James Lipton was born on 19 September 1926, in Detroit, Michigan USA, to Betty, a teacher of Russian-Jewish descent, and Lawrence Lipton, a journalist, writer and theater publicity director, of Polish-Jewish descent. He is a writer, lyricist, actor, choreographer, academic and producer, possibly best known for creating and hosting the television series “Inside the Actors Studio”.
So just how wealthy is James Lipton? Sources state that Lipton has acquired a wealth of over $6 million, as of early 2017, amassed through his involvement in art, academy and entertainment industry.
James Lipton Net Worth $6 million
Lipton’s parents divorced when he was six years old, and he was raised by his mother. He attended Detroit’s Central High School, and then enrolled at Wayne State University, but dropped out a year later and joined the US Air Force. He eventually entered New York University, where he studied movie/TV production and directing. Lipton’s talents had been recognized in his early years – by his teens, he had already written both poetry and fiction, but due to his family struggling with finances, he was forced to seek ‘proper’ work, landing a job as a newspaper copy boy for The Detroit Times when he was 13. He also pursued an acting career to pay the bills, working in the Catholic Theater of Detroit and in radio. He eventually began training in the theatrical arts, such as modern dance, ballet and voice. He studied acting with the acclaimed Stella Adler, Harold Clurman and Robert Lewis.
Lipton’s first radio gig came in the early ’40s, landing the recurring role of Dan Reid on WXYZ Radio’s series “The Lone Ranger”. He made his Broadway debut in 1951, with a role in Lillian Hellman’s play “The Autumn Garden”. The same year he made his foray into television, appearing in the series “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” and “Armstrong Circle Theater”. In 1953 he landed a role in the television soap opera “Guiding Light”, playing Dr. Dick Grant a part he would play for the next ten years, paving his way to fame and earning a decent income. He also wrote scripts for the series, establishing a writing reputation as well, which led him to write for other popular soap operas, such as “Another World”, “The Best of Everything”, “Return to Peyton Place”, “The Edge of Night” and “Capitol”.
Lipton has also written many other projects, such as the lyrics for the musicals “Nowhere to Go But Up” and “Sherry!”, and for several Bob Hope Specials. All contributed to his net worth.
As for the big screen, Lipton made his film debut in the 1953 film “The Big Break” and much later expanded his film work by adding two voice roles in the 2008 films “Bolt” and “Igor”. Meanwhile, he made appearances in a number of television series, reinforcing his popularity and increasing his wealth.
In 1994 he founded the Actors Studio Drama School in New York City and became its dean. Serving as the home base of ‘method acting’, the school created a class called Inside the Actors Studio, where Lipton would interview experienced actors, directors and writers, for the benefit of drama students. He then turned the program into a television series of the same name, serving as the its writer, executive producer and host. The show has aired on Bravo, and featured numerous major names in Hollywood, so becoming a great success and winning 12 Emmy Awards, thus enabling Lipton to reach a high level of fame and to earn a sizable fortune.
Speaking about his producing career, Lipton has worked on projects such as “Mirrors”, which he adapted from his own novel, and on a number of Bob Hope Specials. He has also produced Broadway performances, such as “The Mighty Gents”, “Monteith & Rand” and “Ain’t Misbehavin'”, further improving his wealth.
Lipton’s choreographic skills have also earned him good money. He has served as a ballet choreographer for the American Ballet Theater, and also choreographed “Charlot” for the ballet theater, and for Moliere’s play “The Doctor In Spite of Himself”.
Additionally, Lipton has authored a number of books, including “An Exaltation of Larks”, and “Mirrors”.
In his personal life, in 1954 he married actress Nina Foch, divorcing her in 1959. As of 1970 Lipton has been married to model and real estate broker Kedakai Turner.
