Max Baer Jr’s Life Mimicked His Character’s Trajectory on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’

On The Beverly Hillbillies, Max Baer Jr. played a character whose luck changed dramatically. Baer’s real life followed a surprisingly familiar trajectory. Before he landed the role of Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies, Baer explained that he was in an extremely tight financial position. The show completely changed his life.

Max Baer Jr. had a similar life to his character on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’

In 1960, Baer began to pursue work as an actor. For the first two years of his career, he struggled. While he picked up minor roles in TV series, he did not make much money off his work.

“I was two months behind on my rent, and my weight had dropped from 210 to 188 pounds,” Baer said in a 1963 interview, per MeTV. “My morale was low. Very low.”

He explained that he was growing defeated before he scored the role. His diet was, for the most part, canned beans and milk.

“I was out of money and had about had it,” he said. “I had no car and I had no wardrobe. It was very rough … I had to sell some of my things to live. I really had to scrounge around.”

He believed that he didn’t have it as hard as some of his peers, but it still felt like a long struggle.

“I know kids who have had it so much harder than I have,” Baer Jr. said. “Vince Edwards is an example. He waited around for six years before he got his opportunity in Ben Casey. But my year’s wait was a long time.”

The Beverly Hillbillies brought Baer lasting success, for which he was grateful. The stroke of luck came at the right time, just as it had for Jethro Bodine.

“I was fortunate to get in a hit show,” Baer said. “Otherwise, I might still be starving.”

What is Max Baer Jr.’s net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Baer’s net worth is $50 million in 2023. After nine years on The Beverly Hillbillies, he found that his acting work suffered due to typecasting. Work as a director and investments in the gambling industry helped grow his net worth, though. He explained that he has wanted to make sure that he’ll never struggle as much as he once did.

“I’d had some raw deals in this town, and I don’t forget the people who tried to take advantage of me, but you can bet your life I’ll never be that poor again.”

What did Max Baer Jr. appear in after ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’

Though Baer struggled to find work after The Beverly Hillbillies, he was able to pick up guest appearances on TV shows. He also wrote, produced, and acted in the 1974 film Macon County Line. The film’s low budget and high earnings made it the most profitable film of the year.

Baer acted sporadically throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but he has primarily stepped away from the career that brought him fame.