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Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen
95 years (Apr 2, 1908 – Jul 6, 2003)
Belleville, Illinois, USA
35 Movies
35 TV Shows

Buddy Ebsen

Buddy Ebsen is an American actor who arrived well before the current crop and stayed. 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. 'The Beverly Hillbillies' is a second title with real reach. Casting directors have gone to him for comedy more than for anything else. 91 years of work add up to around 70 titles.
Buddy Ebsen is an American actor who arrived well before the current crop and stayed. 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. 'The Beverly Hillbillies' is a second title with real reach. Casting directors have gone to him for comedy more than for anything else. 91 years of work add up to around 70 titles.
Latest Trailers
The Beverly Hillbillies
Watch Trailer
The Beverly Hillbillies
Full Filmography
King of the Hill
Chet Elderson (voice) · 1 episode
★ 7.4
1997–
TV
Burke's Law
Louie Pike · 1 episode
★ 6.8
1994–
TV
The Beverly Hillbillies
Barnaby Jones
★ 6.3
1993
Film
CBS Summer Playhouse
Buddy Tucker · 1 episode
★ 7.0
1987–
TV
Finder of Lost Loves
Walter Lewis · 1 episode
★ 6.8
1984–
TV
Matt Houston
Roy Houston · 22 episodes
★ 6.3
1982–
TV
The Critical List
Charles Sprague · 2 episodes
★ 9.0
1978–
TV
The Bastard
Benjamin Edes · 2 episodes
★ 7.0
1978–
TV
Leave Yesterday Behind
Doc
★ 5.2
1978
Film
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buddy Ebsen still alive?
Buddy Ebsen passed away on July 6, 2003 at age 95.
What are the most famous roles of Buddy Ebsen?
Buddy Ebsen is best known for roles in The Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Beverly Hillbillies.
How many movies has Buddy Ebsen been in?
Over a 68-year career (since 1935), Buddy Ebsen has appeared in 34 movies and 33 TV shows.
What was Buddy Ebsen's first movie?
The career of Buddy Ebsen began with Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935).
What is Buddy Ebsen's most recent movie or series?
Buddy Ebsen's most recent release is Pioneers of Primetime, which premiered on November 9, 2005.
What TV shows has Buddy Ebsen appeared in?
On television, Buddy Ebsen has appeared in The Twilight Zone, King of the Hill, Bonanza, The Andy Griffith Show.
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Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen
1908-04-02 · Belleville, Illinois, USA

Christian Ludolf "Buddy" Ebsen Jr. (April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003) was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades, including the role of Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971) and the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980), also on CBS. The SAG-AFTRA records also show him as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen.

A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series "The Beverly Hillbillies" and as the title character in the 1970s detective series "Barnaby Jones".

Ebsen was cast as the original Tin Man in 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz", but fell ill, reacting to the aluminum dust in his makeup, and was forced to drop out of the film.

Ebsen made his television debut on an episode of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949. This led to television appearances in: Stars Over Hollywood, Gruen Guild Playhouse, four episodes of Broadway Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Corky and White Shadow, the H.J. Heinz Company's Studio 57, Screen Directors Playhouse, two episodes of Climax!, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Martha Raye Show, Playhouse 90, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Johnny Ringo, two episodes of Bonanza, three episodes of Maverick (in which he portrayed assorted homicidal villains), and 77 Sunset Strip. Ebsen received wide television exposure when he played Georgie Russel, a role based on a historical person and companion to frontiersman Davy Crockett, in the Disneyland television miniseries Davy Crockett (1954–1955).

In the 1958–1959 season, Ebsen co-starred in the 26-episode half-hour NBC television adventure series Northwest Passage. This series was a fictionalized account of Major Robert Rogers, a colonial American fighter for the British in the French and Indian War. Ebsen played the role of Sergeant Hunk Marriner; Keith Larsen played Rogers.

In 1960, Ebsen appeared in episodes of the television series Rawhide, in the episodes "The Pitchwagon" and Tales of Wells Fargo, which he reprised in episodes of both series during 1962 in the roles of different characters. Also in 1960, Ebsen played in season 4 episode 30 of Have Gun, Will Travel called "El Paso Stage", as a corrupt marshal.

From 1961 to 1962, Ebsen had a recurring role as Virge Blessing in the ABC drama series Bus Stop, the story of travelers passing through the bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise, Colorado. Robert Altman directed several episodes. Arthur O'Connell had played Virge Blessing in the earlier film version on which the series was loosely based. Ebsen also appeared as "Mr. Dave" Browne, a homeless hobo, on The Andy Griffith Show opposite Ron Howard, and as Jimbo Cobb in The Twilight Zone episode "The Prime Mover" (season 2, episode 21) in 1961.

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