What was Joyce Randolph's net worth?
Joyce Randolph was an American actress who had a net worth of $4 million at the time of her death in January 2024. Joyce Randolph was best known for starring as Trixie Norton in the television series "The Honeymooners." She appeared in all 39 of the show's episodes, which aired one season between October 1955 and September 1956.
With the death of Jackie Gleason in 1987, Audrey Meadows in 1996 and Art Carney in 2003, Joyce Randolph became the last surviving member of "The Honeymooners" until her death on January 13, 2024 at the age of 99.
Early Life and Early Career
Joyce Randolph was born on October 21, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan. After high school she took a job working at Saks Fifth Avenue in Detroit.
Her show business career began with an audition for the touring company of a production of a play called "Stage Door." In 1943, at the age of 19, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career full-time. She soon landed roles on Broadway and some small television and commercial parts. Crucially, she landed a commercial for for the chewing gum company, Clorets. That commercial caught the eye of one Jackie Gleason, who at the time was starring and producing a series called "Cavalcade of Stars," which was the precursor to "The Jackie Gleason Show." Gleason cast her in a skit and loved her work. Technically, she was not the first actress to portray Trixie Norton. Elaine Stritch actually held the part first in the original incarnation on "Cavalcade of Stars."
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The Honeymooners/The Jackie Gleason Show
What eventually became "The Honeymooners" began as a series of skits on "Cavalcade of Stars." This is where Joyce first began playing her soon-to-be iconic role of Trixie Norton. She would go on to appear in all 39 of "The Honeymooners" episodes. She then revived the role on 79 episodes of "The Jackie Gleason Show" between 1952 and 1957.
Honeymooners Residuals
Despite the show's ongoing popularity with new generations, Joyce did not receive any residuals from those original 39 episodes. The only cast member who did receive royalties was Audrey Meadows. Meadows' brother Edward, a lawyer negotiating as her manager, wisely inserted a clause into her original contract which entitled her to be paid whenever the show was re-broadcast.
Joyce Randolph did receive royalties when the "lost" episodes of "The Honeymooners," – the episodes that aired on "Cavalcade of Stars" were released and syndicated.
After The Honeymooners
After The Honeymooners, Joyce continued to act, primarily on stage and in commercials, but also in television shows. In 1991 she reprised her role as Trixie in an episode of the show "Hi Honey, I'm Home."
