What was Chuck Connors' Net Worth?
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player who had a net worth of $5 million at the time of his death. Born in Brooklyn, New York in April 1921, Connors passed away in November 1992. He was one of only 13 athletes to play in both Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. Connors later embarked on a 40-year acting career, most famously portraying Lucas McCain in the TV series "The Rifleman."
Connors played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, and basketball for the Rochester Royals, with whom he won a championship in 1946, and the Boston Celtics. Although drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears, he never played for the team.
As an actor, Connors amassed over 130 credits, starring in "The Rifleman" from 1958 to 1963 and "Arrest and Trial" from 1963 to 1964. He also appeared in TV series such as "Branded," "Cowboy in Africa," "The Yellow Rose," and "Werewolf." Connors was nominated for an Emmy for his role in the 1977 miniseries "Roots" and hosted the annual Chuck Connors Charitable Invitational Golf Tournament via his charitable foundation. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. Connors died on November 10, 1992, of pneumonia related to lung cancer, attributed to his habit of smoking three packs of cigarettes a day until his 50s.
Early Life
Chuck Connors was born Kevin Joseph Connors on April 10, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York City, to Marcella and Alban Francis "Allan" Connors, Irish immigrants from Newfoundland and Labrador. He had one younger sister named Gloria. His father became a U.S. citizen in 1914 and worked as a longshoreman by 1930, while his mother attained citizenship in 1917. Connors grew up as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and aspired to join the team. He attended Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn on a scholarship, graduating in 1939, and later attended Seton Hall University in New Jersey on an athletic scholarship, playing both basketball and baseball.
Athletic Career
Connors left Seton Hall after two years to pursue a professional baseball career, playing for minor league teams in 1940 and 1942. During World War II, he served as a tank-warfare instructor in the United States Army. After the war, he played for various baseball teams, including the Newport News Dodgers, Mobile Bears, Montreal Royals, and Los Angeles Angels. Concurrently, he played professional basketball, joining the Rochester Royals for the 1945-46 season and the Boston Celtics for their inaugural 1946-47 season, during which he famously became the first professional basketball player to break a backboard. Despite attending spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, Connors did not make the team, leading him to transition to acting.
(Getty Images)
Acting Career
Connors debuted in the 1952 film "Pat and Mike" and starred opposite Burt Lancaster in "South Sea Woman" (1953) and John Wayne in "Trouble Along the Way" (1953). His acting career flourished when he landed the lead role of Lucas McCain in "The Rifleman," airing from 1958 to 1963. Connors continued to appear in feature films like "The Big Country," "Move Over Darling," "Soylent Green," and "Airplane II: The Sequel." He also made numerous television appearances in shows like "Hey, Jeannie!," "The Loretta Young Show," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Screen Directors Playhouse," "Four Star Playhouse," "Matinee Theatre," "The Millionaire," "General Electric Theater," "The Restless Gun," "Here's Lucy," and "The Virginian." On July 18, 1984, Connors was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life and Death
Connors was married three times. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Jane Riddell Connors on October 1, 1948, with whom he had four sons—Michael, Jeffrey, Stephen, and Kevin—before their divorce in 1961. He married Kamala Devi in 1963 after co-starring in "Geronimo", and they divorced in 1973. Connors then married Faith Quabius in 1977, after both acted in "Soylent Green," divorcing two years later. A lifelong supporter of the Republican Party, Connors attended fundraisers for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He also had a friendship with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, who was a fan of "The Rifleman." Connors died on November 10, 1992, from lung cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
