Wilma Jeanne Cooper was born on the 25th October 1928, in Taft, California USA, and was a film and television actress, best known for her decades-long run in the role of Katherine “Kay” Chancellor in the daytime soap opera “The Young and the Restless” (1973-2013). Her career in film began in 1953, with supporting roles in Hollywood westerns. She passed away in 2013.
Have you ever wondered how rich Jeanne Cooper was at the time of her death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Cooper’s net worth was as high as $8 million, an amount earned through her successful career in acting.
Jeanne Cooper Net Worth $8 Million
Jeanne Cooper was the youngest of three children of housewife Sildeth Evelyn Moore and oil field worker, Albert Troy Cooper. She attended Taft Union High School, and subsequently graduated from the Pasadena Playhouse with a degree in Theatre Arts and History. Her acting debut was in the 1953 western “The Redhead from Wyoming”, starring Maureen O’Hara and Alex Nicol, and she continued to play supporting roles on the big screen, trying out most of the popular mid-20th century genres – from westerns such as “The Man from the Alamo” (1953), to crime and neo-noir films such as “5 Steps to Danger” (1957) and “The Boston Strangler” (1968). She got the chance to hone her acting craft among such movie icons as Henry Fonda, Tony Curtis, James Caan, and the aforementioned Maureen O’Hara, adding modestly to her net worth.
Her proclivity for westerns transferred to the small screen as well, with Cooper playing the outlaw Belle Starr in the television series “Tales of Wells Fargo” (1957). However, she would in the end carve her niche in soap opera, once she was cast as Katherine Chancellor in CBS’s “The Young and the Restless”, which she continued to portray for almost four decades. Though she wasn’t there from the start, Cooper ended up being the longest-running cast member by the end of the series. That role also became memorable because she convinced the producers to film her real-life cosmetic surgery and incorporate it into the storyline. For this role, she was nominated for ten Daytime Emmy Awards, winning one in 2008. She also won a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 31st Daytime Emmy Awards. Apart from this, she was nominated twice for Primetime Emmy Awards for her supporting roles in television series “Ben Casey” (1961) and “L.A. Law” (1986). Her contribution to the television and film industry was also recognized when she was rewarded with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993. She continued to act in “The Young and the Restless” until her death, with her last episode airing only four days before she passed away.
Privately, in her free time, Cooper enjoyed in hobbies such as travelling, horseback riding, and spending time with her family. She was also a well-known philanthropist. She was married to Harry Bernsen for twenty-three years before divorcing in 1977, and from that marriage they had three children – Collin Bernsen, Corbin Bernsen, and Caren Bernsen. Cooper died on 26th March 2013 due to complications caused by an infection. She was cremated, and her ashes scattered according to her wishes.
