| Celebrated Name: | Jackie Gleason |
|---|---|
| Real Name/Full Name: | John Herbert Gleason |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age at the time of death: | 71 years old |
| Birth Date: | 26 February 1916 |
| Date of Death: | 24 June 1987 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.77 M |
| Weight: | 113 Kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wife/Spouse (Name): | Marilyn Gleason (m. 1975–1987), Beverly McKittrick (m. 1970–1975), Genevieve Halford (m. 1936–1970) |
| Children: | Yes (Linda Miller, Geraldine Gleason) |
| Dating/Girlfriend (Name): |
N/A |
| Profession: | Comedian, Actor, and Musician |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $10 Million |
| Last Updated: | December 2024 |
Jackie Gleason was a popular American actor, comedian, writer, and composer. He is best known for the TV Series “The Honeymooners,” where he played the role of a bus driver named Ralph Kramden. He created and starred in the TV show “The Jackie Gleason Show,” which received high ratings from the mid-1950s to 1970. His 1st music album “Music for Lovers Only,” was a part of the Billboard Top Ten Charts for 153 weeks, which is still an unbroken record.
Maybe you know about Jackie Gleason very well, But do you know how old was he at the time of his death and what is his net worth in 2024? If you do not know, We have prepared this article about details of Jackie Gleason’s short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, today’s net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. Well, if you’re ready, let’s start.
Early Life & Biography
Jackie Gleason, whose full name is John Herbert Gleason, was born on 26 February 1916 in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. He was born to parents Herbert Walton Gleason, who worked as an insurance auditor and Mae Maisie Murphy. He had a brother, Clement J, but he died in 1919 at the tender age of 14 years because of meningitis.
On 15th December 1925, Jackie’s father left his family and never returned. Soon, Jackie’s mother, Mae, started working as a subway attendant for the BMT (Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation). For his schooling, he attended the John Adams High School in Queens and Bushwick High School in Brooklyn. He never completed his schooling and instead landed a job at a theater as master of ceremonies where he made$4 per night. He got into different jobs at that time as well, which included working in a pool hall, stunt driver, and carnival barker. His mother died in 1935 when he was just 19 years old. He then got into a handsomely paying week-long gig at Reading, Pennsylvania, following which he got regular work in small clubs.
Personal Life
Jackie Gleason married dancer Genevieve Halford on 20th September 1936, whom he initially met while working in vaudeville. Genevieve gave birth to daughter Geraldine in 1940 and daughter Linda who was born in 1942. They separated informally in 1951, but the divorce wasn’t finalized until 1970. Jackie then married Beverly McKittrick on the 4th of July 1970, just ten days after his divorce with his former wife was finalized.
He met Beverly at a Country Club, where she worked as a secretary. The marriage, however, couldn’t last long as they got divorced just five years later in 1975. Jackie then married dancer Marilyn Taylor on the 16th of December 1975, who he first met during the filming of his TV show. The marriage lasted until Gleason’s death in 1987.
Age, Height, and Weight
Being born on 26 February 1916, Jackie Gleason was 71 years old at the time of his death. His height was 1.77 M tall and weighed 113 kg.
Career
Jackie Gleason was working at New York’s Club 18 where was first noticed by Jack L. Warner. Jackie then signed to a film contract where the weekly payment would be $250. This led him to work in films like “Navy Blues” (1941), “All Through the Night” (1941), and more. He first tasted success on Broadway when he made an appearance in the well-received musical “Follow the Girls” (1944).
His first big break happened five years later in 1949 when he grabbed the role of an aircraft worker in the TV series “The Life of Riley.” The show had average ratings, and the reviews were positive as well, but the show was canceled just after one year. He then went on to host the TV series “Cavalcade of Stars” in 1950. The show was later renamed as “The Jackie Gleason Show,” and it was America’s second-highest-rated TV show during the 1954-55 season. He developed many characters on the show, which were all very well-loved by the viewers, especially the character of Fenwick Babbitt, who was shown working at different jobs and failing in all of them.
He then developed and starred in the TV series “The Honeymooners,” which revolved around the character of the bus driver Ralph Kramden, which remains the most popular character ever created by Jackie Gleason. The first episode of the show was aired on the 1st of October 1955 on CBS. The show became so popular that in 2000, a statue of Jackie as Ralph Kramden was installed outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.
When it comes to his music career, his first music album “Music for Lovers Only” was a part of the Billboard Top Ten charts for 153 weeks, which is still an unbroken record. Also, his first ten albums have sold north of 1 million copies each. When it comes to his movie career, his best work was in the movie, “The Hustler” (1961), for which he was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. His other greatly appreciated performance was in the movie “Requiem for a Heavyweight” (1962).
Awards & Achievements
Jackie Gleason has several Awards and Achievements to his name. Some of them are mentioned below:
- He has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the movie “The Hustler” at the 34th Academy Award in 1961.
- His album “Music for Lovers Only” was a part of the Billboard Top Ten charts for 153 weeks, which is still an unbroken record.
- Miami Beach Auditorium was renamed as the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts in 1987, in his honor.
- He was the winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in the musical “Take Me Along” in 1960.
- He was the winner of the Peabody Award in 1960.
Net Worth & Salary of Jackie Gleason in 2024
Jackie Gleason died on the 24th of June 1987. Till then, he had accumulated a Net Worth of $10 Million as of December 2024. He has earned most of his earnings from singing and acting career. His first ten music album has sold over a million copies each. His TV show “The Jackie Gleason Show” and “The Honeymooners” have maintained great responses through the years. He has appeared in numerous films as well, including “The Hustler,” where he has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award as well. All of this has ultimately led to his great Net Worth.
Jackie Gleason had a great acting career and singing career as well. He followed his passion and kept working towards improving himself and honing his craft, even towards the end of his life when he was suffering from Cancer. This is a lesson that we can all learn from his life and apply it ourselves. We are pretty sure that the memories of him will continue to live on in all our hearts forever.