- After seeing Ebsen in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the creator of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) wanted him to play family patriarch Jed Clampett. At the time, Ebsen was thinking of retiring, but the producers sent him a copy of the script, and he changed his mind.
- Had a photographic memory. According to his Barnaby Jones (1973) co-star, Lee Meriwether, she said in an interview, Ebsen had a wonderful memory and would put his lines down immediately.
- After his final guest-starring role on King of the Hill (1997), he retired from acting at age 91.
- Ebsen had a unique Disney connection. It was Disney that hired him in 1955 for the Davy Crockett series that ended an almost 20 year absence from leading movie roles after he rejected MGM's 1938 contract offer. Disney, however, appears to have always been a "good luck" charm for Ebsen. In his first film, Broadway Melody of 1936, in his first scene he is wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater. Ebsen appeared just a few years later in the followup film, Broadway Melody of 1938. In the second scene in which he appears, he is wearing a Donald Duck sweater/shirt.
- Originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939), Buddy had a severe allergic reaction and was hospitalized as a result of inhaling aluminum powder used as part of his make-up. One chorus of "We're Off to See the Wizard" in the movie and soundtrack album retain Ebsen's original vocals as the Tin Man, recorded before he was forced to leave the production. Because of the prolonged hospitalization, he was replaced by Jack Haley (whose reformulated make-up used pre-mixed aluminium dust), and Ebsen's scenes were re-shot using Haley. Footage of Ebsen as the Tin Man still exists, and was included as an extra with the U.S. 50th anniversary video release of The Wizard of Oz (1939).
- Remained friends with Donna Douglas and Max Baer Jr. during and after The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).
- Initially wanted to become a doctor. He took premed courses at Rollins College ( Winter Park, Florida) and the University of Florida, but his mother persuaded him into show business.
- An outspoken Republican, he helped defeat Nancy Kulp, his co-star in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), in her 1984 Democratic congressional bid in Pennsylvania. Ebsen made radio ads for her opponent accusing Kulp of being "too liberal" and not good for the district. The two did not speak for years after the incident, but eventually settled their differences.
- Was Quinn Martin's first choice for the lead role of Barnaby Jones (1973), he accepted it, which was his comeback to television, after a 2 year absence.
- Met Fess Parker, when they were both under contract at Disney, where the two began a lifelong friendship, from 1954 until Ebsen's own death in 2003. He was 16 years Parker's senior.
- Became a bestselling author at age 93. (2001)
- Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1765 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
- Director Norman Foster first recommended Ebsen to Walt Disney to play Davy Crockett, and Disney was "half sold" on the idea. Then Disney saw Fess Parker in the sci-fi film Them! (1954) and cast the strapping actor as the famed frontiersman. Ebsen was crestfallen because he knew how big the picture would be. The next day the studio signed Ebsen on as Crockett's weatherbeaten sidekick, George "Georgie" Russell. The part helped to turn his career around and arguably played a part in Ebsen's getting the role of the equally grizzled and popular Jed Clampett.
- In 1938, MGM offered him a seven-year contract, starting at $2,000 a week but requiring him to give the studio absolute control over his career. He rejected it. MGM blackballed him and his film career went into eclipse for nearly 20 years, until Walt Disney hired him to play George "Georgie" Russell, Davy Crockett's sidekick, in Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955).
- Met Max Baer Jr.'s father (Max Baer), in the 1930s, at one of Baer's boxing match, before and after Max Jr.'s birth. They were friends until Baer Sr.'s death in 1959, and Ebsen became a surrogate father to Baer Jr., afterwards. At nearly 25, he co-starred opposite Ebsen, on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), as Ebsen's dimwitted nephew.
- On Barnaby Jones (1973), he played a private eye detective, on Matt Houston (1982), he also played a private eye detective.
- Was a spokesperson for the United Way in the late 1960s-early 1970s.
- He served in the Coast Guard during World War II as the executive officer on the Pocatello, a submarine chaser in the North Pacific.
- Remained friends with Lee Meriwether during and after Barnaby Jones (1973).
- Was initiated into DeMolay at the John M. Cheney Chapter in Orlando, Florida, in 1926. DeMolay is a Masonic youth organization for young men between 12 and 21.
- Was the producers first choice for the lead role of Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955), although lost the role to fellow actor Fess Parker. Ebsen played Parker's sidekick, Georgie Russel, in the series.
- One of Ebsen's last roles was a gag cameo in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) in which Ebsen's understudy, Jim Varney played Jed Clampett. Ebsen showed up as Barnaby Jones.
- Owned a 36-acre ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Appeared on the front cover of TV Guide 8 times.
- He was a longtime friend of Dick Van Dyke, who hosted his memorial service on 30 August 2003.
- Met Nancy Wolcott, his future second wife, while he was serving in the Coast Guard during World War II. The two were married for 40 years, before divorcing in 1985.
- Worked with William Conrad in episodes of both shows: Barnaby Jones (1973), which Conrad appeared on the first episode, and another afterwards and Cannon (1971).
- Between The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Barnaby Jones (1973), he had roles on television for 18 consecutive seasons.
- Wrote a half dozen plays, five of which were produced, including a farce called Honest John in 1948 and Champagne General in 1973, a Civil War story. Also a part-time songwriter, he became a newly-published author of a romantic novel at the age of 93, titled Kelly's Quest.
- He was nicknamed "Buddy" by an aunt, and eventually changed his forename to Frank "Buddy" Ebsen.
- On both of his shows, The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Barnaby Jones (1973), his characters danced in a few episodes, in real-life, Ebsen was also a dancer.
- In the 1930s, Disney animators filmed him dancing in front of a grid to "choreograph" Mickey Mouse's dance steps for the Silly Symphony cartoons.
- As Ebsen aged, he wanted to cut back on his role in order to reduce his time on the set. He was able to do so for the last two seasons on Barnaby Jones (1973). Episodes were then divided evenly among the three actors, with Ebsen, Meriwether and Shera each being the focus of a third of the season's episodes.
- His parents, his father (also named Christian Ludolf Ebsen, Sr.), a physical fitness advocate, taught dance in West Palm Beach, Florida. This is where Buddy and his younger sister, Vilma, learned their craft and they appeared in local and school productions and his mother, Frances (née Wendt) Ebsen, was a painter.
- Ebsen had exchanged guitar lessons, with Fess Parker, who took dancing lessons.
- Ebsen's first wife, Ruth, was originally Walter Winchell's secretary/Girl Friday.
- Ebsen taught his The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) co-star, Max Baer Jr., how to sail, when sailing wasn't The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)'s cup of tea. Ebsen also sailed often with friend and fellow actor James Arness.
- He and his The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) co-star, Donna Douglas, had a lot in common. Like Buddy, she too is a successful singer (of gospel), is also a character actress, and is also a Republican.
- A Boy Scout and an average student at Orlando High School, he was a member of the swimming team, in which he participated all 4 years and became a Florida State Champion.
- Ebsen began writing while still in high school; he also composed songs. He wrote several other books including "Polynesian Concept" (about sailing), "The Other Side of Oz" (an autobiography) and "Sizzling Cold Case" (a mystery based on his Barnaby Jones character). His most successful work was "Kelly's Quest", a romance, which was published in 2001 when the actor was in his 90s.".
- Was one of the two actors to appear in every episode of Barnaby Jones (1973).
- He had 15 hobbies over his long life: dancing, playing guitar, coin collecting, swimming, golfing, riding horses, sailing, painting, building sailboats, spending time with his family, politics, gardening, fishing, traveling and singing.
- Future game show host Bob Barker, talk show host Jerry Springer and comedians Vicki Lawrence, Jim Varney, Drew Carey and Graham Elwood, all said Ebsen was their childhood television hero.
- His second show, Barnaby Jones (1973) was canceled at the end of the eighth season, because Ebsen had decided to retire from acting.
- Co-founder of the Beverly Hills Coin Club with a young actor named Chris Aable.
- In 1919, when his mother's health was failing, his family moved to Palm Beach, Florida. In 1920, when Buddy was 12, his family moved to Orlando, Florida, where Ebsen was raised with four sisters (Helga, Leslie, Norma, and Vilma Ebsen).
- An avid sailor, he won a multitude of races on this continent and abroad including the prestigious 1968 Honolulu Trans Pacific yacht race in his 35 ft catamaran, "Polynesian Concept".
- Was approached by Paul Henning for his first choice as the lead role of Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).
- Attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida shortly before starting his film career.
- He began his first television series, The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), at age 54.
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