Max Baer Jr. was born to famed boxer Max Baer and Mary Ellen Sullivan in Oakland, California, on December 4, 1937. As a young man, he had a penchant for athletics, but golf dominated his attention more than any other athletic pursuit.
He won the pro-am category of the Andy Williams Golf Classic in San Diego in 1971 while playing alongside professional golfer Charlie Sifford. Despite his passion for golf, his move into acting catapulted him to international recognition.
He came to international fame for his iconic portrayal of Jethro Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies, which catapulted him into celebrity status, with admirers worldwide praising him.
Even though he was successful, Max thought of acting as a hobby and golf as his real job.
Steve Baer’s path to Hollywood reads like a screenplay. On a motorcycle journey to Los Angeles, he was observed by a Warner Bros executive, who immediately recognized his potential and identified him as having a similar appearance to James Garner.
After her first success, Baer was cast in the famous Beverly Hillbillies series. The show tells the story of the Clampett family, a poor family from the Ozarks who found oil on their land and moved to Beverly Hills. This was a significant professional breakthrough for Baer and a worldwide hit with viewers.
Michael Baer worked hard to bring his performance of Jethro to life with as much emotion and effort as possible. He eventually left it up to the spectators to judge whether or not they liked what he accomplished.
The show was popular then, getting a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best TV Show Comedy in 1964 and four Emmy nominations over its 11-year run; it was eventually canceled in 1971 after nine seasons and 274 episodes.
Max Baer Jr, the last surviving cast member of the iconic classic Hollywood program ‘The Beverly Hillbillies,’ has opened up about his time on the show.
When asked to pick a favorite episode from the 274 available, he simply couldn’t. His close friendship with fellow cast member Buddy Ebsen was cut short when his wife called to tell him that her husband had only a short time left.
Max and Donna Douglas, who played Elly May, rushed to the hospital to say their final goodbyes, and Max remembered Buddy seeing him and saying, “Jethro,” before closing his eyes. The death of Ebsen was a significant loss for Max and everyone who loved The Beverly Hillbillies.
Max Baer Jr. struggled to get another acting part after the end of The Beverly Hillbillies owing to typecasting. While he appeared in popular shows such as Love and Murder, She Wrote, Baer chose to focus on producing and directing instead.
Macon County Line (1974), a small-town psycho cop picture, was one of his most profitable efforts, allowing him to become a wealthy businessman. He bought the rights to The Beverly Hillbillies name from CBS in 1991.
Baer married Joanne Hill in 1966 and stayed with her until 1971 when the marriage terminated in divorce. Later in life, he dated Chere Rhodes, a model 30 years his junior. She tragically committed suicide in early 2008.
Max Baer Jr.’s name lives on as an iconic character from decades ago who found success on and off the screen.
