Gary Cooper Net Worth

What is Gary Cooper's Net Worth?

Gary Cooper was an American actor who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death in 1961. That's the same as $100 million today, after adjusting for inflation. Gary Cooper was among the most famous stars of Golden Age Hollywood. In a career spanning from 1925 to 1961, he starred in such films as "The Virginian," "A Farewell to Arms," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "Sergeant York," "The Pride of the Yankees," and "High Noon." Known for his strong, taciturn, stoic screen persona and understated, naturalistic style of acting, Cooper won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Sergeant York" and "High Noon." He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6243 Hollywood Blvd. Gary Cooper passed away on May 13, 1961, at 60 years old from cancer.

Highest Paid Actor & Profit Participation

In 1937, Gary overtook Mae West to become the highest paid actor in the world with earnings that year of $370,000, which is the same as around $6 million today. In 1939, the US Treasury reported that Gary Cooper was the highest wage-earning person in the entire country, having earned $482,000 the previous year. That's the same as $8.6 million in today's dollars. Following the advice of his friend James Stewart, Cooper often took lower salary on films in exchange for a percent of profits. This strategy resulted in some fairly large paydays. For example, he earned a total of $1.4 million for his role in the 1954 movie Vera Cruz. That's the same as $13 million today.

Early Life and Education

Gary Cooper was born as Frank James Cooper on May 7, 1901 in Helena, Montana to English immigrants Alice and Charles. He had an older brother named Arthur. The boys grew up on their father's 600-acre cattle ranch, where they learned to hunt, fish, and ride horses. In Helena, Cooper attended Central Grade School. His mother then took him and his brother to England, where the kids attended Dunstable Grammar School. Cooper returned to Helena in 1912, and continued his education at Johnson Grammar School. He went on to attend Helena High School, but dropped out after two years to work as a cowboy on the family ranch. Cooper returned to school in 1919 to attend Gallatin County High School in Bozeman, Montana. In 1922, he enrolled at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he studied art. However, Cooper left the school in early 1924. Later that year, he joined his parents after they relocated to Los Angeles.

Career Beginnings in Silent Film

In Los Angeles, Cooper met a pair of friends from Montana who had found jobs as film extras and stunt riders in low-budget Westerns. They introduced him to Montana rodeo champion Jay Talbot, who took Cooper to a casting director. Cooper became close friends with Talbot, and went on to become a film extra and stunt rider himself. He had uncredited parts in such silent Western films as "The Thundering Herd," "Wild Horse," "Riders of the Purple Sage," "The Lucky Horseshoe," and "The Trail Rider." Cooper also appeared in some other genre films during this time, including "The Eagle," "Ben-Hur," and "The Johnstown Flood."

Cooper had his first substantial role in the 1926 Western "The Winning of Barbara Worth." The next year, he had major roles in "Children of Divorce," "Wings," "Arizona Bound," and "Nevada." In 1928, Cooper starred opposite Fay Wray in "The Legion of the Condemned" and "The First Kiss." Also that year, he starred in such films as "Beau Sabreur," "Doomsday," "Half a Bride," and "Lilac Time," appearing opposite a variety of popular leading ladies.

Rise to Hollywood Stardom

Cooper rose to the level of major Hollywood stardom in 1929 with his first talkie, "The Virginian." Directed by Victor Fleming, the Western film helped establish the conventions of the genre going forward. With his growing popularity, Cooper went on to star in such films as "Only the Brave," "The Texan," "A Man from Wyoming," "The Spoilers," and "Morocco," all in 1930. His subsequent credits included "Fighting Caravans," "City Streets," "His Woman," "Devil and the Deep," and "A Farewell to Arms." The first film adaptation of an Ernest Hemingway novel, "A Farewell to Arms" was among the biggest hit films of 1932. Cooper continued his success with the 1933 Ernst Lubitsch screwball comedy "Design for Living," based on the popular Noël Coward play. In 1934, he starred in such films as "Operator 13" and "Now and Forever," the latter his first of seven films directed by Henry Hathaway. The next year, Cooper starred in Hathaway's "Peter Ibbetson" and "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer," as well as in King Vidor's "The Wedding Night."

Cooper achieved his greatest level of recognition yet in 1936, for his performances in Frank Borzage's "Desire" and, especially, Frank Capra's "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." In the latter, his portrayal of the titular folk hero helped establish his reputation for playing good, honest American men. For his performance, Cooper earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Also in 1936, he starred in Lewis Milestone's "The General Died at Dawn" and Cecil B. DeMille's "The Plainsman," both major hits. Coming off of his prolific year in 1936, Cooper only appeared in one film in 1937, Henry Hathaway's commercially unsuccessful "Souls at Sea." He starred in more films in 1938, including "The Adventures of Marco Polo," "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife," and "The Cowboy and the Lady." However, none found success at the American box office. Cooper bounced back in 1939 with the adventure films "Beau Geste" and "The Real Glory," both substantial hits.

Film Career in the 1940s

Cooper reached the zenith of his career in the early 1940s thanks to such hit films as "The Westerner," "North West Mounted Police," "Meet John Doe," "Sergeant York," "Ball of Fire," "The Pride of the Yankees," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." For his portrayal of World War I hero Alvin C. York in "Sergeant York," Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He played another heroic American figure, the late baseball player Lou Gehrig, in "The Pride of the Yankees," earning him his third Academy Award nomination. Cooper received his fourth nomination for his performance as Robert Jordan in "For Whom the Bell Tolls," based on the Hemingway novel.

In 1944, Cooper starred in Cecil B. DeMille's hit World War II film "The Story of Dr. Wassell" and Sam Wood's commercially disappointing romantic comedy "Casanova Brown." The following year, he had success with the Western comedy "Along Came Jones" and Sam Wood's Western "Saratoga Trunk." Cooper's only film in 1946 was Fritz Lang's spy thriller "Cloak and Dagger," a box-office bomb. In 1947, he starred in his fourth and final film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, "Unconquered." It was also Cooper's final film that was a major success at the American box office. In the last two years of the 1940s, Cooper starred in such films as "Good Sam," "The Fountainhead," and "Task Force."

Late Film Career, 1950-1961

Cooper began the 1950s with a string of poorly received films, including "Bright Leaf," "Dallas," "You're in the Navy Now," and "Distant Drums." He made a huge comeback in 1952 as the star of Fred Zinnemann's Western "High Noon," playing retiring, embattled sheriff Will Kane. Cooper's performance became one of his most acclaimed and iconic, and earned him his second Academy Award for Best Actor. He subsequently made four films outside of the United States: "Return to Paradise," "Blowing Wild," "Garden of Evil," and "Vera Cruz," the latter three filmed in Mexico. Over the rest of the decade, Cooper starred in such films as "The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell," "Friendly Persuasion," "Love in the Afternoon," "Ten North Frederick," "Man of the West," "The Hanging Tree," and "The Wreck of the Mary Deare." His final film, which he shot after undergoing surgery for cancer, was the 1961 thriller "The Naked Edge."

Personal Life and Death

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Cooper had romantic relationships with a number of his female costars, including Clara Bow, Evelyn Brent, Lupe Vélez, Marlene Dietrich, and Carole Lombard. He was also in a relationship with the Countess Dorothy di Frasso when he lodged with her in Italy in the early '30s. In 1933, Cooper married New York debutante Veronica Balfe; they had a daughter, Maria, in 1937. During the 1940s, Cooper had affairs with actresses Ingrid Bergman and Patricia Neal. As a result, Cooper and his wife legally separated in 1951. In early 1954, they got back together. Toward the end of his life, Cooper was romantically involved with costume designer Irene.

Cooper struggled with various health problems later in his life, including ulcers, hernias, and shoulder and hip injuries. In 1960, he underwent two surgeries for prostate cancer that had spread to his colon and intestine. By the end of the year, the cancer had spread to his lungs and bones, and was deemed inoperable. In early 1961, Cooper took his family to Sun Valley, Idaho, where they regularly vacationed, and where he spent time hiking, hunting, and skiing with Ernest Hemingway. Although he could not accept the honor in person, Cooper earned an Academy Honorary Award in April. About a month later, on May 13, 1961, Cooper passed away.