What was John Mahoney’s net worth and salary?
John Mahoney, an English-born/American actor, had a net worth of $16 million at the time of his death in 2018. He was best known for his role on the long-running sitcom “Frasier”, appearing in all 264 episodes of the show.
John Mahoney’s Estate Valued at More Than Reported $5 Million
Despite news reports valuing John Mahoney’s estate at “just” $5 million, this number is disputed. Probate filings typically only disclose an estimate of a person’s liquid assets at the time of their death and do not include money set up in trust prior to death. Given that Mahoney earned over $40 million from his time on Frasier alone, the $5 million estimate is inaccurate. Additionally, Mahoney was known for being frugal, living in modest apartments during his time on Frasier and in Chicago.
John Mahoney’s $38.4 Million Earnings for Last Two Seasons of Frasier
John negotiated a new contract for season 10 of Frasier that paid him $500,000 per episode, a significant increase from the estimated $150,000 he had been earning per episode for the previous several seasons. Between seasons 6 and 9, he earned $150,000 per episode across 96 episodes, totaling $14.4 million before taxes. However, over the final two seasons’ 48 episodes, John earned $24 million, bringing his pre-tax earnings for just half the series to $38.4 million.
Early Life and Career
John Mahoney was born in Blackpool, UK, and was the seventh of eight children. His family was evacuated to Blackpool during World War II and later moved back to Manchester after the war ended. Mahoney moved to the United States with his older sister and briefly studied at Quincy University before joining the US Army to speed up his citizenship process, which he received in 1959. He worked as an English teacher at Western Illinois University and as an editor of a medical journal before pursuing a career in acting.
With the encouragement of John Malkovich, Mahoney joined the Steppenwolf Theatre and won the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Male Actor. He also won a Tony Award for Best Actor for his performance in the House of Blues Leaves.
John Mahoney’s Success in Theater and TV
John Mahoney was a successful theater actor before becoming world-renowned for his role as Martin Crane in the hit comedy Frasier. He received numerous Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his performance and appeared in 263 of the show’s 264 episodes. After Frasier, Mahoney continued to be a regular on TV, films, and on the stage. He also won awards as a voice actor, providing his voice for The Simpsons and the 1998 animated film, Antz.
On February 4, 2018, John Mahoney passed away at the age of 77.
