Paula Sue Kauffman was born on the 12th December 1946, in Youngstown, Ohio, USA, and as Paula Wagner is known as a film producer, probably best recognized for producing such film titles as “Vanilla Sky”, “The Last Samurai” and “Mission: Impossible”, among many others. She is also known for being a talent agent. Her career has been active since 1971.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Paula Wagner is, as of early 2018? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Paula counts the total size of her net worth at the impressive amount of $50 million, accumulated through her successful career in the film industry.
Paula Wagner Net Worth $50 Million
Paula Wagner was raised in her hometown by her father, Edmund Jamison Kauffman, Jr., who was a businessman, and her mother, Sue Anna, who worked as an editor for a news magazine. Upon matriculation, she enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Paula’s professional career began in 1971, when she appeared as an actress in the production “Lenny” in New York, after which she continued to play in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, and performed as a member of the Yale Repertory Theatre, which marked the beginning of an increase of her net worth. In no time, she decided to pursue further her career as a talent agent too, so she moved to Los Angeles, California and got a job at Creative Artists Agency. Paula worked there for 15 years, representing such Hollywood actors as Demi Moore, Val Kilmer, Kathryn Bigelow, Liam Neeson, Oliver Stone, Robert Towne, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise.
In 1993, Paula moved her career to the next level, as she established with Tom Cruise their own production company called Cruise/Wagner Productions (C/W). Since then her career has only gone upwards, as well as her net worth. The first film that they produced was “Mission: Impossible” (1996), which earned them the 1997 Nova Award for Most Promising Producers in Theatrical Motion Pictures. They also produced its sequels, “Mission: Impossible II” in 2000, and “Mission: Impossible III” in 2006.
In the new millennium, Paula continued to line up successes, producing such film titles as “Vanilla Sky” (2001), starring Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise, “The Last Samurai” (2003), and “War Of The Worlds” (2005), directed by Steven Spielberg. By the end of the decade, she was also the producer for the film entitled “Ask The Dust” in 2006, as well as the 2008 film “Death Race”. All of these projects added a considerable amount to her net worth. Additionally, during the late 2000s, she became the co-owner of United Artists Pictures, and during her tenure from 2006 to 2008, they released “Lions For Lambs” (2007), starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, and Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie” (2008).
To speak further about her career, Paula founded her own production company – Chestnut Ridge Productions (CRP) – and made a solo debut as an executive producer with the TV film “Five” in 2011. She also produced the “Jack Reacher” film series, and most recently produced the 2017 film “Marshall”. Her net worth is certainly still rising.
Paula is also recognized for serving on the Board of the National Film Preservation Foundation, and she works as a professor at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television, and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, etc.
Thanks to her accomplishments in the film industry, Paula has won a number of recognitions, including the Excellence in Producing Award at the Sarasota Film Festival, and the Chicago International Film Festival’s Renaissance Award. She was also one of the presidents of the First-Time Directors Jury at the Venice Film Festival.
When it comes to speak about her personal life, Paula Wagner has been married to Rick Nicita, a producer and agent, since 1984. She was previously married to set designer Robin Wagner.
