Most actors don't start as stars—they work hard for their success. Buddy Ebsen is a great example of the twists and turns a career can take before it stops at its final destination.

Before becoming the actor he became known for in The Beverly Hillbillies, where he played the role of Jed Clampett, he started his career as a chorus boy in a Broadway musical. While many might not be able to picture Jed Clampett doing the dancing, the actor became good at it.

According to a 1964 interview with the Fort Lauderdale News, Ebsen claimed he began dancing because he didn't want to go hungry.

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"When you don't have a job, you don't have money, and if you don't have money, it is difficult to keep your stomach full," Ebsen said. "I found I could dance my way to three meals a day."

Both Broadway and Hollywood were impressed with Ebsen's moves. According to the interview, within five years of his dancing career, he became one of the top dancing stars on the New York stage—and it was dancing that won him his first acting contract.

Eventually, after his fame from dancing had its big finish, he was able to land his role in The Beverly Hillbillies. He was thankful for it because it gave him the notoriety and fame—and gave him a place to be in everyone's living rooms. 

"This series made me an overnight star after 30 years in show business," Ebsen said.

In addition to his career as a dancer, Ebsen was also a singer and nightclub performer. And an accomplished one at that. At the time of the interview, Ebsen had 18 records. While dancing was the stepping stone to his success, it's clear that he was a triple-threat talent.

We can thank his sweet moves for making him the head of the household we all knew and loved on The Beverly Hillbillies. He had all the right steps for stardom.