Barbara Pepper was a renowned American actress, born Marion B. Pepper on May 31, 1915, in New York City. She was the daughter of actor David Mitchell "Dave" Pepper and his wife, Harrietta S. Pepper. At the tender age of 16, Pepper began her journey in the entertainment industry as a member of the Goldwyn Girls, a musical stock company, where she formed a lifelong friendship with the iconic Lucille Ball.
Pepper's early career saw her transitioning to film, with notable roles in movies such as My Fair Lady and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. She also made a name for herself in radio, performing in various productions. In 1943, she tied the knot with actor Craig Reynolds, and the couple welcomed two sons together. Unfortunately, Reynolds met an untimely demise in a California motorcycle accident in 1949, leaving Pepper to raise their children alone. She never remarried.
As her weight increased, Pepper's roles became more limited to character parts on television, including appearances on I Love Lucy, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Petticoat Junction, and The Jack Benny Program. Her impressive resume also includes four appearances on the popular series Perry Mason, with one notable role being Martha Dale, the mother of the title character, in the 1957 episode "The Case of the Vagabond Vixen".
A close friend of Lucille Ball, Pepper was initially considered for the role of Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy, but was ultimately passed over due to her reported drinking habits. William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz, was also known to have a drinking problem, and it was feared that having two drinkers in the cast could lead to difficulties. Instead, Vivian Vance was cast as Ethel.
Pepper may be most remembered for her iconic role as the first Doris Ziffel on Petticoat Junction in 1964, although her character's name was actually Ruth Ziffel in the "Genghis Keane" episode. She went on to reprise her role as Doris Ziffel on Green Acres from 1965 to 1968, until her health issues forced her to leave the show. Fran Ryan took over the role, and the series continued to run for another three years. Pepper's final performance was in the 1969 film Hook, Line & Sinker, where she played Jerry Lewis's secretary.
