even to him. In a recent catch-up with PEOPLE, Schneider explains how the twist of fate came to be.

“I was 18. It’s crazy to look back on that. I started in theater and all this when I was 8,” he shares. “From New York, my mother had moved to Atlanta with IBM, so I was in Atlanta when Dukes happened. But I’d already done all the theater, because there was a lot in Atlanta at that time, and had done some commercials and I had an agent.”

Schneider continues, “The week I auditioned for Dukes, I also auditioned to replace John Travolta in Welcome Back, Kotter, and I auditioned for a movie called The Great Santini with Robert Duvall. So I was only 18, but I really had my head to the ground, listening for opportunities to show up. So when the audition for Dukes came about, they were looking for people 24 to 30 from rural Georgia with racing experience.”

The young actor didn’t quite fit the bill, so he decided to fake his way through. He told casting directors that he was a 24-year-old from Snellville, Ga. He also told them that he “had just come in first place in my class at the Georgia School of High Performance Driving, which did not exist.”

“I was actually 18 from Westchester County, N.Y., and I’d only had my driver’s license for about a year and a half,” he continues. “Some people would call that lying, but those of us who act, we call that acting. And it got me in and gave me the opportunity to shine or not in that audition. So it was a good move.”

Schneider found himself in the fast lane, needing to figure out those driving skills on the fly. Not only did he pull it off, but audiences loved it. The Dukes of Hazzard ran for seven seasons on CBS, wrapping up in 1985 after 147 episodes filled with moonshine mischief and good-old-boy adventures.

“It was amazing. There were only three networks, so everybody was aware of Dukes. And when we were top five and number one a bunch of times, life was kind of crazy.”

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Beyond The Dukes of Hazzard, Schneider landed roles in shows like Smallville and The Haves and the Have Nots. He has also enjoyed a successful country music career and appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2018.

The actor is candid that he still hears from Dukes of Hazzard fans all the time, explaining that he finds it “so rewarding” to see how the show has been passed down through generations.

“There were people there who were 6 and 7 whose parents or grandparents have raised them today to know who Beau and Luke and Daisy are and Uncle Jesse and Cooter and Enos. They know all the characters. And my gosh, it’s so amazing to have a 7-year-old come up to me and call me Bo with a little toy, General Lee, that his grandfather rubbed the paint off of in the driveway,” he says.

“A lot of times people will come up and say they’re 50, they’re 60 years old, and they say, ‘My fondest memories were with my grandparents eating a chicken pot pie on a TV tray Friday nights watching The Dukes of Hazzard. Those were my absolute best days,’” he shares. “And what an honor it is to be part of those kinds of memories. It’s amazing to me. Almost 50 years later, we’ve got so many real, tried-and-true, wonderful fans of a show that started airing in 1979.”

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Today, Schneider is as busy as ever, but enjoying every moment. He and his wife, Dee Dee Schneider, recently celebrated two years of marriage. The entertainer continues to tour with his music. He is also set to appear on the new season of The Great American Road Rally, where teams of celebrity drivers take on Route 66 in celebration of its 100th anniversary.

“Then my wife and I did the 50-state tour. So that’s available through my app, John Schneider. And that’ll take people wherever they want to go. If they want to see the new documentary, then that’s great,” he says. “Then I’ve been writing and getting ready to do a show called The Earls of Perry, which is a long-form television show that we’re just going to make independently in Hazard, Kentucky. It’s going to look and sound and smell an awful lot like The Dukes of Hazzard — cars and fun and jumping the creek and a yee-ha here and there. So we’re going to film that in Hazard, Kentucky, [at] the beginning of next year.”

Of everything on his plate, Schneider shares, “I’m excited about everything. I’m just getting started.”

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