Buddy Ebsen wasn't interested in joining the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies

Ebsen almost missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime!

August 15, 2024, 10:03AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Some people don't know a good thing when they've got it. Just ask your ex!

Joking aside, it seems that it's the curse of humanity to have everything you want in the palm of your hand and never learn how to properly appreciate it. Even famous actors aren't exempt from this behavior. Take Buddy Ebsen for example. Today, Ebsen is a universally recognized actor, famous on both the screen and stage. Whether he's snooping for clues as Barnaby Jones or yukking it up on The Beverly Hillbillies as Jed Clampett, Ebsen is an integral part of television history.

However, his career might never have taken flight, were it not for the extra efforts of Beverly Hillbillies creator, Paul Henning. Henning served at the helm of incredible shows like Petticoat Junction. As Hollywood's resident rural expert, Henning knew his way around a television series.

In a 1964 interview with The Wichita Eagle, Ebsen recognized Henning's talent.

"Beverly Hillbillies is Paul Henning," he said. "He's putting everyone on. And, really, there's so much to lampoon." Ebsen even went as far as to claim that as long as Henning was working for The Beverly Hillbillies, so too would Ebsen. But this unity wasn't always present, as Ebsen said that when approached to play the role of Jed Clampett, he was seriously considering turning down the part due to a lack of interest. While Jed Clampett would make him a star, before the Hillbillies, Ebsen was mainly known for playing more antagonistic roles instead of the leading man. "I enjoyed myself very much then," said Ebsen. "I didn't want to do the series."

So confident in this decision, Ebsen actually did something that he believed would relieve him of any consideration for the part: He asked for a load of cash.

"I asked an outrageous fee for my services which I didn't expect Henning to meet," he said.

Of course, while Ebsen wasn't aware of what a hit The Beverly Hillbillies would be, Henning knew that Ebsen was destined to be a star, and was easily able to meet his monetary demand. Luckily, Ebsen came around to the series and realized just how lucky he actually was.