Bruce MacLeish Dern was born on the 4th June 1936, in Chicago, Illinois USA, of British and German descent. He is an actor, probably still best recognized for starring in the role of Capt. Bob Hyde in “Coming Home” (1978), playing George Sitkowski in “That Championship Season” (1982), and as Woody Grant in “Nebraska” (2013). He is also known for appearing in HBO’s series “Big Love” (2006-2011). His career has been active since 1960. So, have you ever wondered how rich Bruce Dern is, as of mid-2016? According to sources, it is estimated that Dern’s net worth is over $10 million, which has been accumulated through his career as an actor.
Bruce Dern Net Worth $10 Million
Bruce Dern was brought up in Kenilworth, Illinois by his parents John and Jean Dern; he is the grandson of George Henry Dern, who was a Governor of Utah and Secretary of War. He studied at The Choate School, after which he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania.
Bruce’s professional acting career began in 1960, when he appeared in a small role in the film “Wild River”, and ever since then he has been active in the entertainment industry, appearing in over 150 film and TV titles, which represent the main source of his net worth.
Two years later he was cast in the recurring role of E.J. Stocker in the TV series “Stoney Burke” (1962-1963), and in 1966 he featured in the film “The Wild Angels”, alongside Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra. Before the 1960s ended, Bruce also appeared in the films “Hang ‘Em High” (1968), “Support Your Local Sheriff!” (1969), and “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” (1969), among others, all of which were popular, and added to his net worth.
In the 1970s, Bruce was already an accomplished actor, with several high profile films on his CV, and it was quite easy for him to find new engagements in the entertainment industry. The year 1972 was quite profitable for him as he appeared in four films, “The Cowboys”, “Silent Running”, “Thumb Tripping”, and “The King of Marvin Gardens”. He continued successfully throughout the 1970s, starring in such films as “Smile” (1975), “Black Sunday” (1977), “The Driver” (1978), and “Coming Home” (1978), etc. His net worth was certainly rising.
The 1980s weren’t as successful as he had hoped tey would be, appearing in several films which turned out to be major failures, such as “Middle Age Crazy” (1980), “Tattoo” (1981), and “That Championship Season” (1982). However, he was back on track with films “On The Edge” (1986), and “Roses Are For The Ritch” (1987). During the 1990s, he appeared in several notable films, such as “Diggstown” (1992), “Last Man Standing” (1996) with Bruce Willis and William Sanderson in leading roles, and “The Haunting” (1999) with Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta-Jones as stars of the film.
The next decade, changed nothing for Bruce, as he continued to feature in films and TV series: some of them include “The Glass House” (2001), “Monster” (2003), “The Astronaut Farmer” (2006), and “Big Love” (2006-2011). After 2010, his fame was maintained by appearing in such popular creations such as “Django Unchained” (2012), “Nebraska” (2013), and most recently “The Hateful Eight” (2015).
Thanks to his skills, Bruce has 15 awards and more than 30 nominations to his name, including two Oscar Nominations in the categories Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his work on “Nebraska”, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his work on “Coming Home”. Furthermore, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
Regarding his personal life, Bruce Dern has been married to Andrea Beckett since 1969. Previously, he was married to Marie Dawn Pierce (1957-1959), and to Diane Ladd (1960-1969), with whom he has two daughters; the first one passed away as a child, and the second one is the famous actress, Laura Dern.
Bronze Wrangler for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, National Society of Film Critics Award, Silver Bear for Best Actor, Philadelphia Film Festival Jury Prize
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, Satellite Award, BAFTA Awards
Movies
“Coming Home” (1978), “Nebraska” (2013), “The Cowboys” (1972), “Black Sunday” (1977), “Monster” (2003), “The Hateful Eight” (2015)
TV Shows
“The Glass House” (2001), “Monster” (2003), “The Astronaut Farmer” (2006), “Big Love” (2006-2011), “Django Unchained” (2012), “Nebraska” (2013), “The Hateful Eight” (2015)
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Trademark
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Often appears in Western movies, usually as henchmen or murderers
Overall, when I look at my career, I was lucky and blessed.
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With my generation, we were very lucky when we came to Hollywood, because we still had a chance to work with the legends. We aren't legends, you can't be a legend today. Clint [Clint Eastwood] and Redford [Robert Redford] are the closest thing we have.
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Comedy is not about appearing funny, so the more honestly you play it, the better it is.
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They were legends because nobody knew what they were doing after school.
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You know what the greatest remedy on earth is today? It's not a pill. It's not a shot. It's a hug.
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[on Susannah York] Susannah York, I had no idea what a tremendous actor she was. She was flat-out great.
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[on being offered a role in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)] It's the week before Christmas, 1968, and my agent calls: "Bruce, you won't believe this. I got a call from Sydney Pollack." I said, "What are you talking about?" He said, "He's doing another movie, and he wants you in it. He says he apologizes because it's not much of a part. It's certainly not an improvement over the last part, but he offered you the Scott Wilson role and you didn't want to take it because you didn't want to be in Yugoslavia five months. "Do you blame me?" "No, it ended up being seven. You were smart. He's doing a movie called "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", and he said you and a girl named Bonnie Bedelia, who hasn't acted before, are going to be partners. It's about dance marathons, and he wants you for two reasons: one, you play a country bumpkin and you win the contest; two, he needs somebody who can show the actors what it's like to go take after take after take because Bonnie is pregnant in the movie and you've got to haul her every day, derby after derby. Twice each day, they're raced twelve laps around the floor to music. The last three couples are eliminated. Sydney wants to shoot it like that. He's going to eliminate the couples except for the two starring couples, Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin, and Red Buttons and Allyn Ann McLerie. Everybody else gets eliminated, including Susannah York." Susannah York should've won an Oscar for The Killing of Sister George (1968). He's going to eliminate her?" "He's going to eliminate whoever finishes last. He can't eliminate you because you and Bonnie win the contest in the book. And you're not going to be the last".
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[on the influence of Lawrence of Arabia (1962)] If there's anything I'm proud about in Nebraska (2013), it's that it's hard to see the work going on. In Lawrence, there's something going on -- it's there. It's about life. Watching that old generation like Lean and O'Toole, that knowledge, that excitement, that passion infects you and infects you in a good way. You want to make 'em proud, even though they're not here anymore.
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[on Lawrence of Arabia (1962)] I saw David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia in 1962. I'd been an actor for four years. All my life, I've been fascinated by people that get shit done. T.E. Lawrence got stuff done. And the movie is just about perfect in every single category: lighting, camera, clothing, script, story, performances. There was an intermission, and it was worth the wait -- I couldn't wait until the second half. What shocked me was, the first thing they shot for the movie was the beginning of the second half, the arrival of Lawrence with his bodyguards. Those guys, who look like the baddest asses that ever lived, came in on horses and camels. Peter O'Toole's got the white garb on, and you realize he's a guy who's got some homies that can play.
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[on meeting Marilyn Monroe at the Actors Studio] She leaned over to me and, I'd never met her - she's Marilyn Monroe, I'm Brucy from Winnetka - and she said, "Oh, you're Gadge's new wunderkind, aren't you?" And I said, "Oh, come on please. He doesn't say that." She said, 'Yes, he does. He also says nobody's going to know who you are until you're in your late 60s.".
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[on Alexander Payne] I may put Alexander as the best director I ever worked with. When he looks through the eyepiece of a camera, he sees something no one else sees. He sees magic. And his gift is, he can explain how and why he sees magic and put it on film.
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[on Elia Kazan] Kazan, I don't care what his politics were - the man had game. He knew how to see a movie before it began.
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[on the possibility of being pushed for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Nebraska (2013)] My take is this: the story is about who Woody is and where he's going. It's probably 50-50 screen time with Will Forte, but Woody is a leading role. If I go supporting, I'm a whore. Because I never came to Hollywood to win an award. I came to do good movies. If I go supporting, it's embarrassing to the Academy because it looks like I'm trying to sneak in somehow so I can eat all those chicken and peas dinners. I'd rather go the right way than backdoor my way into a supporting because of my age or whatever. I would be thrilled if I was nominated, and to have a nomination is the win.
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[2013, observation on his career] I knew it would be longer than a marathon. I was in a hurry only to get the opportunities that my peers were getting. That never came along until Nebraska (2013). I'm going to one-hundred. I'm going to play roles people will never forget.
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The roles I got were the ones 15 guys turned down. Seventeen people turned down Silent Running (1972)... I got panicky financially, spiritually. I got to feeling maybe people weren't seeing the work that I could do, either because the movies weren't good, or maybe I wasn't good in the movies.
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That's a part of my personality that has not been seen before in a movie. If there's anything Bruce hasn't been in his career, it's still. I didn't want to be Bruce. I'd been Bruce, and it didn't work.
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[on The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)] I look on it as a fond memory. It brought me together with my wife. The film was a nightmare to make, but I got married with the money I made from that movie: $1750.
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I haven't had many love affairs on-screen. In The Great Gatsby (1974), I had one with Karen Black. Then I broke her nose.
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[on Charlton Heston] And I got to really like the guy. A lot of people told me that I wouldn't like him, but I liked him. And he tried very hard. I mean, Will Penny (1967) is far and away the best thing he's ever done.
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[on Peter Fonda] In The Trip (1967) I started to get fed up. I was fed up because Peter Fonda was a star and I wasn't. And Peter couldn't act. I'm sorry, man, he just can't act. He never bothered to sit and learn. He never studied. And he just kind of larked out. Now I don't begrudge the fact that he has talent. But he's not an actor, by any stretch of the imagination.
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[on James Dean] Dean was so real. I believed he was the real person, that he wasn't acting. See, I never thought Rock Hudson was real. Or any of the guys in the forefront then -- Gregory Peck, Paul Newman and them.
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I'm only too proud to say that I've never had ANY discipline problems with Laura [Laura Dern, his daughter]. In fact, I never needed to lay a hand on her, because Diane [Diane Ladd, his former wife and Laura's mother] was so much better at keeping her in line than I was.
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I never look back and say, "I wish I had played that role or this role". I never do that. You're only as good as your next film. I look forward; I always feel that you have to continue onward and upward, you can't look back. I became an actor because I felt I was interested in what makes human beings do what they do, particularly in times of crisis. That kind of acting is what I like to do.
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[on his fight scene with John Wayne] He walloped me bad.
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I've played more psychotics and freaks and dopers than anyone.
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Because I'm the only actor who ever killed John Wayne in a picture, producers have pegged me for a villain.
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Fact
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Was shot and killed in his first western appearance,an episode of 'Wagon Train' in 1963 and was shot and killed in what is probably his last western 'The Hateful Eight' 52 years later which must be a record.
As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Coming Home (1978), Django Unchained (2012) and Nebraska (2013).
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Claims that he has never smoked outside of the movies, or drank alcohol or coffee, due to his commitment to marathon running.
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Became a grandfather for the second time at age 68 when his daughter Laura Dern gave birth to her daughter Jaya Harper, with [now ex] husband Ben Harper, on November 28, 2004.
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Became a grandfather for the first time at age 65 when his daughter Laura Dern gave birth to her son Ellery Walker Harper, with [now ex] husband Ben Harper, on August 10, 2001.
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Became a father for the second time at age 30 when his second [now ex] wife Diane Ladd gave birth to their daughter Laura Elizabeth Dern, aka Laura Dern on February 10, 1967.
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Became a father for the first time at age 25 when his second [now ex] wife Diane Ladd gave birth to their daughter Diane Elizabeth Dern in 1961.
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Seventeen years after daughter Laura Dern starred in Alexander Payne's first major film Citizen Ruth (1996), Bruce starred in Payne's Nebraska (2013) -- probably one of the few, if only, times in movie history that a father-daughter duo similarly starred in the same director's films, especially with the actress/daughter's performance preceding her actor/father's.
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He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 1, 2010.
His grandfather was George Dern, former Governor of Utah and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first Secretary of War. His father was a law partner with Adlai Stevenson and his brother in Chicago.
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Had two daughters with Diane Ladd. His eldest daughter, Diane Dern, was born November 27, 1960, and accidentally drowned in California on May 18, 1962 at just shy of 18 months of age, years before his second child, Laura Dern, was born in 1967.
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Is one of the few actors to have killed John Wayne on screen (The Cowboys (1972)). He even received some death threats out of that.