What Happened To The Cast Of Green Acres After The Sitcom Came To An End?

"Green Acres" was part of a huge cultural trend. In the 1960s and 1970s, America was particularly obsessed with the concept of hillbillies. Between the popularity of perfectly cast sitcoms such as "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Petticoat Junction," Southern rock bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and horror films such as "Deliverance" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," the country was enthralled with our backwoods brethren like never before. One of the most prominent television shows to come out of this trend was "Green Acres." 

The show's premise — a rich Manhattan couple relocates to the countryside — was "The Beverly Hillbillies" in reverse. It provided fans with endless laughs and an unforgettable theme song. The show lasted from 1965 to 1971, when it was canceled as part of CBS's decision to replace rural shows with suburban fare, an event in television history known as the rural purge. Series such as "Hee Haw," "The High Chaparral," and "The Virginian" came to a close without a true conclusion. According to Wide Open Country, "Green Acres" alum Pat Buttram said, " ... CBS canceled everything with a tree in it — including 'Lassie.'"

Today, stars Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor are arguably most known for their roles on "Green Acres." However, their careers did not end with this classic sitcom. Many of the central cast members of "Green Acres" acted in interesting projects after the show. Several of them went on to voice your favorite Disney characters. One of them continued to work as a preacher. Another was a farm animal who received a prestigious award from the American Humane Society. With that in mind, let's take a look at what happened to the actors of "Green Acres."`

Eva Gabor played Lisa Douglas, the glamorous Manhattanite, who was, in many ways, the heart of "Green Acres." Gabor is often confused with her sister, Zsa Zsa Gabor. While Eva was an actor, Zsa Zsa was more known for being a socialite.

Outside of her famous role on "Green Acres," Eva was most prominent for her roles in Disney films. She voiced Duchess, one of the main characters in "The Aristocats." The hit 1970 kids' film premiered when "Green Acres" was in its original run. Similar to "Green Acres," much of the humor revolved around her aristocratic character having to acclimate herself to rough settings. She later played Miss Bianca in Disney's "The Rescuers, which proved popular enough that Gabor reprised her role in a sequel called "The Rescuers Down Under." The film has the distinction of being the first theatrically released Disney sequel, meaning it paved the way for more recent offerings such as "Frozen 2" and "Moana 2." While "The Rescuers Down Under" was not one of the more successful films to come out during the Disney Renaissance, it was acclaimed by critics and it retains a notable cult following. Gabor died of pneumonia in 1995 at the age of 76.

Eddie Albert might have been the most versatile member of the "Green Acres" cast. Before he found his signature role of Oliver Wendell Douglas on the rural sitcom, Albert was known for his performance as photographer Irving Radovich in the 1953 romantic comedy "Roman Holiday," the influential movie that turned Audrey Hepburn into a star. Albert was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his appearance in the film.

The year after "Green Acres," Albert landed on his feet with a role in "The Heartbreak Kid," which was directed by New Hollywood icon Elaine May. May would go on to write the screenplays for the films "Heaven Can Wait," "The Birdcage," and "Primary Colors." For "The Heartbreak Kid," Albert was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

After his acclaimed performance in "The Heartbreak Kid," Albert appeared in other films, such as "The Longest Yard" and "Escape to Witch Mountain." The latter was one of the more notable live-action Disney movies of its era. At the time, "Escape to Witch Mountain" was one of the company's only forays into science fiction. While "Green Acres" does not have the feel of a Disney film, it's notable how many "Green Acres" stars appeared in movies from the studio both before and after the sitcom ran its course. Albert passed away from pneumonia in 2005 at the age of 99.

Perhaps the most famous character from "Green Acres" was a pig called Arnold Ziffel. Arnold was played by a succession of trained pigs, the first of whom was named Arnold the Pig. He was incredibly popular and received many letters from fans. In addition, Arnold earned three PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) awards. The first Arnold died in 1972, the year after "Green Acres" was canceled. The porcine actor was 7 or 8 years old.

Arnold was the subject of the darkest urban legend surrounding "Green Acres." A rumor claimed the cast of the show had a party where they cooked and ate Arnold. This is false. Frank Inn, the animal trainer who worked on "Green Acres," said all of the dozen or so pigs who played Arnold spent the rest of their days on farms after they stopped appearing on the show. The rumor the "Green Acres" ensemble ate one of the pigs was started by cast member Tom Lester because he got tired of being asked about Arnold.

Tom Lester is most famous for playing farmhand Eb Dawson in "Green Acres." Lester's career was inspired by another sitcom star: Don Knotts. " ... I read an article once where they asked Don Knotts who was Barney Fife on 'The Andy Griffith Show,' 'How in the world did you ever get into movies?' Because he didn't look anything at all like Rock Hudson," Lester told the New York Post. "And he said, 'I figure everybody in Hollywood was good-looking and had a good physique. I figure they needed somebody a little different.' And he was." Following in Knotts' footsteps, Lester was cast in "Green Acres" to help the show appeal to younger audiences.

Outside of "Green Acres," Lester's main legacy has nothing to do with acting; he was a preacher. A born-again Christian, Lester travelled across the United States spreading the gospel. He worked with Billy Graham, one of the most famous evangelists of the 20th century. In 2020, Lester died of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 81.

"Green Acres" was a sister show to another rural sitcom: "Petticoat Junction." The two shows had some overlapping characters, the most prominent being Sam Drucker, the shopkeeper. Drucker was portrayed by Frank Cady. Notably, Cady also made a guest appearance in "The Beverly Hillbillies," making him the king of rural sitcoms.

While Drucker was Cady's most famous role, he still had a career outside of the "Green Acres" — "Petticoat Junction" — "The Beverly Hillbillies" trifecta. He had small roles in a number of classic films, such as "The Asphalt Jungle," "Father of the Bride," "Ace in the Role," "Rear Window," and "The Bad Seed." He also appeared in the live-action Disney comedy "The Million Dollar Duck."

Cady felt reviewers didn't understand "Green Acres." "The only thing I resent is people calling it a corny show," he told CBS News (via The New York Times). "It's highly sophisticated, and it's timeless, as I think all the reruns are establishing." Notably, his final role was in the television movie "Return to Green Acres," which reunited the show's main cast for one last stay in Hooterville. The film was part of a larger trend of television movies that resurrected beloved sitcoms years after they ended. Cady passed away in 2012 at age 96.

Pat Buttram first gained notoriety for playing the sidekick of noted signing cowboy Gene Autry. Autry had great respect for Buttram's talent. "He was just a natural comedian," Autry told the Associated Press (via The Seattle Times) in 1994. "He was great, off the film and on the film. If I was ... doing a stage show, he would be sitting back there. If I needed a good one-liner right quick, he would give me a good routine."

Buttram's most famous live-action role was Mr. Haney in "Green Acres." Through that role, he embodied the American archetype of the loveable con man. If you've seen the show once, you remember the unforgettable sound of his voice, which was perfect for comedy. Perhaps that's why he became one of Disney's most reliable character actors between the 1970s and the early 1990s. He had roles in "The Aristocats," "The Rescuers," "The Fox and the Hound," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," and "A Goofy Movie." Perhaps his most prominent role in a Disney film was the Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin Hood." Fans loved to hate his take on this famous figure from Arthurian legend. Buttram died in 1994 of kidney failure at the age of 78.

Alvy Moore had small roles in a number of classic Hollywood productions, such as "The War of the Worlds," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis," "The Wild One," and "Riot in Cell Block 11." In a number of these movies, Moore was not credited. Today, he is most known for playing agricultural agent Hank Kimball in "Green Acres."

In 1975, a few years after "Green Acres" ended, Moore appeared in "A Boy and His Dog," playing the mad scientist Dr. Moore. He also produced the film. This bizarre sci-fi cult classic focuses on a man and his telepathic talking dog. They try to survive in a post-apocalyptic environment only to get stuck in a malevolent underground settlement. The settlement is something like a twisted version of a 1950s or 1960s sitcom town, so the actor's appearance in the film could be seen as a grim counterpart to his role in "Green Acres." Moore also regularly appeared in low-budget horror films, including "The Brotherhood of Satan," "Intruder," and "House III: The Horror Show." In 1997, Moore died from heart failure at the age of 75.

Mary Grace Canfield played carpenter Ralph Monroe in "Green Acres." Canfield had a desire to act from a young age. "I didn't want to go to college because I knew exactly what I wanted to do," she told Bangor Daily News. "Later, when I asked my parents what they thought of this little skinny girl wanting to be an actress, they said they were so relieved that I wanted to do something."

While Canfield was most known for playing Ralph, she didn't have particularly warm feelings about "Green Acres." "To be remembered for Ralph kind of upsets me — only in the sense that it was so easy and undemanding," she said in a separate 2006 interview with the outlet. "It's being known for something easy to do instead of something you worked hard to achieve."

After "Green Acres," she appeared in "Something Wicked This Way Comes," one of the rare horror films to come out of Disney. Her final role was in "Young Goodman Brown," an adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic short story of the same title. She died of lung cancer in 2014. She was 89.

Sid Melton spent a lot of time in the world of sitcoms. He played Uncle Charlie Halper on "The Danny Thomas Show" before landing his most famous role as carpenter Alf Monroe on "Green Acres." Afterward, he had an unusual role on "The Golden Girls." In dreams and flashbacks, he portrayed Salvadore Petrillo, Sophia Petrillo's deceased husband. Few sitcom actors can say they played a character who was dead for the entire run of their show.

Melton also had a few roles in notable films, such as the fantasy epic "The Lost Continent," the Korean War drama "The Steel Helmet," and the Billie Holiday biopic "Lady Sings the Blues." While Melton is primarily known for comic roles, he never saw himself as a comic actor and preferred making dramas. Despite this, he was happy he was able to find stable work making comedies. He passed away from pneumonia in 2011 at the age of 94.

Long before the term "shared universe" entered the fandom parlance, "Green Acres" was part of one. "Green Acres," "Petticoat Junction," and "The Beverly Hillbillies" shared several characters. One of them was the farmer Newt Kiley. Kay E. Kuter played the character on both "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction."

Outside of his roles in rural sitcoms, Kuter might be most known for his roles on "Star Trek." On the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Nth Degree," he played a Cytherian. Two years later, he appeared on the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Storyteller" as Sirah. In 1994, he played Dr. Seuss in the television film "In Search of Dr. Seuss." "Green Acres" might not have much in common with "Star Trek" or Seuss, but Kuter provided a surprising link between the three. He also voiced Santa Claus in the animated movie "Annabelle's Wish." Kuter died of pulmonary complications in 2003. He was 78.

On "Green Acres," Eleanor Audley played Eunice Douglas, the mother of Eddie Albert's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas. Like many of her fellow "Green Acres" actors, Audley appeared in Disney movies. She had the rare honor of voicing two classic Disney villains: Lady Tremaine, the evil stepmother in "Cinderella," and Maleficent, the devilish fairy in "Sleeping Beauty." With these roles, Audley hit a perfect balance between aristocratic elegance and pure menace. Among die-hard Disney princess fans, she's still a household name.

Mary Costa, who portrayed Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty," had fond memories of Audley. "The other actors and I had such fun," she told The Guardian in 2014. "Eleanor Audley, who voiced Maleficent, was a small person, but had such a huge, commanding voice we'd all rush into the sound booth to hear her. Marc modelled Maleficent's imposing facial features and expressions on her, yet off-mic she was a hilarious character who loved a joke."

Outside of her most famous roles, Audley also made appearances in Douglas Sirk's critically acclaimed melodrama "All That Heaven Allows" and the musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She was also in another rural comedy — "Pistols 'n' Petticoats," a Western with poor ratings, which was canceled when lead Ann Sheridan died of cancer after a single season. Audley died of respiratory failure in 1991 at the age of 86.

Robert Foulk had an eclectic career. He had a small role in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," one of Marilyn Monroe's most influential movies, as well as James Dean's films "Rebel Without a Cause" and "East of Eden." Foulk might be most known for playing Sheriff H. Miller on the original television adaptation of "Lassie." Afterward, he portrayed Roy Trendell, the owner of the Hooterville Telephone Company, in "Green Acres."

In the 1970s, Foulk appeared in a pair of cult classic movies. He was in "Vanishing Point," one of the most acclaimed car chase movies ever made. In addition, he had a role in the Disney fantasy film "Pete's Dragon," which combined live-action actors and animation. While "Pete's Dragon" was not a tremendous success upon its initial release, it has proven popular in subsequent decades — even inspiring a remake in 2016. "Pete's Dragon" was Foulk's final film. He died in 1989 at the age of 80.