Donna Douglas had some odd jobs after stepping away from the spotlight

The Beverly Hillbillies star wasn't long for the Hollywood world.

July 26, 2024, 1:11PM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Actors often find themselves navigating a strange landscape when their careers plateau. Opportunities might not come like they used to, especially in the highly competitive entertainment industry.

Some might have to choose to take on other work that provides stability or allows them to explore other interests outside of acting. This is true of people we see on our screens every week, in huge TV shows that just didn't pay out a life's worth of royalty checks.

Some use their platform for entrepreneurial pursuits. Why not cash in on that famous face and name? Especially when more acting work stops because an actor is only recognized as their onscreen persona, taking advantage of that value might be their only resort. Other actors might pivot to coaching or mentoring roles within the industry, offering guidance and support to aspiring performers. That's where a lot of the best acting classes come from.

Donna Douglas never really loved the whole Hollywood "thing," so she stepped away from show business after The Beverly Hillbillies. For most of the seventies, the public heard very little about Douglas. What was known, though, was that she worked in real estate in California.

"I began working in real estate in 1974 after the show ended, for about four or five years," she told author Stephen Cox in an interview for his book The Beverly Hillbillies.

Douglas traveled a lot and occasionally performed as a country singer. She even had a few gospel albums.

She appeared on a few talk shows to sell an Elly May doll that she marketed. Douglas also promoted a product called "Critter Cologne," a perfume for cats and dogs. The animal scent spray cost $50 per bottle.

Douglas also loved working with young people and often spoke at youth groups and Christian assemblies. She was known for signing her autograph with a line from her favorite Bible passage, Proverbs 3:5-6.