Net Worth Ranker
What Is Madeline Kahn’s Net Worth?
At the time of her death in 1999, Madeline Kahn, the celebrated actress, comedian, and singer, had a net worth of approximately $2 million. This figure reflects her diverse career spanning stage, film, and television, with significant contributions to each medium.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Madeline Wolfson on September 29, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Jewish parents Freda and Bernard, Madeline Kahn’s early life was marked by her parents’ divorce when she was just two years old. Following the divorce, she relocated to New York City with her mother. Later, she was adopted by her stepfather, Hiller, and gained a half-brother named Jeffrey and a half-sister named Robyn from her parents’ subsequent remarriages. She attended the Manumit School, a progressive Christian socialist boarding school located in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and later attended Martin Van Buren High School in New York. Kahn pursued higher education at Hofstra University, securing a drama scholarship and graduating in 1964 with a degree in speech therapy. The specifics of her scholarship’s monetary value are not publicly available, but it played a crucial role in enabling her to pursue her passion for acting.
Broadway and Stage Success
Madeline Kahn’s professional acting career began on the stage. Her debut occurred in 1965 as a chorus girl in an off-Broadway revival of “Kiss Me, Kate.” It’s challenging to pinpoint the exact salary she earned during this early stage, but chorus roles typically provided a modest income for aspiring performers. Three years later, Kahn participated in a special concert performance of “Candide,” celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s 50th birthday. The same year, she made her Broadway debut in the musical revue “Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1968.” Unfortunately, detailed financial records from these early productions are not publicly accessible, making it difficult to ascertain precise earnings. Closing out the decade, Kahn appeared in the off-Broadway experimental musical comedy “Promenade.”
In 1970, Kahn returned to Broadway, originating the role of Goldie in the musical “Two by Two.” Again, specific salary figures are not available, but leading roles on Broadway typically command significantly higher compensation than chorus roles. In 1973, Kahn originated the role of Chrissy in David Rabe’s play “In the Boom Boom Room,” earning her first Tony Award nomination. While a Tony nomination often leads to increased visibility and potential earnings, the exact impact on Kahn’s income at the time remains undocumented. She received her second Tony nomination for her work in the original production of the musical “On the Twentieth Century,” which premiered in 1978. During the 1970s, Broadway salaries could range considerably based on the production’s success, the size of the theater, and the performer’s negotiation power.
In 1983, Kahn acted in a production of “Blithe Spirit” at the Santa Fe Festival Theater. The specific financial details of this engagement are not publicly available. Two years later, she returned to Broadway to appear in “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” At the end of the decade, Kahn starred as Billie Dawn in the Broadway revival of “Born Yesterday,” earning her third Tony nomination. She returned to the stage in 1992 to star in a limited touring production of the musical “Hello, Dolly!” In 1993, Kahn starred as Gorgeous Teitelbaum in the original Broadway production of the play “The Sisters Rosensweig.” For her performance, she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Play. This prestigious award undoubtedly boosted her reputation and earning potential. Kahn’s final two theater credits were the 1995 concert production of “Anyone Can Whistle” and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company workshop reading of “Dear World.”
Film Career: From “What’s Up, Doc?” to “A Bug’s Life”
Madeline Kahn’s film career began in 1968 with the short film “The Dove,” a parody of Ingmar Bergman’s films. It’s unlikely that this early role provided substantial income, but it served as a stepping stone to larger projects. Four years later, she made her feature film debut, playing the hysterical fiancée in Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy “What’s Up, Doc?”. While her exact salary for “What’s Up, Doc?” is unknown, breakthrough roles in successful films often lead to increased opportunities and higher pay. Kahn reunited with Bogdanovich the following year for “Paper Moon,” in which she played Trixie Delight. For her performance, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. While an Oscar nomination doesn’t automatically translate to a specific dollar amount, it significantly enhances an actor’s profile and market value. It is estimated that her salary for “Paper Moon” was in the range of $25,000 to $50,000, a significant amount for the time.
Kahn received a second consecutive Academy Award nomination for her performance as Lili Von Shtupp in Mel Brooks’s 1974 Western comedy “Blazing Saddles.” She appeared in another Mel Brooks film the same year, “Young Frankenstein.” It’s reasonable to assume that her roles in these highly successful comedies significantly contributed to her income during the mid-1970s. Salaries for established actors in major studio comedies at this time could range from $50,000 to $150,000 or more. It’s worth noting that Mel Brooks often fostered a collaborative environment and shared profits with his cast, potentially increasing Kahn’s earnings from these projects.
In 1975, Kahn once again reunited with Bogdanovich, this time for his musical comedy “At Long Last Love.” Also that year, she starred alongside her “Young Frankenstein” costars Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman in the musical comedy “The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother,” written and directed by Wilder. Kahn next starred in the 1976 comedy “Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood.” In 1977, she appeared in her third film by Mel Brooks, “High Anxiety.” While specific financial details for these films are not available, it’s clear that Kahn was a sought-after comedic actress, commanding increasingly higher salaries for her roles.
Kahn’s subsequent credits were the 1978 mystery comedy “The Cheap Detective” and the 1979 musical comedy “The Muppet Movie,” in which she had a cameo. In “The Muppet Movie,” while cameos typically involved less screen time, the pay rate for a cameo appearance by an established star could still be a considerable amount. Kahn had a big year in 1980, appearing in four films: “Simon,” “Happy Birthday, Gemini,” “Wholly Moses!,” and “First Family.” The next year, she appeared in her fourth film directed by Mel Brooks, “History of the World, Part I.” Kahn subsequently starred alongside Jerry Lewis and Mary Feldman in the 1982 science-fiction comedy “Slapstick of Another Kind.” After that, she appeared in the ensemble cast of the 1983 comedy “Yellowbeard.” In 1984, Kahn played the love interest of Burt Reynolds’s character in the buddy crime comedy “City Heat,” and in 1985 she played Mrs. White in “Clue,” based on the board game. “Clue” in particular has become a cult classic, and residuals from such films can provide a steady stream of income over time.
Turning to voice acting, Kahn voiced characters in two animated musical films in 1986: “My Little Pony: The Movie” and “An American Tail.” She didn’t have another film role until 1990, when she played the mother of Molly Ringwald’s character in Alan Alda’s romcom “Betsy’s Wedding.” Four years later, Kahn played suicide hotline worker Blanche Munchnik in Nora Ephron’s Christmas black comedy “Mixed Nuts.” Next, in a rare dramatic role, she portrayed Martha Beall Mitchell in Oliver Stone’s 1995 biopic “Nixon.” Returning to voice acting, Kahn voiced Gypsy in the 1998 Pixar animated film “A Bug’s Life.” Voice acting roles, especially in successful animated films like “A Bug’s Life,” can be quite lucrative. Her final film role was in the 1999 drama “Judy Berlin.”
Television Roles and Emmy Award
Kahn made her television debut in 1972 in the television film “Harvey,” an adaptation of the play and film of the same name. The next year, she appeared in two episodes of the short-lived ABC sitcom “Adam’s Rib,” an adaptation of the 1949 film. During the remainder of the decade, Kahn had guest roles on such shows as “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Muppet Show,” and “Sesame Street.” Guest appearances on popular shows like “The Carol Burnett Show” and “The Muppet Show” would have provided both income and increased exposure.
She had her first main role on television from 1983 to 1984, as the star of her own short-lived ABC sitcom, “Oh Madeline.” While “Oh Madeline” was short-lived, starring in a sitcom typically comes with a substantial salary. In 1986, Kahn starred in an episode of “ABC Afterschool Special” and won a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance. This recognition likely boosted her reputation and future earning potential. Next, from 1987 to 1988, she was on the Fox sitcom “Mr. President.” Sitcom roles are generally stable and well-compensated, providing a reliable source of income.
In the early 1990s, Kahn appeared in episodes of “Road to Avonlea,” “Lucky Luke,” and “Monkey House,” and starred in the HBO television film “For Richer, for Poorer.” She had her next main role in 1995, on the short-lived CBS newspaper drama series “New York News.” Kahn’s final live-action television role was also her longest-running one: Pauline Fox on the CBS sitcom “Cosby.” She played the role for most of the show’s run, from 1996 to 1999. Sitcom roles, especially those with a recurring character like Pauline Fox on “Cosby,” can provide a significant and consistent income stream. Just before her passing, Kahn voiced Mrs. Shapiro in the first two episodes of Bill Cosby’s animated educational children’s show “Little Bill.”
Real Estate and Personal Assets
While specific details about Madeline Kahn’s real estate holdings and personal assets are not publicly available, it’s likely that she owned a home in the New York area, given her extensive stage and television work there. Additionally, she may have had investments in stocks, bonds, or other financial instruments. However, without access to her estate records, it’s impossible to provide a precise breakdown of her assets.
