Howard Hesseman's Net Worth: How Much Was The Actor Worth When He Died?

Since the world learned of the tragic death of Howard Hesseman, social media has been flooded with tributes and memories, with celebrities like Michael McKean taking to Twitter to honor the late actor's legacy. Hesseman's wife, Caroline Ducrocq, told The Hollywood Reporter that he died on January 29 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles of complications after colon surgery last summer. The 81-year-old was a character actor who specialized in off-the-wall characters, but Hesseman's most popular role was disc jockey Johnny Fever on "WKRP in Cincinnati." Hesseman was the second "WKRP" cast member to die in the past year, as fans mourned Frank Bonner's death in June 2021.

The actor talked to The New York Times in 1979 about his iconic "WKRP in Cincinnati" character, saying, "I think maybe Johnny smokes a little marijuana, drinks beer and wine, and maybe a little hard liquor. And on one of those hard mornings at the station, he might take what for many years was referred to as a diet pill." He added, "But he is a moderate user of soft drugs, specifically marijuana." With numerous successful roles under his belt, fans can't help but wonder about Hesseman's net worth. So, how much the actor was worth when he died?

Howard Hesseman was worth $5 million when he died

Fans mourned the death of another celebrity in 2022 with the loss of Howard Hesseman. When he died, Hesseman had an estimated net worth of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actor brought DJ Johnny Fever to life on "WKRP in Cincinnati" from 1978 through 1982. The New York Times noted Hesseman became a countercultural icon because of the "WKRP" role, receiviing Emmy nods in 1980 and '81. Television director Jay Sandrich, who headed up "WKRP" for MTM Enterprises, talked about casting Hesseman as Fever. "Howard had at one time been a DJ," Sandrich said in a 2001 interview with "The Interviews: An Oral History of Television." "He just stepped in and killed it. He knew exactly what he was doing."

While "WKRP" made Hesseman famous, the character actor had over 150 acting credits to his name. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star often acted in edgy and humorous TV and films, such as "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and "This Is Spinal Tap." But Hesseman took his fame from playing Johnny Fever in stride. The "WKRP" actor told the Times, "None of us feel we're doing Shakespeare or Strindberg or anything but we don't feel we're an 8 o'clock show. We've dealt with some sophisticated issues."