Jessica Walter was born on 31 January 1941, in Brooklyn, New York City, USA, to Esther and David Walter, a musician and a member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the NYC Ballet Orchestra. She is an actress, best known for her roles in the films “Grand Prix” and “Play Misty for Me”, and in the television sitcom “Arrested Development”, as well as for her voice role in the animated series “Archer”.
A noted actress, how wealthy is Jessica Walter? According to sources, Walter has amassed a net worth over $4 million, as of early 2017. Her wealth has been established during her acting career which began in the early 1960s.
Jessica Walter Net Worth $4 million
Walter grew up in Queens, New York City, along with her brother, screenwriter and Chairman of the UCLA Screenwriting program, Richard Walter. She attended Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
Walter’s foray into the acting world came in the early ’60s, with stage productions, making her stage debut in a Broadway production of Peter Ustinov’s play “Photo Finish”, which earned her the Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Broadway Performance. Her other notable Broadway appearances include the productions of “A Severed Head”, “Night Life”, “Advise and Consent” and “Rumors”.
Walter made her television debut in 1962, playing Julie Murano in the soap opera “Love of Life”, a role she played until 1965, paving her way to recognition, earning her popularity and a considerable net worth. In the meantime, she appeared in other popular television series, such as “Naked City”, “Route 66”, “East Side/West Side”, “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour”, “Ben Casey” and “The Defenders”.
After making her big screen debut in the 1964 drama film “Lilith”, she got her first major film part playing Pat Stoddard in the 1965 drama film “Grand Prix”, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer. The same year she had a supporting role in the series “For the People”, and went on to make numerous guest appearances in various series by the end of the decade. Her involvement in these diverse projects reinforced her rising popularity and greatly added to her wealth.
Walter then landed a starring role in the psychological thriller film “Play Misty for Me”, playing Evelyn Draper alongside Clint Eastwood. Her performance earned her high praise and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama category, so increasing her net worth.
The ’70s saw the actress appearing in a number of television series, including “Columbo”, “Amy Prentiss” and “Trapper John, M.D.”, as well as in several television films. Her performance in “Amy Prentiss” earned her an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Actress in the television series.
Work continued to flow steadily for Walter during the next decade as well, landing her roles in films such as “Going Ape!” and “The Flamingo Kid”, and notably in the comedy “PCU”, plus having many television gigs, such as in the series “There’s a Crowd” and “Murder, She Wrote”.. All added to her fortune.
In 2003 the actress was cast in the Fox comedy series “Arrested Development”, playing the conniving alcoholic matriarch Lucille Bluth until the show’s cancellation in 2006, and then again in its revival in 2013. The series received critical praises, earning Walter an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, greatly increasing her popularity and her net worth too.
Meanwhile, Jessica landed roles in series like “Saving Grace”, “90210”, “Gravity” and “Retired at 35”, while making many guest appearances and taking a few film parts.
Walter’s most recent film involvement was in the upcoming comedy- romance “Keep the Change” set to be released in late 2017. As for the small screen, she voices Malory Archer in the adult animated spy sitcom “Archer”.
In her personal life, Walter has been married to actor Ron Leibman since 1983. She was previously married to Ross Bowman from 1966-78, with whom she has a daughter.
