What Is Harland Williams' Net Worth?
Harland Williams is a Canadian American comedian, author, illustrator, and actor who has a net worth of $3.5 million. Harland Williams began his career in stand-up comedy in the late 1980s before transitioning to film and television in the 1990s. He has appeared in dozens of films and television shows, notably comedic films such as "Dumb and Dumber" (1994), "Half Baked" (1998), "There's Something About Mary" (1998) and "Sorority Boys" (2002). Beyond acting, Williams has voiced characters in animated series and films, written and illustrated children's books, and released comedy albums.
Early Years
Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Canada. He is the son of attorney John Reesor Williams and Lorraine Mary (O'Donnell), a writer and social worker. Williams grew up in the Toronto neighborhood of Willowdale. In 1983, he entered Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, a public polytechnic institute partnered with a private Canadian college, where he studied animation and media arts. While in college, Harland was employed as a forest ranger in the town of Fort Frances in Northwestern Ontario.
Television
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in 1984 while attending college. He relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1992, where he performed stand-up comedy and appeared as a guest performer on the television show "Late Night with David Letterman" in 1993.
Harland went on to perform his stand-up comedy routines on additional late-night talk shows such as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
Williams has appeared in small roles in numerous television shows and recurring roles in others. He appeared in 21 episodes of the sitcom "Simon" in 1995 and 1996 and 22 episodes of "The Geena Davis Show" from 2000 to 2001.
In 2007, Harland portrayed Sherriff Roscoe P. Coltrane in "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning," a made-for-television comedy film based on the popular weekly television show.
Williams voiced several characters in animated television productions, such as Sam's father in a 2001 episode of "Family Guy" and Professor Cornelius Q. Quibblefingers in a 2011 episode of "Robot Chicken." Harland's longer stints at voice work included six episodes of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" between 2011 to 2015 and 19 episodes of "Skylanders Academy" in 2016.
The children's animated television series "Puppy Dog Pals" was created by Williams and debuted on Disney Junior in 2017. The series aired until 2023.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Film
Harland made his film debut as a state trooper in the 1994 comedy film "Dumb and Dumber," which starred Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. In the years that followed, Williams would secure small roles in dozens of films, such as 1998's "There's Something About Mary," in which he portrayed the uncredited role of a hitchhiker.
Animated Films
Harland voiced several animated film characters, including the giraffe in 2008's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and Norman Pickering in 2019's "The Adams Family."
Books
Williams has written and illustrated several children's books. His series about Lickety Split the Dinosaur includes "Lickety Split, School's Cool," "Lickety Split Meets the Fire Puffin," and "You've Lost Your Marbles, Lickety Split." Among other children's books written and illustrated by Harland are "The Things You Don't Know You Don't Know," "The Kid with Too Many Pets," "Hawaii Pug-O," and "Crazy Creatures."
Williams has written several short collections for adults, including "Crave: A Collection of Short Stories," "Journeys: A Collection of Short Stories," "Don't Look Under the Bed: A Collection of Short Stories," and "Sex, Sin & Satan: A Collection of Short Stories."
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Podcast
Williams has a bi-weekly podcast called "The Harland Highway," a show of comedy and commentary.
Accolades
Harland won the award for Best Improviser on a 2007 episode of NBC's primetime show "Thank God You're Here," a partially improvised comedy television series presided over by a judge.
In 2010, Williams was nominated for two Bonehead Awards for "Fudgy Wudgy Fudge Face," a film he wrote and directed about an unidentified flying object crashing on earth and its occupant meeting the dumbest man in the world. The following year, he and the cast of "Dahmer vs. Gacy" won an Action on Film Award for Outstanding Cast Performance.
In 2013, Harland was nominated for two Behind the Voice Actors Awards for the animated film "Robot and Monster" – one for Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series and one for Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Harland previously married actress Wendi Kenya. On January 23, 2001, he filed a marriage dissolution lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Harland's brother, Steve "Spaz" Williams, is special effects artist, film director and animator who worked on such films as "The Hunt for Red October" and "Jurassic Park." Harland's cousin is Kevin Hearn, keyboardist in the Canadian rock band "Barenaked Ladies."
Williams became an American citizen in 2009.
In February 1998, Harland paid $784,000 for a home in Los Angeles. Today this home is worth around $2 million.
