Irene Ryan left her entire fortune to students
Even decades after her death, Irene Ryan is still helping others.
Whether you called her Granny or Granny Clampett, there was no denying the impact Irene Ryan had on her Beverly Hillbillies role.
She brought laughter to her on-screen family and millions of viewers worldwide who were eager to see what new thing the Clampetts would misinterpret while settling into Beverly Hills and making it their new home.
Even before her dream role, Ryan graced stages and small screens and could even be heard on the radio. She really did it all, and the actress never looked forward to retiring. In fact, she didn’t want to. In her words, “Retire? Honey, I want to die with my boots on.”
Ryan was always giving and wanted to help others, so she created the Irene Ryan Foundation. The actress passed away in 1973, and in true Irene fashion, she made sure her fortune went toward helping others.
According to an article in the Press of Atlantic City newspaper, the actress left “her entire fortune of more than $1 million to a fund for student scholarships.”
Ryan left no survivors; her entire estate was left to the Irene Ryan Foundation, which provided scholarships for aspiring actors.
The Beverly Hillbillies actress was under care at St. John’s Hospital after collapsing on stage during her Pippin performance in New York on March 10, 1973. Sadly, she had a stroke on April 26, 1973, and didn’t make it.
Pippin was Ryan’s Broadway debut. According to the Press of Atlantic City article, she played a “regal but lusty” medieval grandmother. The actress was nominated for a Tony award for her performance.
No matter what role she played, Ryan was like a bright light in a room full of darkness. Even Buddy Ebsen said she was wonderful to work with.
She was everyone’s Granny, and there wasn’t one time when she didn’t excel in her role. Decades after her death, we still remember her talents, laughing at her parts and seeing a new generation of actors get their start because of her scholarship and foundation.
