Born Albert William Upton on 15th July 1960, in Newport Beach, California USA, Willie is an actor, producer, director and writer, probably best known to the world for portraying Tommy Bradford in the TV series “Eight Is Enough” (1977-1981), and as Buddy Lembeck in the TV series “Charles in Chicago” (1984-1990), among other roles. Willie has been an active member of the entertainment industry since 1971.
Have you ever wondered how rich Willie Aames is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Willie`s net worth is over $100,000; his wealth could have been larger, however, he invested poorly, and fought alcohol addiction, which has effected his net worth in negatively.
Willie Aames Net Worth $100,000
Willie went to Edison High School, located in Huntington Beach, California, where he showed off his talents in both choir and Madrigal ensemble.
From an early age, Willie was thrown into the entertainment industry; before he turned 10, he had made appearances in such productions as “Gunsmoke”, “Adam-12”, “The Courtship of Eddie`s Father”, and continued with roles in films “Unwed Father” (1974), and “Doctor Dan”, the same year. In 1974, Willie got the part of playing 12 year-old Benjamin Franklin in the TV mini-series “The Lives of Benjamin Franklin” (1974-1975). In 1975 he appeared in the film “The Family Nobody Wanted” (1975), starring Shirley Jones, and made appearances in several TV series, including, “Swiss Family Robinson” (1975-1976) and “Family” (1976-1977), before he got his breakthrough role as Tommy Bradford in “Eight Is Enough” (1977-1981). The series celebrated him as an actor, and also increased his net worth by a large margin; he repeated his role in films “Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion” (1987) and “An Eight Is Enough Wedding” (1989).
In 1982 he starred in the film “Paradise”, directed by Stuart Gillard, and continued with the film “Zapped!” the same year. In 1984 he was selected for the role of Buddy Lembeck in the TV series “Charles in Charge”, and appeared in 126 episodes through 1990, which further increased his net worth. After the show ended, he decided to retire from acting, but returned five years later with his own TV series, entitled “Bibleman” (1995-2004). Since then he has also appeared in such films and TV series as “The Public Life of Sissy Pike: New Girl in Town” (2005) – which he also wrote and directed – then “Harvest Moon” (2015), “Dater`s Handbook” (2016), and “Every Christmas Has a Story” (2016), all of which added to his net worth.
Regarding his personal life, Willie has been married to actress Winnie Hung since 2014. He has two marriages behind him, firstly to Victoria Weatherman(1979 -84); with whom he has a child, and secondly to actress Maylo McCaslin from 1986 to 2009 – he has a child with her as well.
Willie has had several problems with drug and alcohol abuse, which led to his bankruptcy, adding to the fact that he invested in a now failed TV station. For quite some time, he was forced to take on construction work to support himself.
Paradise, Zapped!, Cut and Run, Scavenger Hunt, Bibleman: Conquering the Wrath of Rage, Bibleman: Shattering the Prince of Pride, Bugtime Adventures: Not to Bee: The Story of Esther, Bugtime Adventures: Joy to the World: The Christmas Story, Bugtime Adventures: Riding for a Fall: Elisha Heals Naaman
TV Shows
Eight Is Enough, Charles in Charge, Bibleman, Zapped!, Paradise, Celebrity Fit Club, The Edge of Night, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, Cut and Run, Dungeons & Dragons
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Quote
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[2007 interview] Since I was 9, I'd been told what to say, what to think. I plan to spend the second half of my life free. I've never been happier.
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I never thought of myself as handsome.
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When you're a celebrity, people think they know you, but they don't have a clue.
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[about his church's influence on his finally getting clean and sober] When I listened to this guy on the radio, he seemed to understand what was going on with me. So Maylo and I checked this guy out at his church. We sat in the back and had a terrific time. People were warm and friendly. They didn't seem to mind that I was dressed in leather and that my girlfriend had purple hair. It didn't matter to them what we looked like or who we were. It only mattered that we were there.
5
I had older brothers and sisters who were high achievers, and I felt different, misunderstood by my family. That's not my family's fault; it was my perception.
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I didn't become an actor because I wanted to act. Actually, I wanted to become a marine biologist. But most of all, I wanted to be accepted.
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You get to a point where you have one of two choices. You either put a gun to your head or you pray.
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Fact
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Worked for Regent Sevens Seas as a Cruise Director 2015 on the Mariner and Voyager ships.
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Assistant cruise director on MS Nautica of Oceania Cruise Lines. Performed twice a week as a singer. [September 2010]
Cruise Director on Oceania Cruise ship Marina [July 2012]
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As of late 2009, he is working his way toward being a fully licensed financial advisor. It is his hope that his experiences will help others get through dire financial straits. [November 2009]
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Cruise director on M/S Regatta of Oceania Cruise Lines [December 2011]
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His first child, a son named Christopher, is a bass player for a rock band.
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One of his first acting jobs as a youngster was in an ad for Phillips 66.
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Father was a firefighter.
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Fondly refers to his character of Bibleman as "a grape in a cape".
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Willie, his wife Maylo McCaslin, his son Christopher Upton, and his son's date were robbed at gunpoint on January 7, 2007, while they were walking around Hollywood. They were not injured.
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Son, Christopher William Upton, was born on 25 June 1981. Daughter, Harleigh Upton (aka "Harleigh Jean Upton") was born on 21 July 1990.
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During his Eight Is Enough (1977) years, he formed a rock band (Willie Aames & Paradise). His band made appearances on an Eight Is Enough (1977) episode, The Easter Seals Telethon, United Cerebal Palsy Telethon & Kids Are People Too.
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Met his second wife, actress Maylo McCaslin, on the set of Rocky Road (1985), a cable-TV show in which he was guest-starring, in 1984.
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The youngest of two older brothers and an older sister.
$100,000
