Net Worth Ranker
What Is Tony Randall’s Net Worth?
At the time of his passing on May 17, 2004, Tony Randall, the acclaimed American actor and producer, had a net worth estimated at $30 million. This figure notably included the value of his opulent Central Park West apartment, a full-floor residence at 211 Central Park West, which his widow sold for just under $18 million three years after his death. The sale price exceeded the asking price by $300,000, highlighting the property’s desirability and value.
Tony Randall’s Career Highlights and Earnings
Tony Randall’s career spanned across stage, screen, and television, with significant roles that contributed to his financial success. His most recognizable role was as Felix Unger in the ABC sitcom “The Odd Couple,” which aired from 1970 to 1975. Although specific salary figures for his role in “The Odd Couple” are not publicly available, the show’s success and Randall’s central role undoubtedly provided a substantial income stream during its five-year run.
Beyond “The Odd Couple,” Tony Randall had his own sitcom titled “The Tony Randall Show,” which ran for two seasons from 1976 to 1978. While the exact financial details of his contract for “The Tony Randall Show” remain undisclosed, starring in his own series would have likely commanded a significant salary, further bolstering his net worth. He also appeared in numerous films, including “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” (1957), “Pillow Talk” (1959), “Fluffy” (1965), and “7 Faces of Dr. Lao” (1964), contributing to his overall earnings through acting fees and potential residuals.
Randall’s foray into films began with “Oh, Men! Oh, Women!” in 1957. It was the same year he started in “No Down Payment” and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. As a prolific actor, his roles ranged from comedic to dramatic, expanding his appeal and financial opportunities in Hollywood. Each role brought in a fixed salary with residuals based on the performance of each film.
Randall began his most famous role in 1970, starring opposite Jack Klugman on the ABC sitcom “The Odd Couple,” based on the Neil Simon play. Randall played Felix Unger, a divorced man forced to share a Manhattan apartment with Klugman’s Oscar Madison, another divorced man with an opposite personality. Both actors received Emmy Award nominations for each of the show’s five seasons through 1975, with Randall winning once and Klugman twice. Due to Randall and Klugman’s roles in “The Odd Couple,” both actors received Emmy Award nominations. They both served as iconic characters in a well known television sitcom. While the number of viewers varied, the show itself reached an impressive number of views.
After the end of “The Odd Couple,” Randall starred on his own sitcom, “The Tony Randall Show.” Playing widowed Philadelphia judge Walter Franklin, he starred alongside Devon Scott, Brad Savage, Barney Martin, and Rachel Roberts, among others. The show ultimately ran for two seasons from 1976 to 1978. Randall went on to appear in the television films “Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid” and “Sidney Shorr: A Girl’s Best Friend.” The latter was continued as the sitcom “Love, Sidney,” on which Randall reprise his starring role as closeted gay man Sidney Shorr; the program ran from 1981 to 1983. It should be mentioned that Randall starred on a number of television films, including “Sunday Drive,” “The Man in the Brown Suit,” “Hitler’s SS: Portrait in Evil,” and the 1993 reunion film “The Odd Couple: Together Again.” Randall also made frequent appearances as a guest on David Letterman’s two late night talk shows.
Randall earned another nomination for his supporting performance in the 1959 romantic comedy “Pillow Talk,” his first of three onscreen collaborations with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Also that year, he starred opposite Debbie Reynolds in “The Mating Game.” In the early 60s, Randall starred in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Let’s Make Love,” “Boys’ Night Out,” and “Island of Love,” and reunited with Day and Hudson in “Lover Come Back.” Randall had one of his most prolific years on the big screen in 1964, starring in three films, including “7 Faces of Dr. Lao,” in which he played seven characters, and “Send Me No Flowers,” his final film with Day and Hudson. He subsequently starred in “Fluffy,” “The Alphabet Murders,” “Our Man in Marrakesh,” and “Hello Down There.” Randall had fewer film credits in the 70s, with the ensemble comedy “Scavenger Hunt” providing his only major role. The next decade, he appeared in such films as “Foolin’ Around,” “The King of Comedy,” and “That’s Adequate,” and lent his voice to the animated films “My Little Pony: The Movie” and “The Gnomes’ Great Adventure.” In the 90s, Randall’s credits included “Fatal Instinct” and “How the Toys Saved Christmas.” His final two films were “Down with Love” and “It’s About Time,” released in 2003 and 2005, respectively.
On the theatrical side of things, Randall starred in such productions as “Oh, Captain!” and “Inherit the Wind,” and founded the National Actors Theatre. He was nominated for a Tony Award for the musical “Oh, Captain!”. The National Actors Theatre closed following Randall’s passing in 2004.
Real Estate and Personal Investments
Randall’s most significant asset was his Central Park West apartment at 211 Central Park West, located in The Beresford building. This ten-room co-op featured twenty windows facing Central Park, four bedrooms with park views, a private elevator, a library, a 29-by-11 foot gallery, a 21-foot kitchen, and eight walk-in closets. In 2007, his widow Heather sold the apartment to financier Vikram Pandit for $17.85 million, demonstrating its substantial value and contribution to Tony Randall’s overall net worth.
While specific details regarding Tony Randall’s other investments are not widely available, it can be inferred that he made prudent financial decisions throughout his career, allowing him to accumulate a substantial net worth. Aside from his work as a main character in the television show “The Odd Couple,” Randall also appeared in other television shows.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Tony Randall, born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg on February 26, 1920, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, began his career as a radio announcer at WTAG in Worcester, Massachusetts. He transitioned to acting on stage, appearing in productions of “Candida” and “The Corn is Green.” His early stage work laid the foundation for his later success in television and film, and it’s reasonable to assume that he earned modest but consistent income from these roles, contributing to the initial growth of his net worth. He attended Tulsa Central High School and Northwestern University for a year before moving to New York City to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
For four years during World War II, Randall served in the US Army Signal Corps; he subsequently returned to his stage career to work at the Olney Theatre in Maryland. Moving back to New York City, he joined the touring production of a revival of the play “The Barretts of Wimpole Street.” Randall continued to act on stage throughout the late 40s, including in Broadway productions of “Antony and Cleopatra” and “Caesar and Cleopatra.” On television, Randall landed his first major role in 1952 on the NBC sitcom “Mister Peepers,” playing history teacher Harvey Weskit. The show, which ran for three seasons through 1955, earned Randall his first Emmy Award nomination. He made guest appearances on many other shows throughout the decade, most of them anthology series such as “The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse,” “Kraft Theatre,” “The Motorola Television Hour,” and “Studio One in Hollywood.” In the early 60s, Randall appeared in episodes of “Checkmate” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and starred in a television film adaptation of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” He also served as a guest panelist on various game shows throughout the 60s, including “What’s My Line?” and “Hollywood Squares.” He starred as a main character in “Mister Peepers.”
In 1991, Randall founded the National Actors Theatre company, of which he was the chairman. The company put on productions of such plays as “The Crucible,” “The Master Builder,” “The Seagull,” “The Flowering Peach,” and “The Gin Game.” The National Actors Theatre closed following Randall’s passing in 2004.
