What was Rip Taylor’s Net Worth?

Rip Taylor, the exuberant American actor and comedian, has died at the age of 84, leaving behind a net worth of $3 million. Taylor was well-known for his appearances on late night shows and in a variety of television shows and films. He made his debut in 1962 as a voice actor for The Jetsons TV series and went on to star in many movies including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Indecent Proposal. Taylor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992 and was the grand marshal of Washington D.C.’s Capital Pride parade in 2006.

Taylor’s Early Life and Military Service

Taylor was born in 1931 in Washington, D.C. His father was a musician and his mother a former government clerk turned waitress. After his father’s death when Taylor was two, he was placed in foster care where he experienced abuse and bullying. He attended Capitol Page School for high school and worked as a congressional page before serving in the Korean War as a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. While in the military, he performed for troops in Tokyo and Korea.

Rip Taylor’s Career Highlights

Rip Taylor began his nightclub career in the mid-1950s, performing humorous songs and pantomiming records in strip clubs and comedy clubs. He gained popularity and began booking upscale gigs, leading to appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” over 20 times. Taylor also appeared in television shows and films such as “The Jackie Gleason Show,” “The Monkees,” and “Here Comes the Grump.” He became a recurring guest panelist on various talk shows and game shows in the 1970s, as well as a regular on “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.” Taylor continued making guest appearances in the 1990s and 2000s on shows such as “Will & Grace” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” and also performed in live theater, including on Broadway in “Sugar Babies” in 1981. In 2010, he performed the one-man show “It Ain’t All Confetti,” sharing personal stories about his life and career.

Rip Taylor’s Personal Life and Death

Rip Taylor was married to Rusty Rowe, a Las Vegas showgirl, but they divorced during the early 1960s. Taylor’s sexuality was the subject of rumors, with some referring to him as openly gay, which he never confirmed nor denied. At the time of his death, Taylor was in a long-term relationship with Robert Fortney according to his publicist.

Taylor died on October 6, 2019, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, following a hospitalization for an epileptic seizure. Heart failure was listed as a contributing cause of death on his death certificate. His ashes were subsequently scattered at sea in Hawaii.

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