David Brenner Net Worth

What Was David Brenner's Net Worth?

David Brenner was an American comedian, author, actor, director, and producer with a net worth of $4 million at the time of his death in 2014. He starred in four HBO stand-up comedy specials, including the 2000 special 'David Brenner: Back with a Vengeance!' which he also produced. He released comedy albums such as 'Excuse Me, Are You Reading That Paper?' (1983) and 'Leave 'Em Laughing' (2009). Before his comedy career, Brenner wrote, produced, or directed over 100 television documentaries and won an Emmy for his work. He made his TV debut on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' in 1971 and became the show's most frequent guest with more than 150 appearances.

As an actor, Brenner appeared in films like 'Worth Winning' (1989) and 'Chickboxin' Underground' (1999), and guest-starred on 'Arli$$' (2001) and 'Modern Family' (2010). He was ranked #53 on Comedy Central's list of the '100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time' in 2004. He authored several books, including 'Soft Pretzels With Mustard' (1983) and 'I Think There's a Terrorist in My Soup' (2003). A respected radio host, Brenner was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. He passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 15, 2014, at the age of 78.

Early Life

David Norris Brenner was born on February 4, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Jewish, and his father, Louis, adopted the stage name Lou Murphy for his career as a vaudeville comedian, dancer, and singer. Despite his success, Louis gave up his career to honor his father's wishes. Brenner often sent his parents on cruises after finding success, and they both died on the Queen Elizabeth 2, two years apart. In high school, David was voted 'Class Comedian' and was elected class president each year. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army as a cryptographer for the 595th Signal Corps in Germany. Post-discharge, Brenner majored in mass communication at Temple University, graduating with honors.

Career

Brenner began his career writing, producing, or directing 115 television documentaries and was the head of documentary units at Metromedia and Westinghouse Broadcasting. He earned numerous awards for his documentary work, including an Emmy. His first comedy gig was in mid-1969 at The Improv. He regularly performed at Greenwich Village clubs and became the most frequent guest on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,' guest-hosting the show 75 times. He also appeared on a variety of notable shows, including 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' 'The Dean Martin Comedy World,' and 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien.'

In 1976, Brenner was cast in the lead role on NBC's 'Snip,' but the series was shelved due to concerns over a gay character. He hosted 'Nightlife' and several radio programs, receiving accolades from the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Brenner appeared in the films 'When Stand-Up Comics Ruled the World' (2004), 'The Aristocrats' (2005), and 'When Jews Were Funny' (2013).

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Personal Life

Brenner married Geraldine Leno from June 1964 to December 1967. He had a son, Cole, with Charisse Brody, winning custody in 1992. He married Elizabeth Slater in 2000, and they had two sons, Slade (born 1995) and Wyatt (born 1998). They divorced in 2003, and Brenner won custody again. He was briefly engaged to Tai Babilonia in 2005 and married Ruth Davey in 2011, remaining together until his death.

Death

David Brenner died of pancreatic cancer on March 15, 2014, at 78 years old in his Manhattan home. According to his last will and testament, he wanted a simple gravestone with the words: 'Here lies David Brenner. He lived, he died, but MAN DID HE LIVE!' He requested to be laid to rest in New York City and left $500,000 to his close friend Kenneth Cole while bequeathing the rest of his estate to his children.

He also joked about his funeral arrangements, giving comedians permission to use funny lines they might think of during his funeral for their acts, but asking that they refrain from reusing his material.