Burton Stephen “Burt” Lancaster was a film actor, director and producer born on 2nd November 1913 in Manhattan, New York City USA, and was a four-time Academy Award nominee, winning for his performance in “Elmer Gantry” (1960). For his work in “The Birdman of Alcatraz”(1962) and “Atlantic City”(1980), he received a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award, and his other notable work includes films such as “Marty”(1955), “Trapeze”(1956), “Sweet Smell of Success”(1957), “Separate Tables”(1958) among many others. He passed away in October 1994.
Have you ever wondered how rich Burt Lancaster was? According to sources, it has been estimated that Burt Lancaster’s overall net worth was $40 million, accumulated during nearly a half-century long acting career. Since he also had directing and producing ventures, they also added to his net worth.
Burt Lancaster Net Worth $40 Million
Born one of five children in the family, Burt proved a notable athletic talent as a young boy. He was 19 when he joined the circus to perform in acrobatic acts with his lifelong friend Nick Cravat, who later co-starred in several of his films. During World War II, Lancaster served in the army and as a result of performing in USO shows, he developed an interest in acting. When the war was over, he landed his first professional acting job in the Broadway play “A Sound of Hunting” (1945), and his performance was noticed by a talent scout who took him to Hollywood.
Burt’s debut film came two years later with “Desert Fury”, and first gained the attention of the public in the noir classic “The Killers” (1946). Lancaster avoided Hollywood typecasting, and soon took control over his career by co-founding the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster production company in 1948, and by establishing his reputation as a versatile actor. Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous quality films, maintaining the peak of popularity throughout the late ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s thanks to roles in films such as “I Walk Alone”, “All My Sons”, “Sorry, Wrong Number”, “Criss Cross”, “The Crimson Pirate”, “Come Back, Little Sheba” and many others. He earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in “From Here to Eternity”(1953), all of which helped his growing net worth.
His series of roles continued through the following years, as he appeared in the hits “Apache”, “ Trapeze”, and “Run Silent, Run Deep”. For his charismatic performance in “Elmer Gantry”(1960), Burt won an Academy Award, and a year later, after portraying a Nazi war criminal in “Judgment at Nuremburg”(1961), he was nominated for another Oscar. His other notable films during the’60s included “Seven Days in May”, “The Train”, “The Professionals” and “The Swimmer”. Although his first film in the ‘70s was a disaster, Lancaster acted in a few notable films during that decade as well, including his role in Bertolucci’s “1900”. In the following years, more character roles came, such as with Kirk Douglas in “Tough Guys”(1986) and his moving portrayal of Doctor Graham in “Field of Dreams” (1989).
He gave his final performance in the TV miniseries “Separate but Equal”(1991) after which he retired due to health problems, having appeared in almost 80 films on the big screen and more than a dozen on TV. He is ranked by the American Film Institute as the no.19 of the greatest male stars of classic Hollywood cinema.
When it comes to his private life, Lancaster married three times. His first two marriages ended in divorce, to June Ernst(1935-46) and Norma Anderson(1946-69); he married his third wife, Susan Martin in 1990 and stayed with her until his death on 20th October 1994 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA. He was the father of five children, all with Norma.
