Audra Ann McDonald was born on the 3rd July 1970, in (then) West Berlin, Germany, and is an actress, recognized not only for performing on the stage, but also for starring in the role of Susie Monahan in the TV series “Wit”, playing Dr. Naomi Bennett in the TV series “Private Practice”, and as Madame de Garderobe in the film “Beauty And The Beast”. She is also known as a singer, who has released five studio albums. Her career has been active since 1994.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Audra McDonald is, as of early 2018? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that the total size of Audra’s net worth is over $2 million, accumulated through her successful involvement in the entertainment industry not only as a professional actress, but also as a singer.
Audra McDonald Net Worth $2 Million
Audra McDonald was raised with younger sister in Fresno, California by her father, Stanley McDonald, Jr., who worked in the US Army and was also a high school principal, and her mother, Anna Kathryn, who worked as a university administrator. She attended Theodore Roosevelt High School parallel with the Roosevelt School of the Arts program. She later became a student of Classical Voice at the Juilliard School, New York City, from which she graduated in 1993, during the same period becoming a member of Good Company Players Junior Company, and started to pursue her career as an actress.
Speaking about her acting career on the stage, it began in 1994 when Audra appeared in the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the musical “Carousel”, followed by the role of Sharon Graham in the musical entitled “Master Class” (1995). She then appeared as Sarah in the musical “Ragtime”, and by the end of the decade, had also performed in “Marie Christine” (1999), and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street” (2000), steadily building her net worth.
In the new millennium, she continued with her successful career, performing in such projects as “A Raisin In The Sun” (2004), “110 In The Shade” (2007), and “Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar And Grill” (2014), among many others, not only adding a considerable amount to her net worth, but also earning numerous awards and recognitions, such as six Tony, five Drama Desk, five Outer Critics Circle, two Broadway.com Audience, a Drama League Award, and a Grammy Award among many others.
Audra also pursued her career on television and the big screen, her first important role coming in 2001 as Susie Monahan in the film “Wit”, starring alongside Christopher Lloyd and Emma Thompson, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. She was then chosen to play Jackie Brock in the TV series “Mister Sterling” (2003), and her breakthrough role came in 2007, when she was selected to portray Dr. Naomi Bennett in the TV series “Private Practice”, which lasted until 2013 and earned her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award, plus increasing her net worth by a large margin.
To speak further about her acting career, Audra was cast as Ruth Younger in the television adaptation of the musical “A Raisin In The Sun” (2008), which earned her a second Emmy Award nomination, then starred in the role of Maureen in the 2015 film “Ricki And The Flash”, alongside Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep. Most recently, she featured in the film entitled “Beauty And The Beast” in 2017, portraying Madame Garderobe, for which she won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Her net worth is certainly still rising.
Apart from her acting career, Audra became known as a singer, releasing her debut studio album “Way Back To Paradise” in 1998. Two years later out came her second album entitled “How Glory Goes”, and during the 2000s, she released two more solo albums – “Happy Songs” (2002) and “Build A Bridge” (2006). Her fifth album entitled “Go Back Home” was released in 2013. All of these projects contributed considerably to her net worth.
Thanks to her accomplishments, Audra was honored with the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016.
Speaking about her personal life, Audra McDonald has been married to actor Will Swenson since 2012; the couple has a daughter together. She was previously married to bassist Peter Donovan (2000-2009), with whom she also has a daughter. Her current residence is in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
Leave a Comment