From her long life in the entertainment industry, Donna Douglas net worth was accumulated to a reasonable amount by the time of her passing.
The late actress and singer had already retired for 7 years when she passed away due to pancreatic cancer in 2015.
Do you want to know how much Donna Douglas net worth is from her lifelong career in the show business and her other entrepreneurial ventures? Read on thoroughly to know about the life and career of the Lousiana beauty queen.
| Summary table | |
| Stage Name | Donna Douglas |
| Legal Name | Doris Ione Smith |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1932 |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) |
| Net worth | $500,000 |
| Salary / earning / income per year | $200 – 249,999 |
| Profession | Actress, singer, writer, comedienne, real estate agent, inspirational speaker. |
| Nationality | American |
About Donna Douglas
Before we jump into the discussion about Donna Douglas net worth, let’s take a quick look first at her basic information.
- Legal Name & stage name: Born Doris Ione Smith in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the actress was known better by her stage name, Donna Douglas.
- Date of Birth: She was born on September 26, 1932.
- Gender & Height: Donna Douglas was a 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) female.
- Nationality: The star of The Beverly Hillbillies was an American, born and raised in the country.
- What is Donna Douglas Best Known for?
- Donna Douglas net worth was derived from her career as an actress and singer. She was famously known for her role on The Beverly Hillbillies as Elly May Clampett.
- After she stopped appearing on television and on the big screen, she was also known as a gospel singer, inspirational speaker, and children’s book author. She was also briefly worked as a real estate agent at some point in her life.
Young Age of Donna Douglas
Long before she received incomes that accumulated in Donna Douglas net worth, she lived a very normal life. She was the youngest child of Emmet Ratcliff Smith, Sr., and Elma Robinson. She had one older brother.
Donna Douglas didn’t come from an entertainer family, as her father was an ordinary family man who worked almost his whole life for Standard Oil.
- Education:
- Donna Douglas attended St. Gerard Catholic High School.
- She was quite an active student, since she did a bit of sport, including softball and basketball.
- She was among the first batch to graduate from the high school.
- Personal life:
- Donna Douglas had a son from her first marriage to Roland Burgeois, Jr. Not long after she gave birth to Danny Bourgeois, she divorced Roland Bourgeois, Jr. in 1954.
- A couple of years later, she tied the knot with Robert M. Leeds, who directed her in The Beverly Hillbillies. The marriage only last for 9 years, as they separated in 1980.
Donna Douglas’s Career
The story of Donna Douglas’ career began when she moved to New York City to try her luck in the entertainment industry. She got her first gig in toothpaste advertisements as an illustration model. Donna Douglas then made some appearances in a few shows on NBC from around 1957 to the early 1960s, such as The Perry Como Show, The Steve Allen Show, The Twilight Zone, Tightrope, and Route 66.
Donna Douglas then for several years joined the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971). She also made an appearance in the Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, reprising her role as Elly May in the reunion movie. She also became a guest star in several shows in other television programs as her iconic character.
Apart from her acting career, Donna Douglas also performed in church, as a gospel singer. She also became a speaker in several church groups, youth groups, and schools around the U.S. Donna Douglas also released a few albums under her name, mostly gospel albums, and the rest are minor country music records.
Her works with children during her church works also encouraged her to write a few religious children’s books. Some of the book titles that she authored were: Donna’s Critters and Kid and Miss Donna’s Mulberry Acres Farm. She also ventured into another genre, which is a cookbook, that she launched in 2013, titled Southern Favorites with a Taste of Hollywood.
All in all, her vast array of works throughout her career was accumulated into Donna Douglas net worth.
Donna Douglas Net worth
Compared to another female of the same age as her, Donna Douglas net worth might seems not too big. By the time of her passing, Donna Douglas net worth is estimated to be around $500,000.
Besides her various sources of income, are there any businesses and investments that contributed to her wealth?
- Businesses
Donna Douglas’s business is mostly related to book publishing. There are currently no further details about her business venture apart from the show business.
- Real estate
While it is unclear whether she has property investment or not during the span of her life, Donna Douglas once was a real estate agent, after gaining her license post The Beverly Hillbillies production.
- Salary Detail
There is no exact data about her annual salary, but it is estimated that she earned between $200 to 249,999 contributing to Donna Douglas net worth.
- How does Donna Douglas make money?
To sum up, Donna Douglas net worth was generated from her contract to appear on television and her other works as a public figure.
Did Donna Douglas ever date Elvis Presley?
Despite their chemistry on the set of Frankie and Johnny, nothing ever really happened romantically between the two of them. Sources said that Elvis Presley and Donna Douglas could easily fall into deep conversation about spirituality, since Donna Douglas herself is a devoted Christian.
However, they both respected each other and only get in touch as professional acquaintances.
Donna Douglas Death
Sadly, Donna Douglas passed away in 2015. She passed away in her hometown, at Baton Rouge General Hospital at the age of 82.