BUDDY EBSEN

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

Buddy Ebsen may be most famous for his roles as Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies and as Barnaby Jones, but the former pre-med student got his start in the 20s as a Ziegfeld dancer, was the original choice for the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (the aluminum makeup made him ill, and the role was recast), and played Holly’s ex-husband in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Now an author and a painter, and still keeping a frenetic schedule, Ebsen turns 94 this month. He pauses here to reflect on Fitzgerald, turning down the lead in Cocoon, and the versatile uses of stand-ins

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Creating. Like at the moment I am painting and writing.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Lincoln.

Which living person do you most admire?

My wife, Dorothy.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Lack of organization.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Lack of integrity.

What is your favorite journey?

To the bank.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Honesty.

On what occasion do you lie?

When the truth would hurt a friend unnecessarily.

Which living person do you most despise?

I don’t waste time despising people.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Weill Doggies!”

What is your greatest regret?

Having to turn down the part in Cocoon which went to Don Ameche, who won an Academy Award for it.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Stop wasting time.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being a professional writer.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

George C. Scott.

What is your most treasured possession?

My wife.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Friendlessness.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Personal integrity.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Charm.

What do you most value in your friends?

A sense of humor.

Who are your favorite writers?

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Joseph Conrad.

Who are your heroes in real life?

The unsung dead who gave their lives to preserve our country.

What is it that you most dislike?

Indecision.

How would you like to die?

Using a stand-in.

What is your motto?

“Use it or lose it.”