Katherine Marie Helmond was born on 5 July 1929, in Galveston, Texas USA, to Thelma and Joseph Helmond, of Irish Catholic descent. She is a film, theater and television actress and director, best known for her role in the soap opera sitcom “Soap”, and in the sitcoms “Who’s the Boss?”, “Coach” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
A full-fledged TV star, how wealthy is Katherine Helmond? According to sources, Helmond has acquired a net worth of over $5 million, as of early 2017. Her assets include homes in Las Angeles, Long Island, New York City and London. Her fortune has been accumulated during her acting career which began in the mid-‘50s.
Katherine Helmond Net Worth $5 Million
Helmond was raised by her mother and grandmother in Galveston, where she attended Ball High School. She developed an interest in acting during her primary school days, appearing in numerous school projects, and later working behind the scenes at a local theatre.
Helmond made her real stage debut in a production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and went on to work in theaters around New York during the ’50s and ’60s. She later ran a theatre in the Catskills, and worked as an acting teacher in various universities. Although she became involved in television in the ’60s, she failed to achieve any role that would bring her needed recognition.
The next decade saw Helmond receiving a Tony nomination for her performance on Broadway in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Great God Brown”. She then went on to land several supporting film parts such as in “Believe In Me”, “The Hospital” and “Family Plot”, and numerous television guest appearances, paving her way to a major role. Such a part came in 1977, when she was cast as Jessica Tate, the matriarch of the Tate family in the ABC prime time soap opera sitcom “Soap”. A night-time parody of daytime soap operas, the sitcom became extremely popular, putting Helmond in the hearts and minds of many fans. She remained on the show until its cancellation in 1981, earning four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. Aside from bringing her a great deal of recognition and fame, the show also considerably added to her wealth.
Helmond then enrolled in the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop, and went on to gain some directing experience with four episodes of the television series “Benson” in 1983. The following year she was cast in the ABC sitcom “Who’s the Boss?”, playing Mona Robinson until the show’s end in 1992. Her performance of a liberated grandmother earned her two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe, greatly contributing to her popularity and to her net worth as well. Helmond also directed some episodes of the show.
As for the big screen, she starred as Mrs. Ida Lowry, the mother of Jonathan Pryce’s character, in the 1985 sci-fi film “Brazil”, and as Amanda Harper in the horror “Lady in White”, receiving a Saturn Award nomination for the latter project.
Helmond had a recurring role in the ABC sitcom “Coach”, playing Doris Sherman from 1995 to 1997. In 1996 she was cast in the recurring role of Lois Whelan, Patricia Heaton’s well-bred mother, in the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”, for which she received an Emmy nomination. Both series reinforced the actress’ status among stars, improving her net worth considerably.
The 2000s saw Helmond making several television guest appearances, and taking parts in films like “Beethoven’s 5th” and “Collaborator”. Adding to her status as a TV favorite, she remained active on stage too, earning critical acclaim for her performance in “The Vagina Monologues”.
Speaking about her personal life, Helmond has married twice, firstly in 1957 to George N. Martin, then after their divorce in 1962, she married David Christian the same year – the couple has remained married ever since. The actress doesn’t have any children.
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