Tony Randall Net Worth - Pulptastic

May 2024 · 5 minute read

What was Tony Randall’s Net Worth?

American actor and producer Tony Randall had a net worth of $30 million at the time of his death. He was best known for his role as Felix Unger on the ABC sitcom “The Odd Couple,” for which he was nominated for numerous Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. Randall also had his own sitcom called “The Tony Randall Show” and appeared in several movies.

Aside from his acting career, Randall was a founder of the National Actors Theatre and starred in various theatrical productions. He married Florence Gibbs in 1942 and remained with her until her death in 1992. He then remarried in 1995 to Heather Harlan who was fifty years his junior and had two children with her.

On May 17, 2004, Randall passed away in his sleep following pneumonia infection from a coronary bypass surgery in 2003. His Central Park apartment, which was part of his net worth, was sold by his widow for just under $18 million three years after his death.

Tony Randall’s Early Life and Education

Tony Randall was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1920 to Jewish parents Julia and Mogscha. He attended Tulsa Central High School before enrolling at Northwestern University for a year. Randall then moved to New York City to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

Randall’s Early Career

Randall started his career as a radio announcer at WTAG in Worcester, Massachusetts. He later pursued his passion for acting and performed in productions of “Candida” and “The Corn is Green.” He took a break during World War II to serve in the US Army Signal Corps and then resumed his stage career at the Olney Theatre in Maryland. He joined the touring production of a revival of the play “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” before returning to New York City. Randall continued to act on stage throughout the late 40s, including in Broadway productions of “Antony and Cleopatra” and “Caesar and Cleopatra.”

Randall’s Television Career

Tony Randall’s first major role on television was playing history teacher Harvey Weskit on the NBC sitcom “Mister Peepers” in 1952. The show earned him his first Emmy Award nomination. Throughout the 1950s, he made guest appearances on various anthology series such as “The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse,” “Kraft Theatre,” “The Motorola Television Hour,” and “Studio One in Hollywood.” In the early 1960s, he appeared in episodes of “Checkmate” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and starred in a television film adaptation of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” He also served as a guest panelist on game shows such as “What’s My Line?” and “Hollywood Squares.”

Randall’s Famous Role on “The Odd Couple”

Randall’s most famous role began in 1970 on the ABC sitcom “The Odd Couple,” based on the Neil Simon play. He starred opposite Jack Klugman, playing Felix Unger, a divorced man who shares a Manhattan apartment with Klugman’s Oscar Madison, another divorced man with an opposite personality. Both actors were nominated for Emmy Awards for each of the show’s five seasons through 1975, with Randall winning once and Klugman twice.

Tony Randall’s Television Career

Tony Randall starred in his own sitcom, “The Tony Randall Show,” as widowed Philadelphia judge Walter Franklin from 1976 to 1978. He went on to appear in several television films, including “Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid” and “Sidney Shorr: A Girl’s Best Friend,” which was continued as the sitcom “Love, Sidney,” from 1981 to 1983. Randall also made frequent guest appearances on David Letterman’s late night talk shows. He starred in a number of television films, such as “Sunday Drive,” “The Man in the Brown Suit,” “Hitler’s SS: Portrait in Evil,” and the 1993 reunion film “The Odd Couple: Together Again.” Although he refused to star in any more regular television series after “Love, Sidney,” he remained active in the industry until his passing.

Tony Randall’s Film Career

Tony Randall made his feature film debut in the 1957 comedy “Oh, Men! Oh, Women!” and went on to star in numerous films throughout the 60s, including “Pillow Talk,” “Boys’ Night Out,” and “Lover Come Back.” In the 70s and 80s, he had fewer film credits but still appeared in movies such as “Scavenger Hunt,” “The King of Comedy,” and “My Little Pony: The Movie.” In the 90s, he appeared in “Fatal Instinct” and “How the Toys Saved Christmas.” His final two films were “Down with Love” and “It’s About Time,” released in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

Tony Randall’s Broadway Career and National Actors Theatre

Tony Randall began his Broadway career in 1955 in “Inherit the Wind.” He also starred in “Oh, Captain!” in the late 1950s, earning a Tony Award nomination. In 1966, he returned to Broadway for “UTBU.” Later in his career, he appeared in “M. Butterfly,” “The Sunshine Boys,” and “Right You Are.”

In 1991, Randall founded the National Actors Theatre, where he served as chairman. The company produced plays such as “The Crucible,” “The Master Builder,” “The Seagull,” “The Flowering Peach,” and “The Gin Game.” The National Actors Theatre closed after Randall’s death in 2004.

Randall’s Personal Life

Tony Randall married his high school sweetheart Florence Gibbs in 1938 and they stayed together until Gibbs’ death in 1992. In 1995, he married actress Heather Harlan, who was 50 years younger than him. The couple had two children named Julia and Jefferson.

In May 2004, Randall passed away due to pneumonia at NYU Medical Center where he was hospitalized after undergoing coronary bypass surgery the previous year. He was 84 years old at the time of his death.

Tony Randall’s NYC Co-op Apartment

Tony Randall’s primary residence was a luxurious New York City co-op apartment that encompassed a full floor at 211 Central Park West. The apartment had 10-rooms, 20 windows facing Central Park, four bedrooms, a private elevator, a library, a gallery, a kitchen, and eight walk-in closets. In 2007, the apartment was sold to financier Vikram Pandit for $17.85 million, $300,000 more than its asking price.

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