Biography
Best known for her work as the tomboy Ellie Mae Clampett on the early-1960s television series The Beverly Hillbillies, Donna Douglas—born Doris Smith—has in later years focused much of her energy on sharing mainstream Christian convictions. She has released two gospel collections, Donna Douglas Sings Gospel and Donna Douglas Sings Country and Gospel Back on the Mountain, and has also written the children’s book Donna’s Critters and Kids: Children’s Stories With a Bible Touch.
Raised on her grandparents’ farm in Baton Rouge after her birth in the small Louisiana community of Pride, Douglas was crowned Miss New Orleans in 1957. At seventeen she relocated to New York and entered additional beauty competitions; a first-place finish in a contest sponsored by a newspaper earned her a spot on The Ed Sullivan Show and a screen test.
Movie producer Hal Willis signed her, leading to guest roles on programs including Dragnet and The Twilight Zone in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1959 she worked as billboard girl on The Steve Allen Show and appeared in the musical film Li’l Abner. Her casting as Ellie Mae Clampett helped make The Beverly Hillbillies one of the era’s most popular series, and she remained with the show for nine seasons. She returned to the character in the 1981 television movie The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.
While filming the 1965 feature Frankie and Johnny—drawn from a traditional folk song—with Elvis Presley, Douglas formed a close bond with the singer; the two discussed Christianity and books they had both read. An E! Channel biography reported that she was so distraught when the production ended that she considered leaving The Beverly Hillbillies. After stepping away from entertainment, she worked in real-estate sales throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and her subsequent public appearances have largely been confined to Christian gatherings.
Raised on her grandparents’ farm in Baton Rouge after her birth in the small Louisiana community of Pride, Douglas was crowned Miss New Orleans in 1957. At seventeen she relocated to New York and entered additional beauty competitions; a first-place finish in a contest sponsored by a newspaper earned her a spot on The Ed Sullivan Show and a screen test.
Movie producer Hal Willis signed her, leading to guest roles on programs including Dragnet and The Twilight Zone in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1959 she worked as billboard girl on The Steve Allen Show and appeared in the musical film Li’l Abner. Her casting as Ellie Mae Clampett helped make The Beverly Hillbillies one of the era’s most popular series, and she remained with the show for nine seasons. She returned to the character in the 1981 television movie The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.
While filming the 1965 feature Frankie and Johnny—drawn from a traditional folk song—with Elvis Presley, Douglas formed a close bond with the singer; the two discussed Christianity and books they had both read. An E! Channel biography reported that she was so distraught when the production ended that she considered leaving The Beverly Hillbillies. After stepping away from entertainment, she worked in real-estate sales throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and her subsequent public appearances have largely been confined to Christian gatherings.
Albums
