Nancy KulpBirth Chart

Nancy Jane Kulp was an American character actress, screenwriter, and comedian, best known for playing the efficient and romantically bereft Miss Jane Hathaway on the television series The Beverly Hillbillies. Her restrained comic performance earned her an Emmy nomination in 1967 and established a recognizable television persona in the United States from the 1950s through the 1970s. Before pursuing acting, she graduated in journalism and studied English and French; she worked as a journalist and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant junior grade. She entered the film industry working in MGM’s publicity department, where director George Cukor encouraged her to act, leading to small roles in films such as Shane, Sabrina, and A Star Is Born. In addition to her success on The Beverly Hillbillies, she maintained a prolific television career with appearances on series including I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, and The Love Boat, and she also appeared on Broadway. Later she engaged in union work as a member of the Screen Actors Guild board and, in the 1980s, ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania. Her legacy is that of a character actress who contributed to classic American television comedy.