The Beverly Hillbillies ran from 1962 to 1971, starring Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, Max Baer Jr., and Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Tin Man for 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. The nine-season show centered around the Clampett family, who get into sudden wealth after their patriarch finds oil on their land.
The formerly poor Southern household moves to the highbrow Beverly Hills in California and has a hilariously tough time blending in with their posh neighborhood. Five decades later, the majority of the Beverly Hillbillies cast are deceased, save for one major actor.
The only actor still alive from ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’
Max Baer Jr. played Jethro Bodine and doubled as his twin sister Jethrine, who Linda Kaye Henning voiced. While starring in The Beverly Hillbillies, which was his breakthrough series, he also appeared in Love, American Style, and Western movie A Time for Killing.
His career continued well after the ‘60s sitcom; however, he declined to reprise his role in the 1981 TV movie, The Return of the Hillbillies. He is the last surviving member of the major cast, with the most recent passing being Donna’s in 2015 from pancreatic cancer.
Is Max Baer Jr. retired?
Max struggled to get the roles he wanted after the ‘70s, as he became a victim of industry typecasting. He explored producing, writing, and directing motion pictures and then transitioned into the gambling industry in the mid-80s with an attempt to establish a Beverly Hillbillies-themed Casino.
Although he is now out of the spotlight, the 87-year-old has been successful in his business ventures, which include the gaming industry, food and beverage, and real estate. Max has never been married and has no children, but he enjoys a private life in retirement with his dogs.
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