Richard Karn Wilson was born on 17 February 1956, in Seattle, Washington USA, to mother Louise, a painter, and father Gene Wilson, a building contractor and a Seabee who served in World War II. He is an actor and game show host, perhaps best known for starring as Al Borland in the ’90s television series “Home Improvement” and for being the host of the television game show “Family Feud” during the 2000s.
So just how rich is Richard Karn? According to sources in mid-2016, Karn has earned a net worth of over $10 million. His fortune has been accumulated through his involvement in the television and film industry.
Richard Karn Net Worth $10 Million
Karn grew up in Seattle, along with his sister. He attended Nathan Eckstein Junior High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School in Seattle, where he was active in the drama program. After matriculating, he enrolled at the University of Washington, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the university’s Professional Actor Training Program. While at Washington, Karn was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He earned his Drama degree in 1979.
In 1980 Karn moved to New York City, and shortly after was hired to do a 1980 Super Bowl beer advertisement. Joining the Screen Actors Guild, he learned that there was already an actor named Richard Wilson in the union, hence he decided to omit his last name from his stage name. During this time, Karn made his Broadway debut, playing the ‘suit of armor’ in “Me and My Girl”. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as an apartment building manager, and also catered events at a Jewish synagogue.
In 1991 Karn was cast as Albert ‘Al’ Borland in the television sitcom “Home Improvement”. Originally, the role had already been given to Stephen Tobolowsky who was working on another movie at the time, and therefore Karn filled in as a favor to the directors in the pilot when Tobolowsky wasn’t available. However, when the series was picked up by ABC, Karn became a regular cast member. “Home Improvement” quickly became one of the highest-rated and most watched shows of the time, winning numerous awards, including Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, Kids’ Choice, Young Artist, ASCAP and many others. Karn appeared in 201 episodes, out of 204 during the show’s eight-season run, before the series ended in 1999. It significantly contributed to Karn’s fame and to his net worth as well.
In the meantime, he appeared in several made-for-television films, including ABC’s “Picture Perfect” and HBO’s “Bram Stoker’s Legend of the Mummy”. He also appeared in the television series “Dirt”, “Boy Meets World”, “That ’70 Show” and “Foot Soldier”.
In 2002 Karn took minor roles in the films “Sex and the Teenage Mind”, “Reality School”, and “Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch”. The same year he became the host of the popular game show “Family Feud”, replacing Louie Anderson. He remained on the show until 2006, when he was replaced by John O’Hurley. Hosting “Family Heud” enabled Karn to reinforce the popularity he gained in “Home Improvement”, and considerably added to his wealth. It also led him to appear in The Strokes’ music video for “Someday” in 2002, which featured the band’s fictional appearance on “Family Feud” against the band Guided by Voices.
In 2005 Karn appeared in the film “Air Buddies”, and then in its 2008 sequel “Snow Buddies”. From 2008 to 2009, he served as the host of Game Show Network’s “Bingo America”, replacing Patrick Duffy. In 2010 he appeared in the Nickelodeon sitcom “True Jackson, VP”, and in 2013 in the ABC sitcom “Last Man Standing”. The following year he played Cam Morgan in the thriller “A Daughter’s Nightmare”. All contributed to his wealth.
When it comes to his private life, Karn has been married to actress Tudi Roche since 1985, who also appeared in “Home Improvement”. The couple has one child together.
