Last Updated: November 7, 2023
Info
Category:
Richest CelebritiesActors
Net Worth:
$500 Thousand
Birthdate:
Sep 13, 1939 - Sep 10, 2014 (74 years old)
Birthplace:
Detroit
Gender:
Male
Height:
7 ft 1 in (2.18 m)
Profession:
Actor, Salesperson, Teacher, Author, Security guard, Voice Actor
Nationality:
United States of America
💰 Compare Richard Kiel's Net Worth

What was Richard Kiel's Net Worth?

Richard Kiel was an American actor who had a net worth of $500 thousand at the time of his death. Richard Kiel is known for appearing in films like "The Spy Who Loved Me," "Moonraker," "Happy Gilmore," "The Longest Yard," and "Pale Rider," among others. Unfortunately, Richard Kiel died on September 10, 2014 at the age of 74, just three days before his 75th birthday. He is survived by his wife, four children and nine grandchildren.

Early Life

Richard Kiel was born on September 13, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. He was born with a condition known as gigantism, which is caused by an excess of human growth hormone. The condition eventually caused him to grow to a height of 7 feet and 2 inches. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Los Angeles County. There, he attended and graduated from Baldwin Park High School. Before becoming an actor, Kiel worked a variety of jobs. He was a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman, a nightclub bouncer, and a cemetery plot salesman. From 1963 to 1965, he worked as a mathematics instructor in the evenings at William B. Ogden Radio Operational School in Burbank, California.

Career

Kiel began auditioning for acting roles in the late 1950s when he was in his early 20s. His first role was a minor part as a bully in "The Rifleman" in 1958. In 1960, he appeared in an episode of "Klondike." Throughout the 1960s, he booked enough television roles that he was able to pursue a career in acting only, allowing him to quit working as a teacher. He appeared in episodes of "The Phantom," "Thriller," "The Twilight," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Honey West," "My Mother the Car," "The Wild Wild West," "Gilligan's Island," "The Monkees," "I Spy," "It Takes a Thief," and "Daniel Boone."

Kiel also broke into film in the 1960s. His first couple film roles, in "The D.I." and "Run of the Hunted," were uncredited. He also appeared in "The Phantom Planet" in 1961. The following year, he had a role in "Eegah." In 1963, he appeared in the films "House of the Damned," "The Nutty Professor," "Lassie's Great Adventure," and "30 Minutes at Gunsight." In 1964, he appeared in "Roustabout" and "The Nasty Rabbit." Kiel appeared in three films in 1965 – "Two on a Guillotine," "The Human Duplicators," and "Brainstorm." In 1966, he appeared in "The Las Vegas Hillbillys" followed by a role in "A Man Called Dagger" in 1967. In 1968, Kiel landed roles in "Now You See It, Now You Don't" and appeared in "Skidoo."

Kiel's career continued to develop throughout the 1970s. In television, he had roles in episodes of "Disneyland," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "Emergency!," "Switch," "Starsky & Hutch," "Land of the Lost," "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," and "Young Dan'l Boone." He also landed the main role of Moose Moran in "Barbary Coast from 1975 to 1976, appearing in 14 total episodes.

(Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic)

One of Kiel's most well-known film roles came after producers for the James Bond films saw Kiel's performance in "Barbary Coast." They cast him as the villain character Jaws in the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977. He was one of a few Bond villains to appear in two Bond films, as he reprised the role in "Moonraker" in 1979. Other films he appeared in throughout the 1970s include "Deadhead Miles," "The Longest Yard," "Gus," "Silver Streak," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Humanoid," "Force 10 from Navarone," and "They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way."

In 1980, Kiel appeared in five episodes of "Match Game PM" as a panelist. He also appeared in episodes of "The Fall Guy," "Simon & Simon," "Out of This World," and "Superboy" throughout the rest of the decade. In terms of film roles around this time, he appeared in "So Fine," "Hysterical," "Phoenix," "Aces Go Places 3," "Cannonball Run II," "Pale Rider," "Qing bao long hu men," "Think Big," and "The Princess and the Dwarf."

In the 1990s, Kiel appeared in three films – "The Giant of Thunder Mountain," "Inspector Gadget," and "Happy Gilmore." His role in the latter film was particularly popular, and it was also one of the roles in which he had the most dialogue. He exchanges several lines with the star of the film, Adam Sandler.

After "Happy Gilmore," Kiel did not act as much and semi-retired. He appeared in an episode of "Bloodhounds Inc." in 2000. A decade later, he recorded a voice role for "Tangled" in 2010.

Richard Kiel Height

How tall was Richard Kiel? Richard Kiel was 7 foot 1.

Personal Life and Death

Kiel was married twice in his life. His first marriage was to Faye Daniels in 1960. They divorced in 1973. In 1974, he married Diane Rogers. She was over two feet shorter than him, which attracted much attention to the couple when they were together. They remained married for 40 years, until Kiel's death. During their marriage, they had four children. In 1992, Kiel was involved in a car accident and suffered a severe head injury. This impacted his balance and he was forced to use a cane for support throughout the remainder of his life. As he got older, he also used a scooter or wheelchair for mobility.

In 2002, Kiel published his autobiography entitled "Making It Big in the Movies." In it, he describes his childhood and rise in Hollywood. He also discusses some of the struggles he had with alcohol over the years. Kiel was a born-again Christian and has stated that his faith helped him overcome alcoholism.

On September 10, 2014, Kiel died at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California from heart disease. His death occurred three days before his 75th birthday.

All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
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