Overview

Cynthia Rhodes, born on November 21, 1956, is a retired American actress, singer, and dancer. She began her career in show business as a singer and dancer at Opryland USA while attending Glencliff High School. Raised in a Baptist family, she maintained a clean-cut image, avoiding roles with nudity and declining offers from Playboy. Rhodes’s film debut was in the musical ‘Xanadu’ (1980). She is known for her roles as Tina Tech in ‘Flashdance’ (1983), Jackie in ‘Staying Alive’ (1983), Officer Karen Thompson in ‘Runaway’ (1984), and Penny Johnson in ‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987). She also appeared in music videos such as Toto’s ‘Rosanna’ and Richard Marx’s ‘Don’t Mean Nothing’. From 1988 to 1990, Rhodes was the lead singer of the band Animotion. She married singer-songwriter Richard Marx in 1989 and retired from performing to raise their three sons before divorcing in 2014.

What Is Cynthia Rhodes’s Net Worth?

Cynthia Rhodes, a multifaceted talent renowned for her contributions as an actress, singer, and dancer, has accumulated a noteworthy net worth of $9 million. This financial standing is primarily attributed to her successful career in the entertainment industry, particularly her memorable roles in iconic 1980s films and her involvement in the music scene.

Cynthia Rhodes’s Career Milestones

Rhodes embarked on her professional journey at a young age, showcasing her talents at Opryland USA while attending Glencliff High School in Nashville, Tennessee. This early exposure laid the foundation for her subsequent success in film and music. Her film debut occurred in 1980 with a role as a dancer in “Xanadu,” setting the stage for more prominent roles in the following years.

One of Rhodes’s breakthrough roles came in 1983 with “Flashdance,” where she portrayed Tina Tech, a friend of the main character Alex, played by Jennifer Beals. The same year, she starred alongside John Travolta in “Staying Alive,” contributing to the film’s soundtrack with the songs “Finding Out the Hard Way” and “I’m Never Gonna Give You Up.” These roles solidified her presence in the dance film genre. It grossed $127 million at the box office.

In 1984, Rhodes ventured into a different genre with Michael Crichton’s science-fiction thriller “Runaway,” where she played Officer Karen Thompson alongside Tom Selleck, Gene Simmons, and Kirstie Alley. Though “Runaway” wasn’t a major box office success, it showcased her versatility as an actress. The film only grossed $6.6 million.

Rhodes returned to her dance roots in 1987 with “Dirty Dancing,” where she played Penny Johnson, a dance instructor. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, “Dirty Dancing” became a massive commercial hit, grossing approximately $214 million worldwide. This movie contributed significantly to her career and net worth.

Her last film role was in 1991 in the action-adventure movie “Curse of the Crystal Eye,” where she co-starred with Jameson Parker.

Beyond her film roles, Rhodes also made appearances in music videos. She danced in Toto’s “Rosanna” in 1982 and in the long-form music video for the Tubes’ “The Tubes Video” in the same year. She also appeared in the music video for the Bee Gees’ “The Woman in You,” which was featured in “Staying Alive.” In 1988, she danced in Richard Marx’s “Don’t Mean Nothing.” Her involvement in these popular music videos also added to her net worth.

In 1988, Rhodes transitioned to music, replacing Astrid Plane as the lead singer of Animotion. The band released its third studio album, which included a cover of Climie Fisher’s “Room to Move.” The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, boosted by its inclusion in the film “My Stepmother is an Alien.” Despite the song’s success, the album didn’t perform well, leading to Animotion’s disbandment in 1990.

Cynthia Rhodes’s Personal Life and Real Estate

In early 1989, Rhodes married singer-songwriter Richard Marx. They met six years earlier while Marx worked on the “Staying Alive” soundtrack. With Marx, Rhodes had three sons: Brandon, Lucas, and Jesse, all of whom became musicians. This prompted her to retire from acting to focus on her family. They later divorced in 2014 after 25 years of marriage.

For many years, Richard and Cynthia Rhodes owned a substantial property in Lake Bluff, a suburb of Chicago. They purchased the home in 1997 for $4.7 million. Soon after their divorce, they listed the property for $18 million. The estate, a gated, 5-acre compound, features a 30,000 square-foot lakefront mansion. After five years and several price reductions, they sold it for $4.2 million. Though this sale resulted in a loss compared to the initial listing price, the initial purchase and subsequent sale factor into Rhodes’s overall asset portfolio and net worth calculation.

Cynthia Rhodes’s net worth of $9 million reflects her successful career in film and music, further enhanced by strategic real estate investments.

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