Donna Douglas, mostly known for her role as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, died on Thursday at the age of 81, CBS affiliate WAFB in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, confirms. The unfortunate news of Donna’s passing was transmitted by her family, which shared that the actress died surrounded by her relatives in her Louisiana home. Charlene Smith, the niece of Donna Douglas, stated that the regretted artist deceased due to an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer.
The most remembered and long-lived role of Donna Douglas was that of Elly May Clampett, the blonde and curly-haired girl on The Beverly Hillbillies. The television series centered on the funny experiences of newly rich and hillbilly family and its members who moved to Beverly Hills, as the title of the series implies. Their struggle to fit the high society of the recently discovered city gives way to comic and family friendly situations. Donna Douglas became easily associated with the character she portrayed. She played the part of Elly May as long as the series survived, for nine seasons and 274 episodes, from 1962 to 1971 and the show ran on CBS. The influence of the show and the fame of Elly May Clampett were proven by a reboot of the series in 1981, in which Donna retrieved the role that made her the dearly beloved of most television watchers.
Donna Douglas was born in Louisiana on 26 September 1933 and it was her charisma the one which propelled her to a New York career in entertainment. Before her being tagged as an actress, Donna was named “Miss Baton Rouge” and “Miss New Orleans” in 1957. It was about then that she became known to television, but her undeniable fame came with The Hillbillies, in 1962. Before that role, she was majorly appreciated for her part in Twilight Zone as Janet Tyler in the 1960 ”Eye of the Beholder” episode. Other television series which remind the public of Danna Douglas are Checkmate (1961), Mister Ed (1961-1962) or The Defenders (1964).
Deadline traced a 2003 interview, in which Donna Douglas shared her Elly May insight and underlined not only the importance of the character in her career, but also the influence such a widely acclaimed role might have upon viewers and their own inner development: “Elly May was like a slice out of my life. She is a wonderful little door opener for me because people love her, and they love the Hillbillies. Even to this day it’s shown every day somewhere. But, as with any abilities, she may open a door for you, but you have to have substance or integrity to advance you through that door.”