Born as Leonard Hacker on the 31st August 1924, in Brooklyn, New York City USA, Buddy Hackett was a comedian and actor, best known to the world for his roles as Marcellus Washburn in the film “The Music Man” (1962), then as Benjy Benjamin in “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (1963), and as Tennessee Steinmetz in “The Love Bug” (1968), among many other differing appearances. Buddy passed away in 2003,.
Have you ever wondered how rich Buddy Hackett was, at the time of his death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Hackett’s net worth was as high as $10 million, an amount earned through his successful career, which was active from 1950 until his death.
Buddy Hackett Net Worth $10 Million
Buddy was the son of Philip Hacker, and his wife Anna. His father was an upholsterer and also tried himself as an inventor. Buddy went to New Utrecht High School, from which he matriculated in 1942. While still in high school, Buddy began performing in nightclubs under the name Buch Hacker, making appearances in some notable clubs, including the Golden Hotel in Hurleyville, New York, but his performances didn’t knock the public off their feet.
After matriculation, Buddy joined the US Army and was in an anti-aircraft battery, serving for three years, and when World War II ended, he focused on his career in entertainment.
He found a job at the Pink Elephant, a nightclub located in Brooklyn, and it was there that Buddy Hacket was born, as he changed his stage name. Little by little he was seen and heard in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as well, while he also found engagement on Broadway, making an appearance in the play “Lunatics and Lovers”. While doing this play, he was spotted by Max Liebman who soon cast him in the TV special “Max Liebman Presents: Variety” in 1955. Even before that, Buddy’s on-screen career had begun, as he appeared in the short sport film “Columbia World of Sports: King of the Pins” in 1950, in which he and expert bowler Joe Wilman explain championship bowling techniques. Then in 1953 he made his film debut in the musical comedy “Walking My Baby Back Home”, staring Donald O’Connor and Janet Leigh. The following year he was used as replacement for the ill Lou Costello who was forced to quit shooting “Firman, Save My Child”, and Buddy was the star of the film next to Hugh O’Brien and Spike Jones. His net worth was now well set.
Buddy continued successfully throughout the ‘50s, landing the lead role in the TV comedy series “Stanley” (1956), and playing Pluto Swift in the Golden Globe Award- winning romantic comedy “God’s Little Acre” (1958), all of which increased his wealth. However, the ‘60s was his decade, with some of his most prominent roles, first as Marcellus Washburn in the romantic comedy “The Music Man” (1962) with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, then as Benjy Benjamin in the Academy Award- winning action adventure “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (1963), next to Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle and Ethel Merman, and he finished the decade with the role of the lovable hippie auto mechanic Tennessee Steinmetz in Disney’s “The Love Bug” (1968), consistently adding to his net worth.
From the end of the ‘60s, Buddy focused more on his career as a comedian, but still until his death made several more notable film appearances, including as Lou Costello in the film “Bud and Lou” (1978), about the lives of prominent comedians Bud bbott and Lou Costello and in which he was paired with Harvey Korman, and as Artie in the adventure comedy “Paulie” in 1998.
Thanks to his popularity on screen, Buddy started appearing as a guest in several variety shows in the ‘50s, and that continued throughout his career. In 1956 he first appeared in “Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall”, and made several more appearances until 1961. Then in 1959 he started appearing in “The Jack Parr Tonight Show”, until 1962 featuring in over 30 episodes. However, his greatest success was in 84 episodes of the “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”, in which he appeared constantly from 1963 until 1992. Other credits included “The Merv Griffin Show” (1963-1979), “The Dean Martin Show” (1966-1974), and “The Hollywood Squares” (1967-1974), among many others, all of which also added to his net worth.
Thanks to his successful career, Buddy received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
Regarding his personal life, Buddy was married to Sherry Cohen from 1955 until his death. The couple had three children together. Buddy was an avid firearms collector, but in the last years of his life he sold his collection due to his bad health. Buddy passed away on the 30th June 2003, after suffering a stroke only a week before, while he was also battling diabetes.
