Nancy Kulp (August 28, 1921 – February 3, 1991) was a beloved American character actress who became one of the most recognizable faces in television history through her iconic, Emmy-nominated role as the prim and proper Miss Jane Hathaway on the classic sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies.
A former journalist and a U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II, Kulp began her acting career in the 1950s. She quickly established herself as a reliable character actress in films like Sabrina (1954) and The Parent Trap (1961), and had a recurring role on The Bob Cummings Show.
From 1962 to 1971, she played the bird-watching, hopelessly-in-love-with-Jethro secretary to the greedy banker Milburn Drysdale. As the brainy and often flustered Miss Hathaway, she was the perfect comedic foil to both her boss and the Clampett family, a role that earned her an Emmy nomination in 1967 and cemented her legacy as a television immortal.
