Christian Rudolph Ebsen Jr. was born on the 2nd April 1908, in Belleville, Illinois USA, of Danish and Latvian descent. He was an actor, dancer and entertainer, probably best known for the roles of Jed Clampett in the popular television series “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962–1971) and the private detective in the series “Barnaby Jones” (1973–1980). Ebsen had been active in the entertainment industry from 1928 to 2001. He passed away in July 2003.
How rich was the actor? It was estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of Buddy Ebsen’s net worth was as much as $2 million.
Buddy Ebsen Net Worth $2 Million
To begin with, he was the son of Christian Rudolf Ebsen, Sr. and Frances. He matriculated from high school in 1926, then from 1926 to 1927 he studied at the University of Florida, and then at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida in 1928. Financial problems in the family forced him to leave the university at the age of 20, and Ebsen moved to New York with only $26.75 in his pocket to try his luck as a dancer there. With his sister Vilma, they performed under the pseudonym The Baby Astaire and had some small roles on Broadway.
In 1936, the Ebsens family received a two-year contract at MGM; they moved to Hollywood and had their first film appearance in the film “Broadway Melody” (1936). Then Vilma Ebsen retired from show business, but Buddy got more roles in “Captain January” (1936), “Born to Dance” (1936) and “Banjo on My Knee” (1936). His flamboyant dance style earned him more roles, and in 1939 he landed the role of the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”. His net worth was rising steadily.
During World War 2, Buddy served in the US Coast Guard, being honorably discharged in 1946. Afterwards, he created roles in the films including “Under Mexicali Stars” (1950), “Rodeo King and the Senorita” (1951), “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier” (1954) and others. He also landed the role in television series “Davy Crockett” (1954-1955). He also starred as the significantly older husband of Audrey Hepburn in the comedy “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1960).
Probably the biggest impact on Ebsen’s career was the comedy series “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962–1971) aired on CBS. The series had many fans and possessed high audience ratings, yet it was judged only moderately by critics. From 1973 to 1980 Ebsen continued his career as the title role of the television detective Barnaby Jones on CBS. He was also a speaker in the documentary series “Album Disney Family”.
Even after retirement, he landed many guest roles in various series. Ebsen was also active as a writer, releasing several novels and an autobiography, and he was also heard in several recordings as a singer and spokesman. Ebsen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The Walt Disney Company appointed him as a Disney Legend in 1993.
Finally, in the personal life of the actor, he had been married three times. His first wife with whom he had two daughters was Ruth Cambridge(1936-42). The second wife with whom he had four daughters and a son was Lieutenant Nancy Wolcott(1945-85), and his third wife was Dorothy Knott(1985-2003). Buddy Ebsen died from respiratory failure at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California, being 95 years old.
