What is Tim Gunn's Net Worth and Salary?
Tim Gunn is an American fashion consultant, television personality, actor and voice actor who has a net worth of $18 million. Tim Gunn is best known for his role as a mentor on the reality television series "Project Runway." His success on the show prompted two spin-off programs, "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" and "Under the Gunn," and a handful of books. Additionally, Gunn has served on the faculty of the Parsons School of Design, and was chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne.
Early Life and Academic Career
Tim Gunn was born in 1953 in Washington, DC. His father started off as an FBI agent before becoming a speechwriter for J. Edgar Hoover. Gunn, who knew from an early age that he wasn't straight, was brought up in an extremely homophobic household; consequently, he attempted suicide by swallowing more than 100 pills when he was 17. Fearing the response from his family, he remained in the closet until his early 20s, and finally came out to his sister when he was 29.
For his higher education, Gunn attended the Corcoran College of Art and Design, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture. Later, after working as director of admissions at Corcoran, Gunn began working at Manhattan's Parsons School of Design in 1982. From 1989 to 2000, Gunn served as associate dean at Parsons, and in 2000, became the Fashion Design Department chair, a position he held until 2007.
"Project Runway" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style"
Gunn achieved widespread recognition in 2004, when he started appearing as a mentor on the first season of the fashion design-themed reality show "Project Runway." The program, hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum until 2017, features contestants who compete against each other to create the best clothes. A panel evaluates their designs and eliminates a contestant each week; the finalists are tasked with creating collections for New York Fashion Week. On the show, Gunn became famous for his pithy catchphrase, "Make it work," and earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition Program. In 2008, the show won a Peabody Award.
The success of Gunn on "Project Runway" led to the creation of the Bravo reality television series "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style," based on Gunn's own self-help book "A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style." During the first season, Gunn cohosted with model Veronica Webb, and in the second, with Gretta Monahan. Each episode, the pair offers to make over guests according to a set of style rules.
"Under the Gunn"
In 2014, Gunn began presenting "Under the Gunn," a reality competition series on Lifetime. Running for 13 episodes, it followed "Project Runway" alumni as they were tasked with coaching, managing, and directing designers. Filmed at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, the series featured Marie Claire senior fashion editor Zanna Roberts Rassi, designer Rachel Roy, and celebrity stylist Jen Rade as judges. Meanwhile, a rotating list of guest judges included Heidi Klum, Zoey Deutch, Neil Patrick Harris, Sara Hyland, and Georgina Chapman.
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"Project Runway: Junior" and "Making the Cut"
Also in 2014, Gunn became the executive producer and host of the spinoff series "Project Runway: Junior," which featured a competition between teen designers. Gunn cohosted the show with Hannah Jeter, and also served as the workroom mentor to the teens. In this role, Gunn had what he called a "Tim Gunn Save," with which he could save an eliminated designer one time during the season. Judges on the show included fashion designer Christian Siriano, Executive Fashion Director Aya Kanai, and designer Kelly Osbourne.
After leaving the original "Project Runway" in 2018, Gunn launched the fashion competition show "Making the Cut," which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2020. It is co-presented by fellow "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum, and features judges Naomi Campbell, Nicole Richie, Joseph Altuzarra, Chiara Ferragni, and Carine Roitfeld.
Further Television Career
Beyond reality television, Gunn has appeared on numerous shows as himself or a version of himself. In 2007, he played a fashion reporter in two episodes of the ABC series "Ugly Betty," and in 2009, made a guest appearance on the legal drama "Drop Dead Diva." He has shown up as himself in such other shows as "How I Met Your Mother," "Gossip Girl," "Family Guy," "Bill Nye Saves the World," and "BoJack Horseman."
Also on television, Gunn narrated the short-lived ABC sitcom "Mixology," and cohosted the short-lived health and lifestyle talk show "The Revolution." From 2013 to 2018, he provided the voice of the character Baileywick on Disney Junior's animated children's television show "Sofia the First."
Writing Career
In addition to his other media work, Gunn has published many books. They include "Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making it Work"; "Shaken, Not Stirred"; "Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet"; and "Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making it Work!"
Personal Life
Gunn has not been in a relationship since the early 80s, when he discovered his boyfriend of six years had been cheating on him. Describing himself as asexual, Gunn began his self-imposed celibacy while the AIDS crisis was wreaking havoc on the gay community.
Gunn lives in a 1,700-square-foot apartment in Manhattan's Upper West Side. The space boasts warm colors and antiques throughout, including a vintage armoire, rug, and pillows. Outside, a 500-square-foot terrace features an urban garden with shrubs, potted trees, and flowering plants.
