The Business of Robin Williams, by the Numbers
ABC News' John Kapetaneas reports:
The late Robin Williams' most iconic roles touched many of our hearts: he made us laugh, he made us cry, he made us experience the theater, stage and television like so few in his craft could. But Robin Williams, who died at 63 Monday in a suspected suicide , was also an economy in himself.
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Here is Robin Williams by the numbers:
- As an actor and producer, Williams' movies have grossed over $6 billion at the worldwide box office. He is credited 68 times in leading, supporting, cameo, producer and other miscellaneous roles.
- He has been credited as a leading man 32 times, movies that have generated $3.7 billion worldwide with Williams' name at the headline (or roughly $115.6 million per film, on average).
- Williams was paid in 1992 just $75,000, the Screen Actors Guild scale, for the voice of the iconic Genie in "Aladdin." The film would go on to become a blockbuster, generating over $500 million at the worldwide box office.
- Williams was married three times: first to Valerie Velardi, with whom he had his first child (often credited with his early sobriety); then to Marsha Garces, with whom he had two children; and, finally, to Susan Schneider in 2011.
- His net worth at the time of his death was reportedly around $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, although it has been estimated as high as $130 million.
- His first starring role in "Popeye" paid the then 29-year-old actor $500,000. His highest-paying movie, 1999's "Bicentennial Man." paid him a reported $20 million, putting him in the same echelon as Will Smith, Sandra Bullock and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Williams' early TV career included the breakout role as the quirky alien Mork in "Mork and Mindy." He signed a contract reportedly valued at $3 million over five years. The show ran for 92 episodes, giving Williams an average of $32,600 per episode. By contrast, his 2013 show, "The Crazy Ones," paid him $165,000 per episode.
- "Mork and Mindy" was the third-most popular television series of the 1978-79 season (behind "Laverne and Shirley" and "Three's Company"). The show averaged 55 to 60 million viewers per week. By comparison, this year's most-watched sitcom, "The Big Bang Theory," averages just under 20 million viewers per week.
In other business news:
The U.S. Postal Service is losing even more money. Despite seeing increased revenue across all products, the USPS reported a nearly $2 billion loss in the latest quarter, a significant increase from a $740 million loss this time last year. The agency has seen decreasing volumes for a number of years, and faces growing operational expenses, as well as increased consumer preference for private shipping companies such as FedEx and UPS.
After a positive day in worldwide markets Monday, markets were mixed this morning across Europe and Asia. U.S. futures are up slightly. Gold is up $2.60 to $1,313 per ounce.