Donna Reed Net Worth

What Was Donna Reed's Net Worth?

Donna Reed was an American actress who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of her death in 1986. That's the same as around $30 million today after adjusting for inflation.

Donna Reed's career lasted over 40 years, and she also appeared in more than 50 film and television projects. Her debut film roles came in the 1941 movies "The Getaway," "Shadow of the Thin Man," and "Babes on Broadway." Reed starred on television on "The Donna Reed Show" from 1958 to 1966, and she played Miss Ellie Ewing on the primetime soap opera "Dallas" from 1984 to 1985. She starred as Mary Hatch Bailey in the 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life," and she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Lorene Burke in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity." Donna won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963. She took over for Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing on "Dallas" and then sued the production company after she was fired when Geddes decided to return to the program. Reed settled out of court and received over $1 million. In 1960, Donna received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1612 Vine Street. Sadly, Donna Reed passed away on January 14, 1986, at 64 years old from pancreatic cancer.

Early Life

Donna Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger on January 27, 1921, in Denison, Iowa. She was the daughter of William and Hazel Mullenger, and she had four younger siblings. Donna grew up in a Methodist household. During her sophomore year at Denison High School, one of her teachers gave her a copy of the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and it was reportedly a big influence in Reed's life. After reading the book, she landed the lead role in a school play and was crowned Campus Queen. Donna was one of the top ten students of the Class of 1938, and after graduation, she wanted to become a teacher but couldn't afford to go to college. At her aunt's suggestion, Reed moved to California and enrolled at Los Angeles City College, where she appeared in stage productions. Several studios asked her to take screen tests, and Donna ended up signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She insisted on completing college first, and she signed with an agent after earning her associate degree.

Career

After she signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Reed appeared in the 1941 film "The Get-Away." The studio decided that she should start using the last name "Reed" instead of her given surname due to anti-German sentiment at the time, and Donna said of the change, "A studio publicist hung the name on me, and I never did like it. I hear 'Donna Reed' and I think of a tall, chic, austere blonde that isn't me. 'Donna Reed' – it has a cold, forbidding sound." Next, Donna appeared in the films "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941), "The Bugle Sounds" (1942), "The Courtship of Andy Hardy" (1942), "Apache Trail" (1942), "Eyes in the Night" (1942), "The Human Comedy" (1943), "Gentle Annie" (1944), "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), "They Were Expendable" (1945), "Beyond Glory" (1948), and "Chicago Deadline" (1949), and she played Mary Hatch Bailey in 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life." Reed began the '50s with roles in "Saturday's Hero" (1951), "Scandal Sheet" (1952), and "Hangman's Knot" (1952). In 1953, she starred in the films "Trouble Along the Way," "Raiders of the Seven Seas," "The Caddy," and "Gun Fury," and she played Alma "Lorene" Burke in "From Here to Eternity," which earned her an Academy Award.

In 1954, Donna made her TV debut in the "Portrait of Lydia" episode of "Ford Television Theatre," then she guest-starred on "Tales of Hans Anderson" (1955) and "Suspicion" (1957). She appeared in the films "They Rode West" (1954), "Three Hours to Kill" (1954), "The Far Horizons" (1955), "The Benny Goodman Story" (1956), "Ransom!" (1956), "Backlash" (1956), "Beyond Mombasa" (1956), and "The Whole Truth" (1958), and she co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson, and Walter Pidgeon in 1954's "The Last Time I Saw Paris." From 1958 to 1966, she starred as Donna Stone on the ABC sitcom "The Donna Reed Show," which aired 275 episodes over eight seasons. The show earned Donna four Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. After "The Donna Reed Show" ended, she appeared in the TV movies "The Best Place to Be" (1979) and "Deadly Lessons" (1983) and guest-starred on "The Love Boat" (1984). From 1984 to 1985, Reed played Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on the CBS primetime soap opera "Dallas," replacing Barbara Bel Geddes, who had recently undergone emergency quadruple bypass surgery. When Geddes recovered, Reed was fired. She subsequently sued for breach of contract and settled out of court for a sum of over $1 million.

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Personal Life

Donna was married to William Tuttle, a make-up artist, from January 30, 1943, until early 1945. She wed producer Tony Owen on June 15, 1945, and they welcomed four children before divorcing in 1971. They adopted Penny (born 1945) and Anthony (born 1946), and Reed gave birth to Timothy in 1949 and Mary Anne in 1957. Donna married retired U.S. Army colonel Grover Asmus on August 30, 1974, and they remained together until her death in early 1986. Reed got interested in politics during the Vietnam War due to her concern that Anthony could be drafted, and she co-chaired Another Mother for Peace, an anti-war advocacy group. Though she was a registered Republican, she supported Minnesota Democrat Eugene McCarthy, an anti-war advocate, in the 1968 presidential election.

Death and Legacy

On January 14, 1986, Reed passed away at the age of 64 three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her headstone at L.A.'s Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park originally read "MY LOVE, DONNA REED ASMUS 1921 – 1986." In 2025, it was replaced with a new headstone that left off her married name and was inscribed with the phrase "A wonderful life from here to eternity. Mother, Actress, Humanitarian." In 1987, Donna's widower, Grover, launched the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts alongside actresses Norma Connolly and Shelley Fabares and other family members and friends. The foundation is based in Denison, Reed's hometown, and its mission is to "recognize, encourage, and support talent through national, state, and local scholarships, conduct workshops taught by outstanding industry professionals from across the country, and promote stage plays, concerts, and other cultural activities throughout the year." On what would have been Reed's 100th birthday, Iowa declared January 27, 2021, "Donna Reed Day."

Awards and Nominations

In 1953, Reed won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "From Here to Eternity." For "The Donna Reed Show," she won a Golden Globe for Best TV Star – Female in 1963 and earned four Primetime Emmy nominations and two Bravo Otto nominations. In 2006, Donna was inducted into the Online Film & Television Association's Television Hall of Fame for the show. In 1954, she received a Laurel Award nomination for Top Female Dramatic Performance for "From Here to Eternity," and in 1964, she won a Golden Apple Award for Most Cooperative Actress. Reed earned three Photoplay Awards: Best Performances of the Month (May) for "The Courtship of Andy Hardy" (1942), Best Performances of the Month (March) for "It's a Wonderful Life" (1947), and Best Performances of the Month (November) for "Chicago Deadline" (1949). She also received two TV Land Award nominations for The Most Irreplaceable Replacement for "Dallas" (2004 and 2006).

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