Beverly Hillbillies (1962 – 1971): Ebsen vs. Kulp
The Beverly Hillbillies followed the tales of Tennessee hillbilly Jed Clampett, played by Buddy Ebsen, who found oil on his property and moved his family to Beverly Hills. His banker, Milburn Drysdale, with his chaotic interest in keeping Jed’s money in the bank, balanced out by the stoic, practical secretary Jane Hathaway, played by Nancy Kulp. While Jed Clampett and Jane Hathaway were dear, affectionate friends onscreen, behind the scenes things weren’t so peaceful. Ebsen was a staunch conservative Republican. Kulp was a liberal Democrat. Their political discussions would devolve into name calling and yelling. Later, when Kulp ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, Ebsen recorded messages for her campaign opponent, saying “Nancy, I love you dearly but you’re too liberal for me.” Having lost the election, Kulp didn’t believe Ebsen’s message lost her the election, but she was vocal about feeling betrayed by her former costar.