Tom Lester, a faithful evangelist who starred as pleasant farmhand Eb Dawson on the ’60s sequence “Inexperienced Acres,” has died. He was 81.
He died of problems from Parkinson’s illness within the Nashville residence of his fiancée and long-term caregiver Jackie Peters on Monday, Mississippi’s Laurel Chief-Name reported. His brother Michael Lester didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information’ request for remark.
“Tom Lester was an excellent pal of mine,” the star’s pal, fellow actor Gary Moore, informed Fox Information. “We met over 20 years in the past and stayed buddies all these years. I began taking Tom to autograph reveals as a result of so many followers wished to fulfill him. I’ve stayed at his home on his farm which he referred to as, Inexperienced Acres. He’s been to my home and signed photos of Arnold the Pig for my 4 boys.”
“He would typically name me each week and he would pray with me,” Moore continued. “We laughed on a regular basis. I noticed Tom final month in Nashville, and I acquired to listen to him say ‘Golly’ another time then I prayed with him. He met Jesus in Heaven right this moment and appeared round and I do know he mentioned, ‘Golly, that is even higher than you informed me!’”
The Mississippi native who was raised on his grandfather’s farm had large goals of turning into an actor in Hollywood. Nevertheless, he informed “Religion Ahead” few folks from his rural neighborhood believed he would discover success.
“I informed them I used to be going out to Hollywood to develop into an actor they usually all mentioned, ‘You’re loopy,’” Lester recalled. “’You’ll by no means have the ability to do this. You’re too tall, too skinny, too ugly. You’ve acquired a Southern accent and also you’ll by no means make it within the movement image enterprise. You don’t appear like Rock Hudson.’”
In response to the actor, Lester was so discouraged that he put his appearing goals on maintain and as a substitute, studied chemistry and biology on the College of Mississippi to develop into a health care provider. Nevertheless, one star impressed Lester not to surrender.
“I may not make it, however no less than I’m going to strive,” Lester mentioned. “And I’d’ve relatively gone on the market and tried and failed than to by no means have gone on the market in any respect. And I learn an article as soon as the place they requested Don Knotts who was Barney Fife on ‘The Andy Griffith Present,’ ‘How on the earth did you ever get into films?’ As a result of he didn’t look something in any respect like Rock Hudson. And he mentioned, ‘I determine everyone in Hollywood was handsome and had a superb physique. I determine they wanted anyone a little bit totally different.’ And he was.”
Lester mentioned he went to Hollywood with no actual plan.
“I didn’t determine there have been a number of of us like me in Hollywood, so the way in which I went, no job, no place to remain, didn’t know something concerning the movement image enterprise,” he defined.
However in contrast to most actors, Lester didn’t instantly search an agent or sought out casting calls. As a substitute, he went to church the place he discovered a job to help himself. Alongside the way in which, he met “a beautiful drama coach,” named Lurene Tuttle, also referred to as the “First Girl of Radio.”
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Tuttle helped Lester get forged in performs that put him onstage with Linda Kaye, the daughter of Paul Henning, creator of “Petticoat Junction,” MeTV reported. Henning reportedly attended three performs that starred Kaye and Lester. The 2 males developed a friendship.
“He was an govt producer of ‘Inexperienced Acres’ at the moment and was probably the most highly effective comedy producer on the earth,” Lester mentioned. “So he’d come to see Linda Kaye… and he appreciated me, acquired to know my little idiosyncrasies and all these items about me, as a result of we’d have little events over at his home and drink Cokes and eat scorching canines and have a superb time.”
“[Henning] mentioned, ‘Tom, I like your accent,’” Lester continued. “’Now see, all my buddies in Mississippi mentioned, ‘You’ll by no means make it since you’ve acquired a Southern accent.’ And right here was probably the most highly effective comedy producer and author on the earth saying, ‘I like your accent.’ And he mentioned, ‘Perhaps sometime I might put you on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies,’ how would you want that?’ And I mentioned, ‘Oh, Mr. Henning that will be great.’”
However the alternatives didn’t come so shortly and the performs stopped. Actually, Lester was planning to go residence when he acquired a telephone name that ceaselessly modified his life.
“Three weeks glided by and Mrs. Henning referred to as me on the telephone and mentioned, ‘Tom, we tried to achieve you final evening,’” he mentioned. “’Mr. Henning desires you to recover from to the studio as quick as you’ll be able to and skim for the a part of Eb on ‘Inexperienced Acres.’”
In response to Hollywood legend, Lester beat out 400 different actors for the position as a result of he knew methods to milk a cow.
“Inexperienced Acres,” which premiered in 1965, tells the story of a New York Metropolis legal professional who makes an attempt to reside the lifetime of a genteel farmer alongside his spouse in Hooterville. The sequence, which aired till 1971 additionally starred Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor and Pat Buttram, amongst others.
MeTV famous Dawson wasn’t meant to play a serious half within the present. Nevertheless, Lester’s performances in early episodes have been so common amongst audiences that he shortly grew to become a daily.
Lester additionally appeared in hit reveals, together with “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Love, American Model,” and “Little Home on the Prairie,” simply to call a couple of.
Following the loss of life of Mary Grace Canfield in 2014, Lester grew to become the final surviving common forged member of “Inexperienced Acres.” His final credited position is 2014’s “Campin’ Buddies” with Don Most and Victoria Jackson.
Lester, who grew to become a born-again Christian in 1948, devoted his life earlier than and after “Inexperienced Acres” sharing his Christian religion to others. Laurel Chief Name reported he spent a few years on his farm in Jasper County and was the recipient of Mississippi’s “Wildlife Farmer of the 12 months” award in 1997.
He’s survived by his brother, one great-great-niece and one great-great-nephew.
Fox Information’ Caleb Parke contributed to this report.