12 Things You Probably Never Knew About Beverly Hillbillies Star Buddy Ebsen

One of the most famous television shows of the 1960s and 1970s was "The Beverly Hillbillies," and Buddy Ebsen was a huge part of its appeal. In his role as Jed Clampett, Ebsen was funny, warm, and authoritative. During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Ebsen discussed why he was so perfect for television. "It could be that I have an intimate personality," he said. "I did some broad things for the stage, but generally I think I communicated with the close-ups on television. There was some kind of a human kinship, I suppose."

In addition, Ebsen discussed the charm of "The Beverly Hillbillies." "It was a friendly show — friendly in a way that people could understand," he said. "There's a term, I'm not sure of the usage of it – other people use it – but it related. It related to people. They understand it, and it was funny."

While Ebsen is most remembered for his role as Jed, he had a fascinating career outside "The Beverly Hillbillies." He performed for one of the most notorious gangsters in American history. He was also cast in two different roles in "The Wizard of Oz" before he left the project altogether. In addition, near the end of his life, he wrote a novel that was rejected by many publishers before becoming a best-seller. Without further ado, here are some facts about Ebsen's eclectic career.

While Buddy Ebsen is best known for his work as an actor, he was once a professional dancer. He and his sister, Vilma, formed a vaudevillian dancing duo called "The Baby Astaires," named after the Old Hollywood movie star and dancer Fred Astaire. "I was kind of gawky and tall, and it was easy to create eccentric [dance] moves," Ebsen told the Los Angeles Times. "My sister was the pretty one and I was the funny one, and together we made a good team."

Ebsen's career as a dancer took a dark turn. He once performed for Al Capone, the most notorious gangster of the Great Depression. Capone shook Ebsen's hands, which the actor found chilling. "Mr. Capone's hands were soft, like from not doing much gardening," he wrote in his 1994 book "The Other Side of Oz" (via MeTV). "The pupils of his eyes were so large, and their color merged so perfectly into irises, that you found yourself looking into two pools of murky darkness. When he smiled I'm sure he intended it to be warm, but the effect was chilling. I felt like I was shaking hands with a smiling, scar-faced wolf!" Notably, Capone was known by the nickname "Scarface."

In addition to his roles on television, Buddy Ebsen also acted in numerous movies. His filmography includes "Broadway Melody of 1936," "Broadway Melody of 1938," "The Girl of the Golden West," "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier," "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," starring Audrey Hepburn. One of his most notable film appearances was in the musical "Captain January," based on the children's book of the same name. In that film, Ebsen danced on-screen with Shirley Temple, one of the biggest celebrities of the 1930s and one of the most famous child stars ever. 

During a 2023 interview with Closer (via Yahoo! Entertainment), Ebsen's daughter, Kiki Ebsen, recalled Temple's interactions with her father on the set of "Captain January." "She got there and asked my dad, 'Is the dance set?'" Kiki shared. "He said, 'No, I'm going to make a couple of changes.' She turned around and said, 'Call me when it's set, and I'll learn it.' The point is, she didn't have time to learn a dance that wasn't set." Ebsen changed the dance, and Temple was able to learn the new steps in one hour, impressing the former with her prowess.

Buddy Ebsen was cast in one role from the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz," then another, before finally leaving the project altogether. "I was scheduled to play the Scarecrow in 'The Wizard of Oz,'" he told The Cayman Compass in 2001. "Then one day Ray Bolger walked on the set with his agent. I said, 'There goes my part!' I had seen Bolger do the Scarecrow dance in vaudeville, and he did it perfectly. They switched me from the Scarecrow to the Tin Man. It almost killed me. We rehearsed for two months and shot 10 days. [For the Tin Man makeup] they powdered me with aluminum dust; you breathe some of that and it's no good for your lungs."

The aluminum dust made Ebsen critically ill. For this reason, Jack Haley played the Tin Man instead. Ebsen's recording of "If I Only Had a Heart" was scrapped and replaced with a new one performed by Haley. However, Ebsen's vocals can be heard in the song "We're Off to See the Wizard." Despite losing the opportunity to play the Tin Man, Ebsen never lost his association with the Land of Oz. He titled his memoir "The Other Side of Oz."

Walt Disney's television show "Davy Crockett" introduced the historical figure to a new generation. Notably, Disney considered casting Buddy Ebsen as Crockett, but he also wondered if James Arness might be good for the part. During the decision-making process, Disney watched the classic horror film "Them!" starring Arness. He was taken with Fess Parker's performance in the movie, which only lasts a single scene. Disney ultimately cast Parker as Crockett and Ebsen as George Russell in the same series. 

In the 1955 book "The Real Life Story of Fess Parker" (via MousePlanet), Parker revealed he and Ebsen became close friends while working on "Davy Crockett." "One thing Buddy and I were laughing about just the other day. That was the food we had on location," he recalled. "The movie company, you know, was quite a far piece from most conveniences, and for our lunches we were most of the time practically up to our ears in peanut butter sandwiches." Parker noted that he and Ebsen were given better food only when Disney visited the set. 

"The Beverly Hillbillies" was a huge hit, and Buddy Ebsen was not surprised by its popularity. In a 2001 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actor recalled reading the first script for the show. It made him laugh multiple times. After getting the part of Jed Clampett, Ebsen felt like he was a baseball player at bat who had to take a swing. Ebsen knocked it out of the park, as "The Beverly Hillbillies" became the highest-rated show in the history of television during its first two seasons.

During a 1966 interview with the Democrat and Chronicle (via MeTV), Ebsen discussed his show's appeal. "The whole world is looking for a father figure, and old Jed Clampett is just that," Ebsen said. "Our success is the same as that of 'Bonanza' and [the show's patriarch] 'Papa' Cartwright has the same sort of appeal. Their families love and respect them." He continued, "Today, there are more people looking for a daddy than ever before." The actor also noted that Jed's fatherhood resonated not only to relevant cast members, but also to fans of the show. "He fulfills a need," Ebsen concluded.

Max Baer Jr. is most famous for playing Jethro Bodine on "The Beverly Hillbillies." In an interview with author Stephen Cox (via MeTV), he discussed his relationship with Buddy Ebsen. "They may be enemies, but if you put a dog and a cat in a room together, they will learn to tolerate each other and get along because they know they have to do that to survive," he said. "I think that's the way most shows operate. It becomes very tedious for me to listen to all these people on the television shows tell how they're all a family ... when I know from experience that it's bull****. Buddy would get angry with me and just turn his back on me, or I'd say, 'Goddamnit, Buddy, what's the matter?'"

However, Baer still felt protective toward Ebsen. Baer said he did not tolerate anyone else disrespecting Ebsen. In a 2003 interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Baer highlighted a different side of his relationship with Ebsen. He emphasized his co-star was a dignified person much like Jed Clampett. Baer said Ebsen became a father figure to him because his biological father, boxer Max Baer, passed away in 1959, three years before "The Beverly Hillbillies" first aired.

Max Baer Jr. and Buddy Ebsen occasionally argued on the set of "The Beverly Hillbillies," but Baer was there for Ebsen when he really needed it. In his 1994 book "The Other Side of Oz" (via MeTV), Ebsen recalled filming "Double Naught Jethro," the episode where Jethro Bodine adds helicopter blades to the family car so it would be similar to James Bond's tricked-out spy car. There was a major technical malfunction on the set of "Double Naught Jethro." The spy car came off of its hydraulic jacks and nearly hit Ebsen — but Baer came to save him. 

"There was Max, sturdy as the Colossus of Rhodes, coolly bracing the truck above me until I was dragged to safety," Ebsen remembered. "How he got there so fast I can only guess. So while we're sure not every day on the set of 'The Beverly Hillbillies' wasn't as death-defying as that one, it's helpful to know that just like the Clampett family, the actors on set were sure to look after one another and, if need be, protect them from harm." In 1978, Ebsen remarked that he had more luck than any other actor. He was certainly lucky when Baer came to save him!

Outside of "The Beverly Hillbillies," Buddy Ebsen might be most well-known for his role as the title character on "Barnaby Jones." The latter show was a detective series that lasted for 178 episodes from 1973 to 1980. When he was cast as Barnaby Jones, Ebsen was given an interesting piece of advice. "When Quinn Martin [the show's producer] and I talked about the character, he said, 'I see him as a foxy grandpa,'" Ebsen told the Anchorage Times (via MeTV). "I figured I'd just play him as a human being with a job to do."

Ebsen's starring role in "Barnaby Jones" led to conflict with his wife. "About three years ago, my wife said, 'You're working too hard, and if they work you that hard I'm gonna take you out of the show,'" Ebsen recalled. "And she could...Thanks to my wife's stubbornness, I'm taking things a little easier." Eventually, "Barnaby Jones" had a crossover with "The Beverly Hillbillies." In the 1993 film adaptation of the latter show, Ebsen had a cameo role as Barnaby Jones. That cameo became Ebsen's final appearance in a movie.

Buddy Ebsen was a man of many interests and talents. In addition to being a professional dancer and actor, he was an avid coin collector. During a 1987 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Ebsen said he began his hobby after buying a rare coin for someone else. "I learned that with rising inflation, coins are a fabulous way to preserve wealth," said Ebsen. "Coins are loaded with history. When you hold something made 600 years before Jesus was born, you think of all the people who touched it over the years. That's what makes coin collecting an exciting growth experience." Ebsen even founded the Beverly Hills Coin Club with help from fellow actor Chris Aable.

In 1987, the "Beverly Hillbillies" star decided to auction off his coin collection. "I've enjoyed my coins for 10 years and now it's time to do other things, such as travel," he explained. "I hope the new owners get as much pleasure out of the coins as I have."

"King of the Hill" is an animated sitcom that, like "The Beverly Hillbillies," focuses on a lovable family from the American South. Notably, Mike Judge, the creator of "King of the Hill," was a big fan of "The Beverly Hillbillies." During a 2009 interview with The Globe and Mail, Judge discussed the enduring appeal of "The Beverly Hillbillies." "I think that show will always make me laugh time and time again," he said. "It's so simple. And Buddy Ebsen plays Jed Clampett pretty low-key. If you tried to pitch that idea now, Buddy Ebsen wouldn't get past the casting director."

Fittingly, Ebsen appeared in "King of the Hill" once. In the episode titled "A Fire-fighting We Will Go," Ebsen played Chet Elderson, a firefighter who inspired Hank Hill when he was a child. "A Fire-fighting We Will Go" premiered in 1999 and became Ebsen's final appearance on the small screen. Judge noted that he was often star-struck by the guest stars on the show. "A lot of times I would nerd out on some of these people, certainly," he admitted. "I've gotten to meet a lot of heroes."

In 2000, Buddy Ebsen, a voracious reader, published his debut novel: "Kelly's Quest." During a 2001 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Ebsen said two experiences inspired him to write a book. One was meeting an actor on the set of "Barnaby Jones" who he found very interesting. The other was reading the popular romance novel "The Bridges of Madison County," which famously inspired the film of the same name starring Meryl Streep and the recently retired Clint Eastwood.

"Kelly's Quest" centers on the title character, a former actor who eschews Hollywood to look for the love of her life. Ebsen sent his manuscript to nine publishers, and they each turned him down. The "Barnaby Jones" star compared these rejections to the way the publishing industry was initially hostile to "Gone with the Wind." Ebsen decided to self-publish "Kelly's Quest." The book became a hit. It reached No. 3 on the Los Angeles Times' paperback best-seller list.

Ebsen discussed his feelings about writing. "You take a blank piece of paper and whatever you're thinking, you write it down," he said. "I'm very satisfied if, in my mind, it increased the value of the paper. [He grins.] That's what writing should do. It should increase the value of the paper. If I do that, I feel high." Ebsen noted that his wife, Dorothy, did not like it when he compared creative writing to getting high.

Buddy Ebsen died in 2003 due to complications from pneumonia at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. He was 95 years old. Ebsen was survived by his widow, Dorothy, and his seven children: Elizabeth, Alix, Susie, Cathy, Bonnie, Kiki, and Dustin.

During a 2003 interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Max Baer Jr. discussed visiting Ebsen in the hospital just eight days before his death. He was accompanied by Donna Douglas, who played Elly May Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies." "I just put my hand on his head and, without opening his eyes, he smiled and said 'Maxy,"' Baer said. "I told him a few jokes. He was cheerful to the end. He lived a real good life." The hospital visit was the last time Baer saw Ebsen.

Baer revealed what Ebsen thought about "The Beverly Hillbillies." "We [actors] are not remembered so much for our body of work but for the one performance — the single thing — that separates us from the pack. Buddy loved Jed Clampett and he did not mind people remembering him for that character."