William Holden was born as William Franklin Beedle, Jr. on the 17th April 1918 in O’Fallon, Illinois USA, and was an actor, probably best recognized for starring in the role of Joe Gillis in the film “Stalag 17” (1953), playing Bumper Morgan in the TV film “The Blue Knight” (1973), and as Max Schumacher in the film “Network” (1976). His career was active from 1938 to 1981, when he passed away.
So, have you ever wondered how rich William Holden was? According to authoritative sources, it was estimated that the total size of William’s net worth was $20 million, accumulated through his successful involvement in the entertainment industry.
William Holden Net Worth $20 Million
William Holden was raised with two younger brothers in a wealthy family, the son of Mary Blanche, who worked as a schoolteacher, and William Franklin Beedle, Sr., who was an industrial chemist. At the age of three, he moved with his family to Pasadena, California, where he attended South Pasadena High School. Upon matriculation, he enrolled at Pasadena Junior College to study chemistry. Then he began to perform in local radio plays, and was soon spotted by talent scout Harold Winston.
Thus, William’s professional acting career began in 1938, when he made his debut appearance in a small role in the film “Prison Farm”, which was followed by the role of Joe Bonaparte in the 1939 film “Golden Boy”, starring alongside Barbara Stanwyck. In 1940, he won the role of George Gibbs in “Our Town”, and starred as Peter Muncie in “Arizona”, which added a considerable amount to his net worth.
During World War 2 Holden served in the US Army Air Corps, producing training film, then returned to Hollywood, and by the 1950s, he had appeared in a number of film titles, including in the title role in “The Remarkable Andrew” (1942), playing Lt. William Seacroft in “Dear Ruth” (1947), and as Jim Dawkins in “Streets Of Ladero” (1949). His net worth had resumed its rise.
With the beginning of the 1950s, his career reached a whole new level, as he earned new notable roles. He starred as Joe Gillis in “Sunset Boulevard” (1950) directed by Billy Wilder, after which he was cast as Paul Verrall in “Born Yesterday”. Three years later came his next major role, when he was chosen to play Sgt. J.J. Sefton in the film “Stalag 17”. During the decade, he also starred in other film and TV titles as “Sabrina” (1954), appearing with Audrey Hepburn, “Picnic” (1955), “The Bridges at Toko Ri” with Grace Kelly, the highly acclaimed “The Bridge on the River Kwai”co-starring with Alec Guinness, and “The Horse Soldiers” (1959) with John Wayne, among others, all of which increased his net worth by a large margin.
In 1960, William won the role of Robert Lomax in “The World Of Suzie Wong”, and later he appeared in the title role in “Alvarez Kelly” (1966), played Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick in “The Devil’s Brigade” (1968), as Laurent Segur in “The Christmas Tree” (1969), and the same year in Sam Peckinpah’s iconic western “The Wild Bunch”, all contributing significantly to his wealth.
To speak further about his acting career, William also featured as John Benedict in the 1972 film “The Revengers”, followed by the very commercially successful “The Towering Inferno” (1974) with Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, then portrayed Max Schumacher in “Network” in 1976 written by Paddy Chayefsky, and was cast as Richard Thorn in “Damien: Omen II” (1978). His last role was in the 1981 film “S.O.B.”.
Thanks to his accomplishments in the film industry, William earned a number of recognitions and awards, including the 1953 Academy Award for Best Actor for his work on “Stalag 17”, the Venice Film Festival Special Award for Ensemble Acting in 1954 for his work on “Executive Suite”, and he had three nominations for his role in “Network”. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Speaking about his personal life, William Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 to 1971; the couple had two children together. He was known for affairs with actresses Audrey Hepburn and Capucine, and after divorce, he was in a relationship with actress Stefanie Powers from 1972 until his death. He passed away of injuries received in a fall at the age of 63 on the 12th November 1981 in Santa Monica, California,
