Many wonder what happened to the famous Granny, Irene Ryan, from “The Beverly Hillbillies” after the end of the show.
Sadly, we did not see much of her after the series because the beloved actress passed away in 1973, only two years after it ended.
Ryan was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, but she died later from complications of a stroke in 1973 at the age of 70. However, she did manage to do a Broadway musical, “Pippin,” with Ben Vereen, before the tragedy.
She was actually on the stage in New York when she suffered a stroke.
Before earning her stardom as Granny, Ryan appeared in several radio programs and movies as well. She also accompanied the famous Bob Hope on his renowned military tours and was popular as “the gal who makes Bob Hope laugh.”
She made her debut in the entertainment business at an unbelievably young age of 11. She sang Pretty Baby in an amateur contest at the old Valencia Theater in San Francisco, winning a $3 prize.
Her professional debut in the show business came when she moved into musical comedy and variety and began appearing in vaudeville for several years.
According to KXRB, she was always seen as an actress who could do everything – act, sing, dance and even tells jokes.
Her abilities as a complete artist are more evident in one of her hit videos of her performing 1944’s “Happiest Girl in Town.”
She got her iconic role in “The Beverly Hillbillies” in 1962, a show that ran for over a decade, and had popular characters like Granny, Jed, Ellie May, Jethro, Jane Hathaway, and Mr. Drysdale among others.