Sid Caesar Net Worth

What was Sid Caesar's Net Worth?

Sid Caesar was a comedian and actor who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death in 2014. Sid Caesar pioneered live television in the 1950s with his NBC variety and sketch comedy shows "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour." Highly influential on future generations of comedians, his shows included sharp satires of public figures and events as well as parodies of popular films, plays, and television series. Caesar also acted in many films during his career, including "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "The Cheap Detective," "Grease," "Over the Brooklyn Bridge," and "Vegas Vacation."

Early Life and Education

Sid Caesar was born as Isaac Sidney Caesar on September 8, 1922 in Yonkers, New York to Jewish parents Ida and Max, who ran a 24-hour luncheonette. He had an older brother named David. Growing up, Caesar waited tables at his parents' restaurant, and in the process learned to mimic the accents and manners of the diverse clientele. Elsewhere, he took saxophone lessons and played in small bands; he also occasionally performed in the Borscht Belt. Caesar was educated at Yonkers High School, graduating in 1940.

Career Beginnings

After graduating from high school, Caesar moved to Manhattan with the aim of pursuing a career in music. To make money, he worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater. Caesar eventually found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel in the Catskills; he also began performing comedy there. Meanwhile, he audited music classes at the Juilliard School. After enlisting in the US Coast Guard, he played in military revues and did stand-up comedy.

Television Career

In 1949, Caesar had his first live television variety show, "Admiral Broadway Revue." It was his first of many pairings with comic actress Imogene Coca. Ironically, the show was so successful that it was canceled due to the inability of its sponsor, Admiral, to keep up with the demand for the show's sets. Caesar and Coca went on to start their second live variety show, "Your Show of Shows," in 1950. Mixing sketch comedy, satire, musical guests, and lavish production numbers, the show helped launch the careers of such writers as Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and Lucille Kallen. Caesar earned multiple Emmy Award nominations for "Your Show of Shows," winning one in 1952. Following the end of the show in mid-1954, Caesar returned with the live sketch comedy show "Caesar's Hour." On the show, he starred alongside Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, and Janet Blair, among others. "Caesar's Hour" ran through the spring of 1957, and earned Caesar his second Emmy Award.

In 1958, Caesar starred on the short-lived ABC show "Sid Caesar Invites You," which reunited him with Imogene Coca. His next series was "The Sid Caesar Show," which ran from 1963 to 1964. Between 1966 and 1970, Caesar hosted various episodes of the variety show "The Hollywood Palace." During that time, he appeared in episodes of such series as "The Dean Martin Show," "The Danny Thomas Hour," and "That Girl." His credits in the 1970s included episodes of "When Things Were Rotten," "Good Heavens," and "Vega$." The next decade, Caesar had guest roles on "Matt Houston" and "Amazing Stories," and hosted an episode of "Saturday Night Live." In the 1990s, Caesar earned Emmy Award nominations for his guest roles on the sitcoms "Love & War" and "Mad About You." He was also in the television film "The Great Mom Swap." Caesar made his final television appearance in 2001, in an episode of the improvisational comedy show "Whose Line is it Anyway?"

Film Career

Caesar made his big-screen debut in the 1946 musical romance "Tars and Spars," reprising his role from the revue the film was based on. The next year, he appeared in "The Guilt of Janet Ames." Caesar didn't return to the big screen until 1963, when he played Melville Crump in Stanley Kramer's epic ensemble comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Later in the decade, he acted in "The Busy Body," "A Guide for the Married Man," and "The Spirit is Willing." In the 1970s, Caesar had roles in "Airport 1975," "Silent Movie," "Fire Sale," "The Cheap Detective," and "Grease." Kicking off the 1980s, he appeared in "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu." After that, Caesar was in "History of the World, Part I" and "Grease 2," reprising his role as Coach Calhoun in the latter.

In 1984, Caesar appeared in the romantic comedy "Over the Brooklyn Bridge" and the action comedy "Cannonball Run II." Two years later, he was in the comedy "Stoogemania." Caesar didn't appear much on the big screen in the years after that. He returned in 1997 with a supporting role in "Vegas Vacation," the fourth installment in the "National Lampoon's Vacation" film series. The following year, Caesar appeared in the direct-to-video release "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," a fantasy comedy adapted by Ray Bradbury from his novel. Caesar's last film appearance was in another direct-to-video release, "Comic Book: The Movie," which was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mark Hamill, who also stars in the lead role. A mockumentary, it was released in 2004.

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Theater Career

On stage, Caesar performed in the Broadway revue "Make Mine Manhattan" in the late 1940s. From 1962 to 1963, he starred in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's musical "Little Me"; playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Caesar's later theater credits included the plays "Four on a Garden" and "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."

Personal Life and Death

In 1943, Caesar married Florence Levy, whom he had first met a year earlier in the Catskills. They had three children together: Michele, Rick, and Karen. The couple remained together until Levy's passing in 2010.

Following a short illness, Caesar passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California on February 12, 2014 at the age of 91. His body was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.

Beverly Hills Home

​After Sid Caesar's passing in February 2014, his longtime Beverly Hills residence, located at 1910 Loma Vista Drive in the Trousdale Estates neighborhood, was listed for sale in 2015. The mid-century modern home, built in 1962, spans 4,667 square feet and features four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Notable interior elements include a spacious living room with a large fireplace, a family room, a dining area, and an island kitchen. The master bathroom is distinguished by a central marble tub dividing two separate areas. The property also boasts a patio, swimming pool, and expansive canyon views.

Initially listed at $4.25 million, the property garnered significant interest, ultimately selling for $5.5 million—$1.25 million above the asking price. In 2021, a new home was built on his former property. That same year the new home was sold for a bit under $17 million. Today, the property is worth north of $20 million.

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