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 in 1992. Chuck Connors was one of only 13 athletes to have ever played in both Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, then he had a 40-year acting career. He was best known for playing the role of Lucas McCain in the TV series "The Rifleman."
As a baseball player, Connors played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. He played for the Rochester Royals in the NBA and won a championship in 1946. He also joined the newly formed Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America. Chuck was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears but never suited up for the team.
As an actor, he had over 130 acting credits to his name. Connors starred in "The Rifleman" from 1958 to 1963 and the TV series "Arrest and Trial" from 1963 to 1964. He also starred in the TV series "Branded," "Cowboy in Africa," "The Yellow Rose," and "Werewolf." He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance in the TV miniseries "Roots" in 1977. He also hosted the annual Chuck Connors Charitable Invitational Golf Tournament through the Chuck Connors Charitable Foundation. Chuck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 at 6838 Hollywood Blvd. Chuck Connors passed away on November 10, 1992, at the age of 71 from pneumonia related to lung cancer. He reportedly smoked three packs of cigarettes a day until he was in his 50s.
Early Life
Chuck Connors was born Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors on April 10, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York City. He was the son of Marcella and Alban Francis "Allan" Connors, immigrants of Irish descent from Newfoundland and Labrador. Chuck grew up with his younger sister, Gloria. His father had become a citizen of the United States in 1914 and was working in Brooklyn in 1930 as a longshoreman. His mother had attained her U.S. citizenship in 1917. Growing up, Connors was a devoted fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and hoped to one day join the team. While attending a preparatory school in Brooklyn, he earned a scholarship to the Adelphi Academy, which he graduated from in 1939. He then received offers for athletic scholarships from more than two dozen colleges and universities. Chuck decided to attend Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. While there, he played both basketball and baseball.
Athletic Career
Connors left Seton Hall after two years to accept a contract to play professional baseball. He played on two minor league teams in 1940 and 1942. He then joined the United States Army following the country's entrance into World War II. During most of the war, he served as a tank warfare instructor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and later at West Point in New York.
Following his time in the Army, Connors played for the Newport News Dodgers in 1946, the Mobile Bears in 1947, the Montreal Royals from 1948 to 1950, and the Los Angeles Angels from 1951 to 1952. He was also playing professional basketball around this time. Chuck joined the Rochester Royals for their 1945 to 1946 championship season. For the 1946 to 1947 season, he joined the newly formed Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America. During his tenure with the Celtics, Connors became the first professional basketball player to break a backboard. He played 53 games for Boston before leaving the team early in the 1947 to 1948 season.
Connors is one of 13 athletes to have played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. He attended spring training in 1948 with Major League Baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers, but he did not make the squad. After Chuck realized he would not have a long-lasting career in professional sports, he decided to pursue a career in acting.
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Acting Career
In 1952, Connors appeared in the Tracy-Hepburn film "Pat and Mike." In 1953, he starred opposite Burt Lancaster in the film "South Sea Woman" and then as an American football coach opposite John Wayne in "Trouble Along the Way." In 1956, he was featured in an episode of "The Comeback" and then in the film "Old Yeller" in 1957.
Connors appeared in his most prominent role in 1958 when he beat 40 other actors for the lead in "The Rifleman," widowed rancher Lucas McCain. The ABC Western series aired from 1958 to 1963. Chuck also acted in a number of feature films like "The Big Country," "Move Over Darling," "Soylent Green," and "Airplane II: The Sequel." Some of his other television appearances include roles on 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 awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over 200 of his close friends attended the ceremony.
Personal Life and Death
Chuck was married three times in his life. He began a relationship with Elizabeth Jane Riddell after meeting at one of his baseball games, and they married on October 1, 1948. They welcomed sons Michael, Jeffrey, Stephen, and Kevin together before divorcing in 1961. In 1963, Connors married his "Geronimo" co-star Kamala Devi. They also appeared in a number of other films together before divorcing in 1973. Chuck married his third wife, Faith Quabius, in 1977. They had both appeared in the film "Soylent Green" together. After two years of marriage, they divorced in 1979.
Connors was a supporter of the Republican Party and attended several fundraisers for campaigns for U.S. President Richard M. Nixon. He also backed Barry Goldwater, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Chuck had a friendly relationship with Leonard Brezhnev, the leader of the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s. Brezhnev was a big fan of "The Rifleman," and it was one of the only American programs permitted to be broadcast in the Soviet Union.
Connors died on November 10, 1992, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 71 of lung cancer. He is buried in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
