Icons: Nancy Kulp

Nancy Kulp (1921-1991) became famous for her comedic role on a hit 1960s sitcom and later tried her hand in the political arena. She  kept people talking long after her career came to an end, by coming out in an interview published after her death.

We're celebrating Pride Month with Icons: supreme queens of queer culture. Some are household names... others are a little more behind the scenes. All of them have defied social norms and influenced generations of people to be unapologetically themselves.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
For Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this is Wamanica.
We're celebrating Pride Month with icons supreme queens.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Of queer culture.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Some are household names, others are a little more behind
the scenes. All have defied social norms and influenced generations
of people to be unapologetically themselves. Today's icon became famous
for her comedic role on a hit nineteen sixties sitcom,
and later tried her hand in the political arena. She
kept people talking long after her career came to an

(00:35):
end by coming out in an interview published after her death.
Let's talk about Nancy Culp. Nancy was born in nineteen
twenty one in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. All her life she was
interested in media and writing. She studied journalism at Florida

(00:55):
State University and wrote feature articles for Miami papers. In
the nineteen fourty, when she was thirty years old, Nancy
married Charles Dakas. They were wet on April Fool's Day,
which might have been foreshadowing for the very short lived
marriage that followed. A year later, Nancy was in California,

(01:17):
just three weeks into her journey through Hollywood. She was
cast in her first role through a list director George Kucore.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
It was a small part, mostly silent.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Nancy played a maid looking for a love match through
a marriage broker. Somehow, in her early thirties, she was
already playing the old spinster role she'd return to time
and time again in her career. In nineteen sixty two,
Nancy landed the role of Miss Jane Hathaway in The
Beverly Hillbillies. She was a plain prim secretary, often playing

(01:52):
the straight man to the Clampett Family, a group of
unsophisticated Tennesseeans who moved to Beverly Hills after striking oil.
Miss Jane was often confused and dismayed by their antics,
but she was also head over heels for the unwitting
Jethro bodin the Clampitt's cousin. They have a lovely pool
and gothrow. O.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yes, ma'am, I'm taking a bikini to Palm Springs?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Is that faster than a train? People loved the show,
and it lasted nine seasons on air. After it wrapped,
Nancy kept acting on Broadway and another TV shows. Soon though,
she set her eyes on a new frontier politics. Nancy
had long been involved in local party politics of Pennsylvania

(02:40):
and was an active member of the Screen Actors Guilt.
In nineteen eighty four, she ran for Congress as a
Democrat and the highly conservative county of Port Royal.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
She faced E. G.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Schuster, a long time incumbent. Reflecting on her decision to
run in such a difficult race, she said, I think
am in office for twelve years, should be opposed and
the people given a choice. I think he should be
asked to answer for his voting record. He hasn't been
asked to do that for some time. Her candidacy made waves.

(03:15):
Voters in the area kept hearing a radio ad starring
Buddy Ebson, the actor who'd played Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.
In it, he lamented Nancy. I love you, Dearly, but
you're too liberal for me. Nancy lost the race. She
later said, My feeling is a candidate is elected because

(03:36):
they're perceived to be something. Ronald Reagan never talked issues.
He waived the flag and the people loved it. I
was perceived to be an ultraliberal. If that is their perception,
even if they like me, then I can't win regardless
of the end result, Nancy called the race a highlight
of her life. In nineteen eighty nine, Nancy said down

(04:00):
for an interview with Bo's Hadley. He was penning a
book he'd call Hollywood Lesbians about the closeted women who'd
existed on screen. He had decided to delay publishing the
book until his interviewees had passed out of respect for
the attention likely negative it would bring to many of
the subjects. Bos asked Nancy if she'd speak on the

(04:23):
big question of her sexuality. Nancy grinned and retorted, the
big question. Show business makes it the fatal question. Actually,
Nancy didn't even let him ask her the big question. Instead,
she said, I'd appreciate it if you let me phrase
the question. Here's how I would ask it. Do you

(04:44):
find the opposites attract My own reply would be that
I'm the other sword. I find that birds of a
feather flocked together. That answers your question. The interview also
reflects on Nancy's career, the challenges she'd faced, and the
legacy of Miss Jane Hathaway. She said one of the
most interesting parts of being Miss Jane was the fan

(05:06):
mail she'd get from women who thanked her for presenting
a character who had a career, was cool and competent,
and seemed perfectly satisfied without a husband. Bose asked her
if those letters had come from lesbian viewers. Nancy said
few described themselves as such, but she could often tell.
The book was published in nineteen ninety four, three years

(05:29):
after Nancy died of cancer when she was sixty nine
years old.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
All month, We're talking about icons.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at
Womanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
Favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow