What Was Raymond Burr's Net Worth and Salary?
Raymond Burr, a renowned Canadian-American actor, possessed a net worth of $15 million at his death in 1993. Burr earned fame for his iconic roles in the CBS legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966) and the NBC crime drama "Ironside" (1967–1975). His performance in "Perry Mason" won him two Primetime Emmy Awards, and he starred in 26 TV movies based on the series. Burr's illustrious career included over 140 acting credits in films such as "I Love Trouble" (1948), "Rear Window" (1954), and "Airplane II: The Sequel" (1982), the miniseries "Centennial" (1978-1979), and TV series like "The Red Skelton Hour" (1963-1970) and "The Love Boat" (1979). Burr also graced the Broadway stage with productions like "Crazy With the Heat" (1941). He tragically passed away from cancer on September 12, 1993, at 76.
Early Life
Raymond William Stacy Burr was born on May 21, 1917, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. His mother, Minerva, was a music teacher, and his father, William, a hardware salesman. After his parents' divorce when Burr was six, he moved to Vallejo, California, with his mother and siblings. He attended San Rafael Military Academy briefly and graduated from Berkeley High School. Burr continued his education at Long Beach Junior College and taught at San Jose Junior College for a semester. He started acting at 12, debuting on stage with a Vancouver stock company.
Actor Raymond Burr (Photo by John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Career
In 1934, Burr joined a Toronto repertory theatre that toured Canada. He later joined a company that performed in England, Australia, and India. By 1937, he became involved with the Pasadena Playhouse and later relocated to New York, appearing in his first Broadway play, "Crazy With the Heat." Burr returned to California to teach at Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in nearly 50 films from 1946 to 1957. His work included films like "San Quentin" (1946) and "Rear Window" (1954). In 1957, Burr landed the title role in "Perry Mason," running for nine seasons and earning two Primetime Emmys.
He reprised his role in 26 TV movies, with "Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss" being his final project. From 1967 to 1975, Burr starred as Robert T. Ironside in "Ironside," also featuring in the 1993 movie "The Return of Ironside." Post "Perry Mason," Burr continued his film career with notable roles in "Desire in the Dust" (1960) and "Airplane II: The Sequel" (1982). He portrayed Pope John XXIII in "Portrait: A Man Whose Name Was John" (1973) and starred as R. B. Kingston in "Kingston: Confidential" (1976-1977). Burr received acclaim for his performance in the miniseries "Centennial" (1978-1979), earning a Golden Globe nomination.
Personal Life
In 1943, Raymond Burr met actress Isabella Ward at the Pasadena Playhouse and rekindled their relationship in 1947. They married on January 10, 1948, but separated shortly after, finalizing their divorce in 1952. In 1960, Burr met actor Robert Benevides on the set of "Perry Mason." Benevides, a Korean War veteran, later served as a production consultant on Burr's projects. The two owned a vineyard and orchid business and remained partners until Burr's death in 1993. Burr kept his homosexuality private, with the media reporting it posthumously. He was philanthropic, donating earnings from "Perry Mason" to charity and supporting organizations like Save the Children.
Burr sponsored over 25 foster children and contributed significantly to McGeorge School of Law, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, and the American Fijian Foundation. He made several USO trips, with NBC documenting his visit to Vietnam in 1967.
(Photo by © Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images)
Death
In the spring of 1993, Burr was filming "Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss" when he fell ill. His condition, diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma, spread to his liver, making it inoperable. Burr hosted "goodbye parties" before passing away on September 12, 1993, at his Sonoma County ranch. He was buried beside his parents in Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster. A private memorial service was held at the Pasadena Playhouse with 600 attendees. Burr's estate was primarily left to Robert Benevides, with unsuccessful challenges from Burr's relatives. Reports suggested his estate was worth more than $30 million, but his attorney contested this.
Awards and Honors
Raymond Burr garnered nine Primetime Emmy nominations, winning Best Actor for "Perry Mason" in 1959 and 1961. He received six nominations for his role in "Ironside." Burr earned Golden Globe nominations for "Ironside" and a Photoplay Award nomination for "Perry Mason." He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and Canada's Walk of Fame in 2009. In 2023, "Perry Mason" was inducted into the Online Film & Television Association Hall of Fame. TV Guide ranked Burr #44 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" list, and he was featured on a Canadian postage stamp in 2008. The Canadian Legends Award honored him in 2009.
