Net Worth Ranker
What Is Katharine Hepburn’s Net Worth?
At the time of her death on June 29, 2003, Katharine Hepburn’s net worth was estimated to be $30 million, adjusted for inflation. This estimation reflects her successful career as a prominent actress in Hollywood’s Golden Age, coupled with her real estate holdings and other assets.
Katharine Hepburn’s Real Estate Assets
A significant portion of Katharine Hepburn’s estate value came from her waterfront property in Connecticut. This estate, spanning 7.17 acres, was originally purchased by her parents in 1913. After the original home was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, a new manor was built in its place a year later. Hepburn used this property as her summer home for most of her adult life, eventually retiring there full-time in her later years. Several years after her death, a 1.5-acre portion of the estate was sold for $11.5 million, indicating the high value of the land and its prime location.
Katharine Hepburn’s Early Life and Career Beginnings
Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, suffragette Katharine and urologist Thomas, raised her and her siblings to be independent thinkers, encouraging debate and physical activity. This upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of self and a willingness to challenge conventions, which became a hallmark of her public image. In 1924, Hepburn enrolled at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she participated in numerous stage productions, receiving favorable reviews that set the stage for her future career. The very day after graduating from Bryn Mawr in 1928, Hepburn went to Baltimore to meet Edwin H. Knopf, who ran a stock theater company. Knopf cast her in his production “The Czarina,” and in another production the following week.
Katharine Hepburn’s Hollywood Career in the 1930s
Hepburn’s performance in “The Warrior’s Husband” at a summer stock company in Ivoryton, Connecticut, caught the attention of a Hollywood talent scout, leading to a screen test for the RKO film “A Bill of Divorcement.” She negotiated a high salary for the role and arrived in Hollywood in the summer of 1932. “A Bill of Divorcement” instantly propelled her to stardom. She subsequently appeared in “Christopher Strong,” “Little Women,” and “Morning Glory,” with “Morning Glory” earning her her first Academy Award for Best Actress. Despite this initial success, Hepburn’s career experienced a downturn with a series of commercially unsuccessful films, including “Spitfire,” “The Little Minister,” and “Break of Hearts.” However, she made a comeback in 1935 with “Alice Adams,” which garnered her a second Academy Award nomination. Further roles in films such as “Sylvia Scarlett,” “Mary of Scotland,” “A Woman Rebels,” “Quality Street,” and “Stage Door” solidified her position in Hollywood.
Katharine Hepburn’s Career Revival in the 1940s
Following the commercial failure of “Bringing Up Baby,” Hepburn’s career was in need of revitalization. She achieved this by starring in George Cukor’s 1940 romantic comedy “The Philadelphia Story,” alongside James Stewart and Cary Grant. The film, an adaptation of the play in which she had previously starred, became a major hit, earning Hepburn another Academy Award nomination. She continued her success with “Woman of the Year,” marking the first of nine screen collaborations with Spencer Tracy. Throughout the 1940s, Hepburn’s other notable credits included “Keeper of the Flame,” “Dragon Seed,” “Without Love,” “Undercurrent,” and “State of the Union.” She concluded the decade with one of her most acclaimed pairings with Tracy, “Adam’s Rib.” The success of these films significantly contributed to her financial stability and enhanced her net worth.
Katharine Hepburn’s Diverse Roles in the 1950s
In the 1950s, Hepburn expanded her film repertoire, venturing into a wider range of genres. Early in the decade, she starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in the adventure film “The African Queen,” her first film shot in Technicolor. The following year, she appeared in the sports comedy “Pat and Mike,” her final film at MGM. Hepburn experienced some of her greatest successes in the latter half of the decade, beginning with David Lean’s romantic drama “Summertime,” for which she received another Academy Award nomination. She garnered further nominations for “The Rainmaker” and Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s “Suddenly, Last Summer.” Among Hepburn’s other credits in the 1950s was the romantic office comedy “Desk Set.” These diverse roles helped to maintain her popularity and earning power.
Katharine Hepburn’s Later Hollywood Career and Accolades
Hepburn’s next Academy Award nomination came for Sidney Lumet’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in 1962. Following this, she took a break to care for an ailing Spencer Tracy, eventually reuniting with him in 1967 for their final film together, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” This film proved to be a commercial triumph for Hepburn, becoming her biggest box office hit and earning her a second Academy Award win. The following year, she won her second consecutive Academy Award and her third overall for her portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine in the historical drama “The Lion in Winter.” Subsequently, Hepburn starred in “The Madwoman of Chaillot.” Continuing to work steadily into the 1970s, she appeared in films such as “The Trojan Women,” “A Delicate Balance,” and “Rooster Cogburn.” The consistent success of these films further augmented her financial standing.
Katharine Hepburn’s Achievements in the 1980s
By the 1980s, Hepburn had developed a physical tremor, which made it more challenging for her to work. Despite this, she continued to appear in films, most notably the 1981 drama “On Golden Pond,” in which she starred alongside Henry Fonda as an aging couple. “On Golden Pond” became one of the highest-grossing films of the year, earning both Hepburn and Fonda Academy Awards. This win made Hepburn the first and only person in history to win four Oscars for acting. After this achievement, Hepburn focused primarily on television, with limited further film roles. Her final feature film appearance was in the 1994 film “Love Affair.” The critical and commercial success of “On Golden Pond” added significantly to her financial legacy.
Katharine Hepburn’s Television Career
Hepburn began appearing in television films in the 1970s. During that decade, she starred in “The Glass Menagerie,” “Love Among the Ruins,” and “The Corn is Green.” In the 1980s, her television film credits included “Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry” and “Laura Lansing Slept Here.” Hepburn’s final television films were “The Man Upstairs” in 1992 and “This Can’t Be Love” and “One Christmas” in 1994. While these television roles may not have provided the same level of financial compensation as her earlier film work, they contributed to her continued income stream and maintained her public profile.
Katharine Hepburn’s Theater Performances
Alongside her film career, Hepburn maintained a presence on the stage. In the 1950s, she starred in productions of “The Millionairess,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” “Measure for Measure,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” Hepburn continued to perform Shakespeare in the early 1960s in “Twelfth Night” and “Antony and Cleopatra.” One of her most acclaimed roles was in the Broadway musical “Coco” from late 1969 to the summer of 1970, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. Hepburn earned another Tony nomination in 1981 for her final stage role in “The West Side Waltz.” These stage performances, while not as financially lucrative as her film roles, added to her overall income and solidified her reputation as a versatile performer.
Katharine Hepburn’s Personal Life and Legacy
Known for her independence and strong will, Hepburn maintained a private life and often defied Hollywood conventions. She famously wore trousers, challenging traditional gender norms. Hepburn was married only once, to businessman Ludlow Ogden Smith, from 1928 to 1934. She later had significant relationships with her agent Leland Hayward and business tycoon Howard Hughes. Her most notable relationship was with her screen partner Spencer Tracy; due to his marital status, they maintained a discreet affair for many years. Hepburn was by Tracy’s side when he passed away in 1967. In the early 1990s, Hepburn’s health began to decline, and she was hospitalized for exhaustion in 1993. She was later hospitalized with pneumonia in 1996. Hepburn passed away from cardiac arrest in 2003 at the age of 96. Her estate, including her Connecticut property and film royalties, contributed to her $30 million net worth.
