What Is Will Arnett's Net Worth and Salary?
Will Arnett is a Canadian actor, voice-over artist, and producer who has a net worth of $45 million. Will Arnett first became famous thanks to his role as Gob Bluth on the hit TV show "Arrested Development," which aired from 2003 to 2006 on Fox and from 2013 to 2019 on Netflix. Arnett has also appeared in a number of popular films, including "Blades of Glory," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Lego Batman Movie." In the Lego universe, Will voices Batman. He also hosts the Fox competition series "LEGO Masters." Arnett's films have grossed a total of over $3.5 billion worldwide. Will co-created and executive produced the television series "Running Wilde" and "Flaked," and he voiced the title character on the animated Netflix show "BoJack Horseman."
In addition to his acting work, Will has been involved in several high-profile endorsement deals, including campaigns for GMC and Netflix. He is also the co-host of the "SmartLess" podcast alongside Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. Interestingly, this podcast has probably become Will's most lucrative source of income in recent years. As we detail in the next section.
SmartLess
Will co-hosts a podcast called "SmartLess" with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. In 2021, Amazon paid somewhere between $60 and $80 million for the exclusive rights to distribute the podcast. In January 2024, Sirius XM Holdings paid $100 million to host the podcast for three years.
Early Life
Will Arnett was born on May 4, 1970, in Toronto, Canada. He is the son of Edith and Emerson James Arnett. After graduating from high school, Will attended Lakefield College School in Lakefield, Ontario, but he was asked to leave after one semester for being a troublemaker. He dropped out of Concordia University in Montreal and moved to New York in 1990 to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. As a teenager, Arnett was encouraged by his mother to pursue an acting career. He auditioned for commercials and developed a love for acting.
Early Career
Will landed his first onscreen role in an independent movie by Felicity Huffman called "Erie." He appeared in several shows that weren't picked up by networks or were canceled after several episodes. His first television pilot was shot in 1996 with Kevin Pollak and Lucy Webb for CBS, but it was not picked up. A few years later, he was in another pilot for "The Mike O'Malley Show" on NBC, but it was canceled after just two episodes. In 2000, Arnett experienced the darkest year of his life, saying that as a response to not getting any work, he "drank those years away." In the summer of 2000, a friend helped pull Will out of his battle with alcoholism. Two years later, he finally landed a role in a series that would stick ("Still Standing"), but his character was written off the show after the first episode. After his fourth failed pilot, Arnett decided he was going to swear off all pilots forever…until he was persuaded to audition for the pilot episode of "Arrested Development."
Success
Arnett won the part of George Oscar "Gob" Bluth II in the Fox comedy series "Arrested Development" in 2003. In 2006, he was nominated for his first Emmy for his performance as Gob. Due to low ratings, the show was canceled after just three seasons despite its overwhelming critical acclaim and massive cult following. In a nod to his character Gob Bluth's penchant for using Europe's "The Final Countdown" during his magic shows, Will played Max the Magician on "Sesame Street." In 2006, he starred in his first leading role in "Let's Go to Prison," directed by Bob Odenkirk. On a budget of $4 million USD, the film earned more than that at the box office and more than $13 million in rentals. Next up was "Blades of Glory," in which he and his then-wife Amy Poehler starred as a brother/sister figure skating duo with an incestuous relationship. The film was #1 at the box office during its first two weeks and made $118 million during its theatrical run.
Arnett also had a recurring role as Devon Banks on "30 Rock," for which he was nominated for four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He earned supporting roles in the films "Spring Breakdown," "Hot Rod," "The Comebacks," and "On Broadway." In "The Brothers Solomon," Arnett again teamed up with Odenkirk. In his second film with Will Ferrell, he played Lou Redwood in the basketball comedy "Semi-Pro." On November 17, 2009, it was announced that Arnett would try to win over real-life wife Amy Poehler in a guest spot in an episode of the popular comedy series "Parks and Recreation." Will played Chris, an MRI technician and possible love interest for Poehler's Leslie Knope, with Justin Theroux appearing in the same episode as yet another suitor. Arnett signed on for one episode, the episode titled "The Set Up," which aired in January 2010.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Arnett began starring in "Running Wilde," which was canceled in January 2011 due to poor ratings. He also starred in "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret" with David Cross. That same year, he appeared in an episode of "The Office" season seven and co-starred with Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph in the NBC TV comedy "Up All Night." He next appeared in the documentary "Mansome," the CBS sitcom "The Millers" (which lasted for two seasons), and 2016's "Flaked." In 2017, he was cast in the recurring role of Mr. Quagmire on the Netflix comedy-drama series "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Will's distinctive deep and gravelly voice has earned him several spots for CBS promos, trailers, and ads. He has also voiced several characters in animated films over the course of his career, including in "The Lego Movie," "The Lego Batman Movie," and "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part." From 2014 to 2020, Arnett voiced the title character on "BoJack Horseman." He has voiced numerous characters on TV and in video games, including "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and "Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard." In 2020, he began hosting a podcast called "SmartLess" with Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman.
Personal Life
Arnett divorced his first wife, Penelope Ann Miller, after a month of marriage. He began dating actress Amy Poehler in 2000. They married in 2003 and starred in several projects together, including "Parks and Recreation," "Arrested Development" and "Blades of Glory." Arnett and Poehler have two children together. They announced their separation in 2012, and their divorce was finalized in 2016. In June 2020, it was announced that Arnett's girlfriend, Alessandra Brawn, had given birth to his third son.
Real Estate
In 2013, Will paid $2.85 million for a home in Beverly Hills. He then demolished the home and built a 4,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, modern structure. In June 2020, he listed the home for sale for $11 million. Arnett took the listing down several months later, apparently choosing to live in the home himself. In early 2021, he sold this house for a little under $8 million.
In August 2021, Will paid $16.4 million for a home in Beverly Hills.
