What Is Dana Carvey's Net Worth and Salary?
Dana Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian who has a net worth of $20 million. Dana Carvey rose to fame as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1986-1993), where he created iconic characters, including the Church Lady, Garth Algar, and his spot-on impression of President George H.W. Bush. His Bush impression became so notable that he even performed it at the White House.
Before SNL, Carvey did stand-up comedy and appeared in small TV and film roles. His breakthrough film came with "Wayne's World" (1992) and its 1993 sequel, where he played Garth alongside Mike Myers' Wayne Campbell, expanding their popular SNL sketches into box office hits. Despite this success, Carvey's film career had mixed results with movies like "Clean Slate" (1994) and "The Master of Disguise" (2002). Health issues affected his career trajectory when he underwent multiple heart bypass surgeries in the late 1990s, including one that was performed incorrectly.
Dana remains a successful stand-up comedian—something he has maintained focus on throughout his career. Since 2022, he has co-hosted the podcast "Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade."
Early Life
Dana Thomas Carvey was born on June 2, 1955, in Missoula, Montana. Raised in a Lutheran household alongside four siblings, Dana moved to San Carlos, California, at the age of three. His brother Brad designed the Video Toaster, a type of video editing/production software and hardware. Brad also provided visual effects work for a number of movies, including "Men In Black" and "Black Hawk Down." Dana would later base the character of "Garth" in "Wayne's World" on his older, nerdy brother Brad.
While growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dana was given a drum kit and at an early age and started practicing. While attending high school, he became a member of the Central Coast Section champion cross-country team. After graduating, Carvey enrolled at the College of San Mateo. He then transferred to San Francisco State University, earning his bachelor's degree in broadcast communications.
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Career
By 1977, Dana Carvey was an established stand-up comedian. His first major achievement came when he won the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition that year. In the early '80s, Dana had transitioned to film work with an early (minor) role in "Halloween II." He followed up next year with a much more substantial role in the sitcom "One of the Boys" alongside Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane, and Meg Ryan. In 1984, he booked another small role in the film "This is Spinal Tap." Next, he appeared in the TV series "Blue Thunder," although much like his previous TV gig, this one was short-lived.
In 1986, Dana got his big break. He joined Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster in the cast of "Tough Guys," and this role succeeded in putting him on the map in terms of the entertainment world. Hosting roles were offered for TV game shows, but Dana ultimately chose to join "Saturday Night Live" instead. This made him an even more prominent figure in the entertainment world, and he was one of the key figures that saved the show from declining ratings.
During his time on "Saturday Night Live," Dana became famous for a range of characters in various skits, including the so-called "Church Lady" and Garth Algar, who would later appear in the film "Wayne's World." During this period, Carvey impersonated George H. W. Bush. By 1992, he had joined Mike Myers in the film "Wayne's World." Just one year later, he reprised his role as Garth in the film "Wayne's World 2."
As a new father, Carvey decided to focus more on his family over the next period. This resulted in him turning down hosting positions and a role in the film "Bad Boys." In 1994, he starred in the film "Clean Slate." In 1996, he led the short-lived "Dana Carvey Show," which helped launch the careers of Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. During this period, he appeared in the movie "Little Nicky."
In 2002, Dana's career nosedived after he starred in "Master of Disguise," which is widely considered one of the worst films of all time. It was so badly received by critics that Carvey retreated from the public limelight until 2011. That year, he appeared in another flop called "Jack and Jill." This second failure prompted Carvey to back away from public life altogether. He spent the next period focusing on stand-up comedy and making rare appearances in comedy sketch shows.
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Relationships
In 1979, Dana Carvey married his childhood sweetheart, Leah. During their marriage, Dana developed romantic feelings for another woman, Paula Zwagerman. As a result of this new relationship, Carvey and Leah divorced in 1980—just one year after their marriage. Dana then became engaged to Paula, and they married in 1983. Over the course of their relationship, Paula and Dana had two children together.
Medical Issues
Dana had heart bypass surgery in 1997 for a blocked coronary artery, but unfortunately, the procedure did not go as planned. The surgeon mistakenly operated on the wrong artery, as the blocked coronary was hidden behind a muscle mass. Because of this botched surgery, Carvey continued to suffer from angina pectoris long after the surgery. Eventually, he sued for medical malpractice and was awarded $8 million in damages.
He subsequently donated this money to charity. Over the next few years, Dana continued to suffer from heart problems, and he required additional procedures to correct these issues. When he was in hospital for his final angioplasty, Frank Sinatra died in the hospital room adjacent to him.
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Real Estate
In 1999, it was reported that Dana Carvey paid $3.75 million for a property in Ross, a town in Northern California's Marin County. Adjusting for inflation, that's almost $6 million in today's money. Architect Gardiner Dailey and landscape artist Thomas Church both had a hand in the property's creation. It's actually unclear if this purchase officially ended up closing. Real estate records on the property today show that it was sold in 1983 for $800,000 and then again in 2003 for $5.4 million. Dana's name does not appear on the ownership records, though he may have purchased through a trust.
It is known that Dana in 1993, Dana and his wife paid $1.6 million for a home in Mill Valley, California. They continue to own this home today, and it's now worth $6-7 million. They made it available as a rental for $17,000 per month in September 2024.
