The Beverly Hillbillies: What Happened to the Cast?

yeah but the trouble is by the time I get there it's gone for nine years they made America laugh as Hillbillies turned millionaires but when the cameras stopped rolling the real tragedy began hidden illnesses secret feuds and sudden deaths tore the cast apart one star collapsed on Broadway another attempted A desperate political campaign that ended in humiliation today the shocking truth about what happened to TV's favorite family will leave you speechless buddy ebson after The Beverly Hillbillies ended in 1971 buddy ebson could have retired he was already 63 years old and had just finished N9

years as Jed clampit a role that made him a household name but instead of slowing down he started something completely new in 1973 buddy surprised Everyone by taking on a very different role he became Barnaby Jones a serious private investigator in a crime drama this wasn't anything like the funny and laidback Jed clampet as Barnaby he played a determined detective solving his son's murder the show was a big hit and ran for 8 years buddy appeared in every single one of its 178 episodes proving he wasn't done yet by the time it ended in 1980

buddy was 72 and had been the star of two long runn shows backto back something very few actors ever manage even after Barnaby Jones but he kept acting in 1981 at the age of 73 he starred in a TV movie called Fire on the Mountain then in 1986 he was in another one called Stone Fox in 1984 when he was 76 he even had a recurring role in the action show Matt Houston it seemed like buddy never let age slow him down one of the most surprising things he did came much later in 1999 at

91 years old buddy made a voice cameo in the Animated Series King of the Hill this small role happened 37 years after he first became famous as Jed clampet showing how long his career lasted but he wasn't just an actor though he loved sailing and was really good at it he even designed his own catamaran called po iian concept this wasn't just for fun but erased it in international competitions in 1968 while he was still on The Beverly Hillbillies he sailed his boat to victory in a 125m race from Newport Beach to enata finishing in

under 14 hours but he was creative in other ways too he wrote more than 80 songs and even created two stage plays called the champagne General and turned to the right he wasn't just an actor he was a songwriter a playwright and a man full of ideas later in life buddy decided to live a simpler life near the ocean instead of staying in Hollywood he built a house on Balboa Island a quiet place off the coast of Newport Beach it was the perfect home for someone who loved the water as much as he did even

as he got older Bud he stayed active and loved sharing stories from his amazing career on his 93rd birthday in 2001 he went on Larry King live to talk about his life he was still full of energy and charm buddy passed away on July 6th 2003 at the age of 95 a week later TV Land aired a special marathon of The Beverly Hillbillies to honor him it was a touching way to celebrate his life and remind everyone of how much he achieved in his incredible career Irene Ryan after The Beverly Hillbillies ended on March 23rd

1971 Irene Ryan's life changed completely she was 68 years old but retirement was not on her mind instead of playing Granny Daisy Moses in spin-offs or commercials she decided to return to live theater it was a bold Choice especially for someone her age but Irene was determined to keep performing later that year she joined a 30 city tour of the musical Pippen it was a tough schedule with eight shows a week Irene worked harder than anyone expected even though she was small and nearing 70 her energy amazed everyone she stayed busy backstage too managing the

chaos like a true professional people said she had the same drive as she did in her Vaudeville days in the show she played Berta the grandmother of the lead character her song no time at all became a favorite audiences loved her so much that they gave her standing ovations every night critics praised her too the New York Times even said her performance was so powerful that her co-star couldn't deliver his next line because the Applause lasted so long Irene's big Broadway debut came on October 23rd 1972 in New York City people were amazed to see

her go from being granny to becoming a star of the stage her hard work paid off when she was nominated for a Tony Award on March 26th 1973 it was a huge moment for her and everyone celebrated her success but then something terrible happened on March 10th 1973 during a performance Irene collapsed it seemed like a stroke but she insisted on finishing the show afterward she returned to California to see a doctor that's when she got heartbreaking news she had an aggressive brain tumor called gleo blastoma and doctors said she only had weeks to live

even as she lay in the hospital people were still praising her performance on April 16th 1973 the Tony Award nominations were announced and Irene's name was on the list sadly she never got to attend the ceremony just 10 days later on April 26 1973 Irene passed away she was 70 years old her son sudden death shocked everyone especially since it had only been weeks since she was performing on stage before she died Irene made sure her Legacy would last she left her entire Fortune over $1 million to create the Irene Ryan Foundation the foundation gives

scholarships to young actors helping them achieve their dreams the first scholarships were awarded in 1972 just before she passed since then the foundation has helped thousands of performers many of whom have gone on to successful careers Donna Douglas Donna Douglas became famous as Ellie May clampet in The Beverly Hillbillies a show loved by millions but her life after the show ended was full of surprises and big changes when the show finished on April 23rd 1971 Donna had a choice to make Hollywood wanted her to star in a new soap opera which which could have made

her even more famous but she surprised Everyone by saying no instead of chasing more Fame she chose a completely different path just a few months later in September 1971 Donna traveled to Israel this trip changed her life forever she had a deep spiritual experience that made her turn to Christian Ministry Donna left Hollywood behind and became a gospel singer and inspirational speaker in 1982 she released her first gospel album Donna Douglas sings gospel it didn't sell millions but it was still a success selling 50,000 copies over the years she made three more albums with her

last one back on the mountain coming out in 1989 during this time Donna also opened up about a secret struggle she had during her years on The Beverly Hillbillies she had battled a serious eating disorder eating as little as 500 calories a day and dropping to just 95 lb nobody knew about this at the time but Donna said her faith helped her overcome it in 2011 Donna made headlines again but this time for something completely different she sued Mattel and CBS for $75 million saying they used her likeness for an Ellie May Barbie doll without

her permission the legal fight lasted months and while it was settled out of court it showed that Donna was strong and determined much like the character she played on TV after the Beverly hill billies ended Donna tried her hand at selling real estate she got her license in 1973 but didn't stay in the business long she only sold three houses one of those sales happened because a fan recognized her and insisted on buying the house just because Donna was selling it real estate wasn't for her so she moved on to other things Donna also wrote

books her first book Donna's Critters and kids came out in 1993 it was a collection of children's stories with christian messages inspired by her Love of Animals it sold over 100,000 copies later she wrote another book Miss Donna's Mulberry Acres Farm and even a cookbook in 2013 called Southern favorites with a taste of Hollywood The cookbook didn't just have recipes it also had tips on Hollywood etiquette blending her southern charm with her Hollywood experience in 1993 Donna was asked to play Ellie May again in a planned Beverly Hillbillies movie she turned it down because she

didn't think it was the right move the movie never got made but her decision showed how much she respected the character she had played for so long Donna stayed connected with her fans throughout her life she attended conventions and events where people still remembered her as Ellie May at one of her last appearances in December 2014 she shared a surprising secret she had kept all of Ellie May's costumes including her famous blue jeans and rope belt she had stored them carefully in her home Donna passed away on January 1st 2015 at the age of 82

her life after The Beverly Hillbillies was full of unexpected turns she became a singer a writer and a strong woman of Faith even though she will always be remembered as Ellie may Donna's real life Journey was just as inspiring and unique as her famous character Max bear Jr Max bear Jr was born on December 4th 1937 in Oakland California he became famous for playing Jethro Bodin in The Beverly Hillbillies this role made him a star but it also caused big problems for his career later the show end ended on March 23rd 1971 after 9 years

after that Max struggled to find new acting jobs because people only saw him as Jethro even though he had a business degree and many skills Hollywood didn't take him seriously for 3 years he barely found any work money was another problem when The Beverly Hillbillies started Max was paid only $500 per episode even when the show became the most popular one W in America his salary only went up to $800 per episode this wasn't much compared to what stars of hit shows earn today so when the show ended and acting jobs stopped coming Max found

himself in a tough spot in 1974 Max decided he needed to take control of his future he used his business smarts to make his own movie mon county line he wrote produced and acted in the film which cost just over $100,000 to make Against All Odds it became a huge hit and earned $ 35 million this success proved Max could do more than just act and it helped revive his career after that he made another successful movie called owed to Billy Joe in 1976 Max bought the rights to a popular song by Bobby Gentry and

turned it into a film this movie earned $27 million at the box office showing that Max had a talent for turning small projects into big successes Max didn't stop there in 1985 he came up with a creative business idea inspired by other TV themed attractions like the Bonanza Ranch Max decided to create a Beverly Hillbillies themed Casino he believed fans of the show would love it even though this project took almost 30 years of planning it showed his determin ation and creative Spirit but Max's life wasn't all about success in 2000 he suffered a terrible

loss his girlfriend Sherry rhods tragically ended her life at their home in Tahoe Nevada Max found her and a note she had left behind this was a heartbreaking moment for him and it brought a lot of unwanted attention from the media he had to face his grief while being in the public eye even though Jethro Bodin brought him Fame the role also limited him people couldn't see him as anything else which frustrated Max but instead of letting that stop him he used his connection to the character in his business ideas at the same time he

worked hard to prove he could be successful outside of acting today at 87 years old Max be Jr is the last surviving cast member of The Beverly Hillbillies his life shows how he turned challenges into opport unities he built a new career as a filmmaker and entrepreneur even when things were tough Raymond Bailey after The Beverly Hillbillies ended in 1971 Raymond Bailey's life changed completely he had played the funny and nervous Banker Milburn Dale for almost 10 years people loved him for the role but when the show was cancelled everything slowed down for him he

was already 67 years old and finding new work became very hard his last roles were in Two Disney movies in Herby Rides Again 1974 he played a sneaky businessman then in the strongest man in the world 1975 he acted as a college dean these roles showed how Hollywood only saw him as serious authority figures after that Bailey stopped acting for good his retirement wasn't a choice during the final episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies Bailey started showing signs of Alzheimer's disease it slowly got worse and by 1976 he couldn't even recognize his closest friends his wife

Gabby George whom he had married in 1951 took care of him Bailey used to love meeting fans and enjoying life but as his condition got worse he stayed away from everyone he spent his final years quietly living between a houseboat and a small home in Laguna Niguel the only person from the show he kept in touch with was Nancy Culp who played MIss Jane Hathaway he called her slim as a nickname in the 1970s Alzheimer's wasn't well understood most people thought it was just part of getting old Bailey's Health got worse quickly and he needed

constant care this was very different from his character Dale who was always sharp and clever trying to keep the clampets money in his bank money became another big problem even though the Beverly Hillbillies was a very popular show Bailey didn't earn what TV stars make today actors back then made about $1,500 to $3,000 per episode which would be around $1,000 to $22,000 now there wasn't much money from reruns either on top of that medical bills kept growing and his savings ran out it was sad because he had spent years playing a character who was so

obsessed with saving money even after his career slowed down Bailey was admired by Bankers while The Beverly Hillbillies was on TV he got hundreds of invitations to speak at banking events every year Bankers loved how he made their profession look important even while surrounded by the clampets chaos Bailey had actually worked in a bank in his 20s as a messenger but he quit because he thought it was boring many years later he used that experience to make Dale seem more real once he joked that Bankers saw Dale as someone trying to civilize wild clients just

like they had to deal with their own tough customers Bailey passed away on April 15th 1980 from a heart attack he was 75 years old he didn't want a public funeral so his ashes were scattered at Sea his death didn't get much attention there was only a short obituary in the Los Angeles Times which was very different from the big big tributes some of his co-stars received still his role as Milburn Dale left a mark in 2019 the American Bankers Association gave him a special award for making banking look relatable and funny during tough Economic

Times Bailey once said money can't buy happiness but it can buy a good Tay he probably would have loved how this award turned out to be his final punchline Nancy Culp Nancy was famous for playing Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies but her real life after the show was full of ups and downs she went through a lot of challenges some surprising twists and moments that showed how strong and determined she was her story is about much more than just her TV role in 1984 when Nancy was 62 she decided to run for Congress

she wanted to represent Pennsylvania's Ninth District even though it was mostly Republic she was a Democrat and cared about things like helping the environment and improving education she believed she could make a difference even though people were unsure about her because of her Hollywood background Nancy told voters that if Ronald Reagan could go from acting to politics so could she she said anyone who listens and cares can do well but things took a bad turn when buddy ebson her co-star on The Beverly Hillbillies supported her opponent bud made a radio ad saying Nancy was too

liberal for Pennsylvania this hurt Nancy a lot because they had argued about politics before she was a Democrat and he was a republican but she never thought he'd attack her publicly she later said he's not the kindly old Jed clampet it's none of his business sadly the ad ruined her chances and she lost badly getting only about a third of the votes the fight with Buddy stayed with her for years she didn't let anyone mention his name around her they finally made up right before she died and Buddy admitted the ad was a mistake even

though Nancy became famous from The Beverly Hillbillies she didn't make as much money as people might think she got paid $5,000 per episode which was good back then but not enough to last her whole life after the show ended her roles on TV paid much less and by the 1980s she was struggling with money things got worse when she got cancer because the treatments were expensive she lived quietly in Palm Springs California teaching acting to make some extra money and relying on checks from reruns of the show unlike some of her co-stars she didn't get

rich from her time on TV and that made her later years tough Nancy's personal life was very private she believed in fighting for civil rights and supported lgbtq plus causes even before many many people talked about them openly near the end of her life she told friends she was a lesbian but she never said it publicly she had been married in 1951 to a man named Charles dakis but they divorced in 1961 Nancy never liked to talk about him and once said some doors are better left unopened people believed their marriage ended because they were

very different but Nancy kept the details to herself after her political loss nanc found a new purpose in teaching she became a teacher at Juniata College in Pennsylvania in 1985 she taught drama directed plays and gave lectures about how women are shown in the media her students loved her and said she was tough but caring Nancy enjoyed sharing her Hollywood stories and teaching young people about the power of Storytelling acting was still part of her life and she even appeared in an episode of the new loveboat in 198 9 but teaching became what she loved

most Nancy passed away on February 3rd 1991 when she was 69 years old people remembered her as a talented actress a brave politician and someone who stood up for what she believed in over time more people have come to appreciate how much she cared about helping others and supporting causes she believed in when The Beverly Hillbillies started streaming online new generations got to see her as Miss Jane Hathaway again Nancy's life wasn't easy but she faced her challenges with strength and showed that there's more to a person than what you see on the screen Harriet

e mcgibbon Harriet e mcgibbon became famous for playing Margaret Dale on The Beverly Hillbillies her character was a rich snobbish woman who caused trouble for the clampets after the show ended in 1971 her life took a different path filled with challenges losses and some surprising stories about her family's history when the show ended Harriet was already 66 years old and had worked in entertainment for 50 years she kept acting a little after that but only in small roles she played a rich Hostess in a TV movie called the judge and Jake Wier in 1972 and

made her last appearance in the best place to be in 1979 she also appeared briefly on like Bewitched and manx but because everyone saw her as Mrs Dale it was hard for her to get new roles in an interview she said it upset her because she had played big roles in Shakespeare plays before even though acting Works slowed down she stayed active for a while attending parties and charity events in Beverly Hills the 1970s were a hard time for Harriet in 1977 her only son William pass passed away at 44 he was an art historian

who loved the work of Paul gagan but he had been struggling with depression his death broke her heart she set up a scholarship in his name but didn't talk about it publicly she also had money problems even though she made good money on The Beverly Hillbillies poor Investments left her with only a small amount by the 1980s her health got worse she developed a lung disease called COPD and stayed home most of the time only going out for church services where she carried an oxygen tank one of the most surprising things about Harriet was her

family history her great-grandfather Dr elizar Deming helped slaves escape to Freedom through the Underground Railroad in Indiana he once hid a family in fake coffins to help them Escape in 1862 he was arrested for breaking the Fugitive Slave Act but he posted bail using family money Harriet didn't talk much about this part of her life but in 1985 she donated his journals to a historical society to preserve his story Harriet spent her final years living quietly in a small house in Beverly Hills with a nurse to help her she liked to start her mornings with

tea and scones and watch old movies in the afternoon she loved watching one of her old films Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in 1985 she attended a reunion for The Beverly Hillbillies and wore Mrs Dale's famous Fox stole but she left early because of breathing problems she passed away in 1987 at the age of 81 she didn't want a funeral and her ashes were placed at Forest Lawn Cemetery with a plaque that said all the world's a stage even though people mostly remember her as Mrs Dale Harriet had a long and interesting life she was

one of the first radio actors to perform live sound effects and even helped change the way dialogue was performed in American Theater her Beverly Hillbilly's character also quietly challenged gender roles by never apologizing for being ambitious today her performance still inspires actors and the scholarship she started in her son's name has helped many students Harriet's life was full of ups and downs but she left behind a legacy far bigger than just one TV role b benaderet b badet played cousin Pearl Bodin in The Beverly Hillbillies even though she was only in 22 Episodes during the

first season in 1962 to 1963 people loved her character on October 17th 1963 she filmed her last episode officially she left to star in her own show pett coat Junction but the real story was more complicated at the time bee was secretly dealing with health problems she had been diagnosed with a tumor in her left lung in 1963 but she didn't tell anyone this happened just as The Beverly Hillbillies became a big hit around the same time Paul Henning the show's Creator gave her a hard Choice he told her she could either stay as cousin

Pearl or take the lead role in his new show Petticoat Junction beloved playing Pearl but the chance to star in her own show was too good to turn down before leaving CBS tried to convince her to stay they even offered to double her salary be thought about it but she decided to keep her promise and moved to Petticoat Junction at first it was hard for her to adjust she had trouble letting go of Pearl's accent and mannerisms it caused delays on set and some people wondered if she was the right fit but be's Talent was

undeniable and the show became a success while bee was thriving in her career her health got worse in 1967 during the fifth season of Petticoat Junction she had surgery to remove the tumor sadly doctors found her lung cancer had spread and couldn't be treated be kept working as much as she could even though she was very sick her last episode aired on September 28th 1968 she couldn't appear on camera so her voice was used instead fans didn't know it would be her final performance be passed away on October 13th 1968 just before she died her

former co-star Buddy Epson visited her later he shared that be's last words to him were tell Pearl I said goodbye her death shocked everyone Petticoat Junction didn't address it directly at first saying Kate Bradley be's character was visit relatives fans felt this was unfair and didn't honor her memory Bee's Legacy didn't end there her son jack Bannon appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies in 1969 as a tribute to his mother buddy ebson helped arrange it years later in 2006 bee was inducted into the national radio hall of fame for her earlier work in radio in 2018

on what would have been her 112th birthday a special event celebrated her role as Betty Rubble in The Flintstones fans gathered for a live reading of a lost episode written just for her