Buddy Ebsen was the star of Beverly Hillbillies, but Max Baer Jr. had more fan mail

Buddy Ebsen may have won the popular vote, but Max Baer Jr. still had the most fan mail.

The Beverly Hillbillies was loved by many fans. The series’ humor, antics and tight-knit family ranked high among fans and high in the Nielsen ratings during its duration on-air from 1962 to 1971. But if there was anything fans loved more than the series, it was the show’s stars.

Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas and Max Baer Jr. were the four main stars fans went wild for. specific, Buddy Ebsen. He was one of the show’s most popular stars with prior success in Hollywood.

While Ebsen may have had the popular vote, Baer Jr. had the women’s vote.

According to a 1962 interview with The Birmingham News, Baer Jr. said he still rubs his eyes in amazement over the sudden change in his career and popularity because of his role as Jethro Bodine.

He was a superstar and he had the fan mail coming in to prove it.

“Gosh, the girls send in their pictures and some are mighty pretty, too,” Baer Jr. said. said. “But they must to know one thing: I’m not the marrying kind. I like to date, but rarely the same girl twice in a row.”

A very honest answer that may have cost him a few pieces of fan mail from adoring women. According to the interview, Baer Jr. would usually receive around 2,000 pieces of fan mail a week.
Despite being the most popular person on the show, as measured by his fan mail, Baer Jr. gave all the credit to his co-star Buddy Ebsen. He added: “If every young actor had the pleasure of working with Buddy he’d have something going for him in a big way.”

“Naturally I’m grateful and flattered, but I’m not the star of this thing by any means,” Baer Jr. said. said. “If I’m getting more fan mail I’d say it’s due to two factors: 1. Buddy’s admirers are not of the age group that writes letters and 2. Buddy, being the pro he is, has made my part of Big Jethro what it is. Right from the beginning he has been throwing the best lines to me, as well as to Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas and others in the cast.”

Ebsen and Baer Jr. had a close friendship off-screen, too. According to the interview, Baer Jr. would go sailing with Ebsen on his boat. The two would even enter in boat races together and had a knack for winning.

Even though Baer Jr. had the biggest fan mail, he was Ebsen’s biggest fan.

“If he feels a scene should go to someone else because it would be funnier that way, he’s quick to point it out to the producer,” Baer Jr. said. “All I can say is that if I’m ever as big a star as Buddy, I hope I’ll be as big a person as he is.”

Max Baer Jr. was known for playing the role of Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), but he was also known for another role on the same show: Jethrine.

Jethrine is Jethro’s twin sister who appeared in eleven episodes of the hit series. She was a big, deep-voiced girl standing over 6’4 — but a girl, though.

According to a 1963 interview with The Pittsburgh Press, Baer Jr. said he never expected Jethrine to come with his role, but there he was, in a dress and a blonde wig.

The actor admitted that at first, he was against the decision to add a sister to his story. He said he looked like an unlikely woman and worried that audiences would find it tacky.

“The producer had asked me if I had any inhibitions about playing a girl and I told him I don’t have any inhibitions in front of a camera,” Baer Jr. said. “I just wanted to know if it was going to help me career-wise. The role is very difficult.”

Baer Jr. had no choice but to accept his new sister like she was family. He said even his brother didn’t recognize him the first time he appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies wearing a dress and a blonde wig.

“There’s curiosity to the point where people have written in to see if it’s a girl or a boy,” Baer Jr. said. “For one show we’ll use a split screen and the audience will see me as both a boy and a girl. That will really confuse them.”

Over time, Baer Jr. started to embrace this newfound feminine side. He said, at first, he had trouble with her makeup, but he eventually adjusted. Even though he’s the only leading lady with a 5 o’clock shadow, it seemed natural that he should portray his own sister.

How could the producers find a girl the size of Max Baer Jr.? Sure, his female impersonation may not have won him an Emmy, but he did develop a fanbase as Jethrine, and he was able to show his depth as an actor. And for fans who didn’t like Jethro’s twin sister?

“Anytime you do something out of the ordinary people will tease you about it,” Baer Jr. said. said.

When Baer Jr. was playing Jethro he got a lot of love, too. According to a 1962 interview with The Birmingham News, Baer Jr. said he would receive more fan letters than anyone else on the show with an estimated 2,000 fan letters per week.