Richard Kiel was born on the 13th September 1939, in Detroit, Michigan USA, and was an actor, comedian, and voice artist, probably best known for his role as Jaws in the James Bond movies such as “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) and “Moonraker” (1979). Kiel’s career started in 1960 and ended in 2014 with his passing.
Have you ever wondered how rich Richard Kiel was at the moment of his death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Kiel’s net worth was as high as $500,000, an amount earned through his successful acting career. In addition to playing in the movies, Kiel also worked in numerous TV series, which improved his wealth.
Richard Kiel Net Worth $500,000
Richard Kiel grew up in Michigan, and from an early age he suffered from a hormonal condition known as acromegaly, which reflected on his height which grew to 217 cm. Before his acting career, Kiel worked various jobs including as a nightclub bouncer and a cemetery plot salesman.
In 1960, Kiel debuted on television in one episode of “Klondike”, while in 1961 he appeared in “The Phantom Planet” and the TV movie “The Phantom”. In 1962, he played in “Eegah” as a prehistoric caveman, and also in an episode of the cult series “The Twilight Zone”. Kiel continued with roles in such movies as “House of the Damned” (1963), “Lassie’s Great Adventure” (1963), and he also in four episodes of “The Wild Wild West” (1965-1968). In 1974, Kiel had a part in Robert Aldrich’s Oscar-nominated movie called “The Longest Yard” starring Burt Reynolds. In the mid-‘70s, Richard appeared in “Flash and the Firecat” (1975), “Gus” (1976), and in Arthur Hiller’s Oscar-nominated comedy “Silver Streak” (1976) alongside Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, and Jill Clayburgh. From 1975 to 1976, Kiel played in 14 episodes of the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated series “Barbary Coast” with William Shatner and Doug McClure, all of which increased his net worth.
However, his most notable role came in 1977 when Kiel played the villain named Jaws in Lewis Gilbert’s Oscar-nominated “The Spy Who Loved Me” starring Roger Moore. With a budget of $14 million, the movie grossed over $185 million at the box office, and helped Kiel to increase his net worth significantly. He ended the ‘70s with “Force 10 from Navarone” (1978) starring Harrison Ford, had a lead role in “The Humanoid” (1979), and played Jaws again in “Moonraker” (1979) with Roger Moore, which earned more than $210 million worldwide and received an Oscar nomination.
In the ‘80s, Kiel had a few notable roles including in “Phoenix” (1983), “Cannonball Run II” (1984) with Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and Frank Sinatra, and in Clint Eastwood’s western “Pale Rider” (1985). Because of his health problems, Kiel’s acting career drastically slowed down, but he still appeared in such movies as “The Giant of Thunder Mountain” (1991) and “Happy Gilmore” (1996) starring Adam Sandler. Most recently, he played in David Kellogg’s “Inspector Gadget” (1999) alongside Matthew Broderick and Rupert Everett, and he filmed “The Engagement Ring”, but the production details are unknown since he died.
Kiel also wrote and published his autobiography entitled “Making It Big in the Movies” in 2002.
Regarding his personal life, Richard Kiel was married to Faye Daniels from 1960 to 1973, and later to Diane Rogers from 1974 until his death. He has four children and nine grandchildren. Kiel was a born-again Christian, and his religion helped him to overcome alcoholism. He injured his head in a car accident in 1992, and from then he had problems with his balance, using a cane for support, and later a scooter and a wheelchair. In September 2014, Richard Kiel died of a heart attack at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California.
