Max Baer Jr. is best known for playing Jethro Bodine on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” which premiered in 1962 and quickly became a huge hit, topping the ratings within three weeks. The show ran for nine seasons, producing 274 episodes before ending in 1971. Born in Oakland, California, in 1937, Max is the son of boxing legend Max Baer. He developed his southern accent by mimicking actors like Andy Griffith. After earning a business degree from Santa Clara University, he moved to Los Angeles and auditioned for the role of Jethro Bodine without formal acting training.

Baer Jr. embraced the character’s foolish persona, famously saying, “They can laugh with or at me. It makes no difference as long as they laugh.” After “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Baer Jr. faced typecasting but reinvented himself as a producer and director.