Annette Joanne Funicello was an actress and a singer, born on 22nd October 1942 in Utica, New York State USA, and rose to stardom as one of the most popular Mouseketeers of the original ’’Mickey Mouse Club“, and continued her career as a successful singer with singles such as ’’Tall Paul“ and ’’Pineapple Princess“. She also had a notable acting career, popularizing the ’’Beach Party“ genre in the mid- ’60s. Annette passed away in 2013.
Have you ever wondered how rich Annette Funicello was? According to sources, it has been estimated that Funicello’s overall net worth was $15 million, accumulated thanks to a successful career in both acting and singing.
Annette Funicello Net Worth $15 Million
Born to Italian Americans in New York, Annette grew up in Los Angeles as her parents moved there when she was four years old. Funicello drew public attention as a child, when she appeared in Walt Disney’s production of ’’Swan Lake“ after which she was invited to audition for ’’The Mickey Mouse Club“ children’s show. She was accepted and quickly became its most popular cast member, first appearing on the show in October 1955, at the age of 13. This turned out to be her big entrance to the entertainment industry, as she continued her career under contract to Disney even after leaving the show. She was next seen on TV shows like ’’Zorro“(1957) and ’’The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca“(1958). In addition to this, Funicello starred in several Disney feature films, such as ’’The Shaggy Dog“(1959), ’’Babes in Toyland“(1961), ’’The Misadventures of Merlin Jones“(1964) and ’’The Monkey’s Uncle“(1965). As a young woman, Annette also gained popularity for starring in a series of beach party films next to Frankie Avalon. including ’’Beach Party“(1963), ’’Muscle Beach Party“(1964), ’’Bikini Beach“(1964), ’’Beach Blanket Bingo“(1965) and ’’How to Stuff a Wild Bikini“(1965), all contributing to her net worth .
It was in this period of time that Funicello also launched her singing career. She recorded several Top 40 pop singles such as ’’First Name Initial“, ’’Tall Paul“, ’’How Will I Know My Love“ and ’’Pineapple Princess“.
In her later career, Annette re-established her cooperation with Avalon to co-produce and star in Paramount’s ’’Back to the Beach“(1987). Two years later, the duo started a nostalgic concert tour, performing the hit singles from the ’60s.
When it comes to her private life, Funicello married twice. Her first marriage was to Jack Gilardi from 1965 to 1981, with whom she had three children. In 1986, Annette married Glen Holt, and the two resided in Encino, a small neighborhood outside San Fernando Valley. In 1992, Funicello disclosed she had been fighting multiple sclerosis since 1987. This is one of the reasons she founded the Annette Funicello Teddy Bear Company to assist in fundraising against such neurological disorders. She died at the age of 70 at Mercy Southwest Hospital. on 8th April 2013, in Bakersfield, California.
