Petticoat Junction: The Last Surviving Cast Members Of The Beverly Hillbillies Spin-Off

If you're a nostalgic TV fan, then you're probably familiar with "Petticoat Junction," the 1963 sitcom about the Bradley family who ran a hotel in a rural town. The series was a spinoff of "The Beverly Hillbillies," and while you may also be wondering whatever happened to the Beverly Hillbillies cast, we know that many of the "Petticoat Junction" cast have sadly passed away. Pat Woodell and Bea Benaderet, who played members of the Bradley family, died in 2015 and 1968, respectively. 

Fortunately, there are some last surviving members, including the actors who played the lovable Bradley sisters. We're talking about Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders, Jeannine Riley, and Gunilla Hutton, with Riley and Hutton playing the same character at different times. All four women are now in their 80s and have since retired from acting. 

While Riley, Saunders, and Hutton all stepped away from Hollywood in the late '80s and early '90s, Henning continued working until 2007. Henning and Hutton have made appearances at fan conventions in recent years, where they're still celebrated for their roles on the show. In 2024, Henning spoke to The Boonville Standard about its lasting impact. "You could forget your cares. It was time to relax at the junction. Audiences could tune in for a half [hour] and enjoy knowing that things would turn out okay," she said (via MeTV). While Henning is clearly proud of their work on "Petticoat Junction," for her and the rest of the surviving cast, it's what they remain most famous for.

It's no surprise that many fans wonder whatever happened to the cast of "Petticoat Junction," since the surviving four actors from the show eventually faded from the spotlight after the series ended in 1970. Lori Saunders, for one, retired in 1980, when she seemingly decided to focus on advocacy work, fighting against the elephant ivory trade. Gunilla Hutton stepped away from Hollywood around the same time, although it's unclear why. She faced a Hollywood scandal in 1964 due to her affair with Nat King Cole, and fan sites report that she regretted leaving "Petticoat Junction" after one season. 

Jeannine Riley's acting career lasted longer than Saunders' and Hutton's, but she felt typecast into "country roles" because of "Petticoat Junction" and later "Hee Haw." "They paid the rent. But it's tough to get out of that rut," she told The Indianapolis Star (via MeTV). 

What Linda Kaye Henning's life looked like after the end of "Petticoat Junction" looked a bit different: she found more work than her co-stars, but still embraced it as her most famous role. She even talked about doing a reunion and had planned one with Meredith MacRae before her death. In 2015, there was a reunion of sorts when she, Hutton, and Saunders appeared in a commercial for MeTV. Fans were ecstatic to see them together, with many gushing about their favorite Bradley sister in the comments on YouTube.