What is Dan Schneider's Net Worth and Salary?
Dan Schneider is an American actor and television producer who has a net worth of $40 million. Dan Schneider started out as an actor and then transitioned behind the camera, eventually becoming an extremely successful show creator and producer. He spent two decades producing hits for Nickelodeon. Dan's shows include "All That," "The Amanda Show," "Drake & Josh," "iCarly," "Victorious," and "Zoey 101."
Dan's most popular show was arguably "iCarly," which ran seven seasons and 97 episodes between 2007 and 2012. He also wrote and produced "Victorious," which ran four seasons and 57 episodes.
Stars like Ariana Grande, Amanda Bynes, Kenan Thompson, Drake Bell, Josh Peck and Miranda Cosgrove owe much of their success today to Dan Schneider.
Early Life
Dan Schneider was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 14, 1966, to parents Harry and Carol Schneider. He attended Harvard University for one semester before returning to Memphis to work on repairing computers. He soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting and writing career.
Acting Career
After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, Schneider began auditioning for film, television, and commercial roles. He booked roles in films like "Making the Grade," "Better Off Dead," "The Big Picture," "Happy Together, and "Hot Resort." His most notable early role was as Dennis Blunden on the sitcom "Head of the Class," which ran from 1986 to 1991.
In 1993, he starred in the series "Home Free" and in 1994, he booked a role in "Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story," a made-for-television film about the Tony Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Scandal.
Producing Career
In 1988, Dan co-hosted the second annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. While hosting, he met Albie Hecht, a development executive for the network. A few years later, in 1993, Hecht hired Schneider to develop a new sketch-comedy show for kids called "All That." Schneider wrote the pilot episode and then served as the show's primary producer, executive producer, and writer. "All That" was a massive success for Nickelodeon; it ran for ten years.
In 1996, Schneider began working as the executive producer and writer for a new show on Nickelodeon called "Kenan & Kel." He remained in this role for two seasons and then worked as a consultant for the show for the remainder of its on-air run. He then created "The Amanda Show," starring Amanda Bynes, whom he had worked with on "All That." The show ran from 1999 until 2002 as a spin-off of "All That." Schneider himself often appeared on "The Amanda Show" as a frustrated old man who was a victim of prank phone calls. After the show was canceled, he continued working with Nickelodeon to revamp "All That," bringing it back on-air for four seasons from 2002 until 2005.
During this period of time, Schneider also worked as a screenwriter on the film "Good Burger," starring Kenan & Kel. He had a cameo appearance in the 1997 film. He also worked as a screenwriter and producer on the 2002 film, "Big Fat Liar."
In 2002, Schneider also co-created the show "What I Like About You" with former "Friends" writer and producer Wil Calhoun. The show premiered on The WB and ran until 2006. Schneider was the executive producer on the show for its first two seasons. In 2004, Schneider created the show "Drake & Josh" for Nickelodeon, starring Drake Bell and Josh Peck, both of whom had been actors on "The Amanda Show." He also created "Zoey 101," starring Jamie Lynn Spears. The show is Schneider's only single-camera format program to date. The show ran from 2005 until 2008.
Schneider's next big show success came with "iCarly," which began running on Nickelodeon in 2007 and starred Miranda Cosgrove, who had also been on "Drake & Josh." The show was on-air until 2012. He also created the show "Victorious" and a spin-off of both "iCarly" and "Victorious" called "Sam & Cat," which premiered in 2013. After "Sam & Cat" was canceled, he created the show "Henry Danger" in 2014 and then "Game Shakers" in 2015.
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Departure from Nickelodeon
In 2018, Nickelodeon announced they would not be extending their production deal with Schneider or his production company, Schneider's Bakery. The decision to sever ties came after an internal investigation which found evidence of verbal abuse by Schneider to his colleagues. Some of his former colleagues later went on record with the "New York Times" and reported that Schneider was difficult to work with and often sent angry emails. Schneider defended himself by saying he maintained high standards as a showrunner.
He was reportedly paid the remaining $7 million on his contract after leaving.
After a three year break from television and films, Schneider announced he had several new projects in development in 2021. He sold a pilot to a new network that year which he described as being targeted to a more adult audience.
Awards
Schneider's work in children's and young adult television has been recognized by audiences and critics alike. Many of the shows he created and produced have been nominated for prominent awards, like Primetime Emmy Awards. He also was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kids' Choice Awards in 2014.
Personal Life
Schneider married food blogger Lisa Lillien in 2002 after the two had met at Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The couple live primarily in California, and in 2016, they purchased a $9 million mansion in Hidden Hills from heiress Lori Milgard.
Schneider has struggled with obesity for much of his life. After leaving Nickelodeon, he began focusing more on his health. He revealed in 2001 that he had lost over 100 pounds.
Real Estate
For many years, Dan's primary residence was a 4,600-square-foot home in Encino, California, which he purchased in 1999 for $915,000. They listed this home for sale in 2018 for $2.2 million. In 2015, Dan and his wife, Lisa Lillien, bought a nearby 9,3000-square-foot home for $4.75 million. They listed this home later that same year for $5.2 million, ultimately selling it for just under $4 million. In March 2016, Dan and Lisa plunked down $9 million for a huge mansion in Hidden Hills, California.
