Biography
Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.) was an American actor and dancer. He began his career as a dancer in Broadway chorus lines and vaudeville in the late 1920s, later forming a dance act with his sister Vilma that appeared in musicals including Whoopee (1928), Flying Colors (1932) and Ziegfeld Follies of 1934.
Ebsen made his screen debut in the MGM musical Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) as Ted. He went on to appear in further films such as Captain January (1936) and Born to Dance (1936). He was originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939) but left the production after falling ill from the aluminium dust in his makeup. His later career included the role of Jed Clampett in the CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971) and the title character in the detective series Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).
