“why do actors think they own their characters”
Because the licensing rights are sometimes a very lucrative portion of the actor’s total contractual compensation for his services as an actor, spokesperson, and publicity attraction. This is especially true for some television series actors who are too typecast in a long running series to secure enough future roles to amount to any further substantial compensation.
I think Max Baer Jr. acquired the rights to “Beverly Hillbillies” properties years ago. Not the rights to the old episodes of the TV series, but to use the Beverly Hillbillies name and theme in business ventures.
If I remember correctly, Max tried to get financing for a Beverly Hillbillies hotel-casino in Las Vegas some years ago, but it didn’t happen. He then tried to open another version of the hotel-casino in Reno, then Carson City, but to my knowledge neither property was constructed.
One of the problems was that Max wanted a huge oil well shooting flames into the air on the proposed property, but the powers-that-be balked at the flaming faux oil well.
Max sounds like a great guy and I wish him the best.