Irene Ryan was told she was ”too young” to play Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies

The actress had to convince Paul Henning to give her an opportunity to audition.

It’s usually the case that after an actor reaches a certain age, they become “too old” for many of the roles on television. In Irene Ryan’s case, the exact opposite was true. In an interview with the Associated Press, Ryan recounted her early talks for the role of Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies. During a pre-production meeting, the casting director told her that she was too young for the role.

Luckily, Ryan was a friend of series creator Paul Henning and decided to go straight to him to ask for an opportunity to audition for the role. Unfortunately, Henning’s response was the same as the casting director, and he reiterated that he felt Ryan was simply too young to play the role. However, with the spirit of Granny Clampett, Ryan fought back. She countered, “Look, Paul, do I have to go home and get my gray wig and shawl to convince you I can play Granny?”

Furthermore, Ryan argued that her younger age was more of an asset than Henning had originally allowed himself to believe, as it would be helpful during the grueling hours shooting on set. She countered, “If you can get anyone older than me to play the role, she won’t be able to stand the pace. I know what those 7-to-7 schedules are like.”

At the time, Henning was reported testing three other actresses for the role with Buddy Ebsen, who played Jed Clampett. Finally, Ryan convinced Henning to allow her to test with Ebsen, which allowed her to win the role.

Ryan went on to play the role of Granny for 274 episodes spanning nine seasons. She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
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.

“It’s all marriage those proposals I’m getting in the mail,” Baer Jr. said. said. “Gosh, the girls sent in their pictures and some are mighty pretty, too. 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.”

Whether he was playing Jethro or Jethrine; Baer Jr. received a lot of love for his role(s) on The Beverly Hillbillies. He was a man who looked like a lady, or a man who looked like his twin sister.