What was Ken Osmond's Net Worth?
Ken Osmond was an American actor who had a net worth of $1.5 million. Ken Osmond was best known for playing bad boy Eddie Haskell on the television sitcom "Leave it to Beaver." Osmond returned to acting in the 1980s, appearing in the revival sitcom "The New Leave it to Beaver" and the television film "High School U.S.A."
In 1970 Ken joined the LA Police Department. He grew a mustache to hide his identity. In September 1980 he was shot five times while on duty. His life was saved by his bulletproof vest. Ken retired from the police force in 1988.
Early Life and Education
Ken Osmond was born on June 7, 1943 in Glendale, California, to Pearl and Thurman. He had a brother named Dayton. With ambitions to get her sons into acting, the boys' mother began taking them to professional auditions when they were still very young. The Osmond brothers also took acting classes and studied dance, diction, martial arts, and equestrianism.
Start of Acting Career
Osmond began his acting career with uncredited parts in the early-1950s films "Plymouth Adventure" and "So Big." In the middle of the decade, he made his television acting debut in an episode of "Screen Directors Playhouse." Osmond also appeared in episodes of "Lassie," "Annie Oakley," "Circus Boy," and "Fury," and in the films "Good Morning, Miss Dove" and "Everything But the Truth." In 1957, he had guest roles on the shows "Letter to Loretta," "The Walter Winchell File," "Telephone Time," and "Colt .45."
(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
Leave it to Beaver
Osmond landed his breakout role in late 1957 on the CBS television sitcom "Leave it to Beaver." He played Eddie Haskell, the scheming, unscrupulous friend of Tony Dow's character Wally Cleaver. Osmond played the character in all six seasons of "Leave it to Beaver" through 1963. His portrayal was so memorable that Eddie Haskell became a cultural reference point and archetype for a genteel but insincere sycophant.
Law Enforcement Career
After the end of "Leave it to Beaver," Osmond found it difficult to find substantial acting work due to being typecast as his character Eddie Haskell. Eventually, in 1970, he left acting and joined the Los Angeles Police Department. Osmond grew a mustache to disguise himself among the public and became a motorcycle officer. In 1980, he was hit by three bullets during a foot chase with a suspected car thief, although his bulletproof vest and belt buckle ultimately protected him from serious harm. Still, Osmond applied for a disability pension in 1984; his request was denied by the Los Angeles Board of Pension Commissioners in 1986. Following an appeal to the Supreme Court, he was given a lifetime pension in 1988. Osmond subsequently retired from the LAPD.
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Further Acting Career
Before he joined the LAPD, Osmond had bit parts in the films "C'mon, Let's Live a Little" and "With Six You Get Eggroll." After he spent over a decade in the force, Osmond returned to acting to reprise his role as Eddie Haskell in the CBS television film "Still the Beaver." A success, the film led to the revival series "The New Leave it to Beaver," which premiered on the Disney Channel and featured most of the original cast. After the first season, the show aired on TBS. "The New Leave it to Beaver" ran for a total of four seasons through 1989. On the show, Osmond appeared alongside his two real-life sons Eric and Christian, who played the sons of his now grown character Eddie Haskell.
In late 1983, the year he returned to acting, Osmond appeared in the NBC television film "High School U.S.A.," which featured several other actors from popular sitcoms. Also that year, he had guest roles on "Happy Days" and "Rags to Riches." In the early 1990s, Osmond reprised his role as Eddie Haskell in episodes of the sitcoms "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" and "Hi Honey, I'm Home!" Later, in 1997, he made a cameo appearance as Eddie Sr. in the big-screen adaptation of "Leave it to Beaver," with Adam Zolotin playing his progeny. Osmond had his final acting role in the 2016 comedy film "Characterz," playing eccentric senior Daniel.
Personal Life and Death
In 1969, Osmond married Sandra Purdy, with whom he had two sons named Eric and Christian. With Christopher Lynch, he authored a memoir entitled "Eddie: The Life and Times of America's Preeminent Bad Boy," which was published in 2014.
On May 18, 2020, Osmond passed away from complications of COPD and peripheral artery disease at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76 years of age.
Real Estate
In July 1976, Ken and his wife paid $20,000 for a home in Sunland, California. They continued to own this house for the rest of his life. At the time of his death, this home was worth around $1.2 million.
