Linda Harrison Net Worth

What is Linda Harrison's Net Worth?

Linda Harrison is an American actress who has a net worth of $2 million. Linda Harrison is best known for playing Nova in the classic science-fiction film "Planet of the Apes" and its first sequel, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Among her other credits, she had a main role on the short-lived NBC television series "Bracken's World."

Early Life and Education

Linda Harrison was born on July 26, 1945 in Berlin, Maryland as the third of five daughters of beautician Ida and nurseryman Isaac. Her older sisters are Kay and Gloria and her younger sisters are Jane and Joan. Attracted to performing at an early age, Harrison was enrolled in ballet and acrobatics classes when she was five, and was performing on stage by the time she was six. She was educated at Buckingham Elementary School and Stephen Decatur High School, where she acted in school theater productions. Harrison went on to take summer classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, but didn't pursue higher education beyond that.

Career Beginnings

With dreams of becoming an actress, Harrison entered various beauty pageants in her teens. In 1962, she was named Miss Berlin at the Miss Berlin Beauty Pageant. After her older sister Kay graduated from college, Harrison moved with her to New York City, where they shared an apartment. Harrison soon grew homesick and returned to Maryland, where she resumed entering beauty pageants. In 1964, she won the Miss Delmarva pageant, and in 1965 she came in second place in the Miss America contest. Harrison was devastated by her runner-up finish in the latter event. Soon, she gained the attention of Mike Medavoy, who worked as an agent at the General Artist Corporation. Medavoy helped secure Harrison a contract with 20th Century Fox. At the studio, under coaches Pamela Danova and Curt Conway, she took a wide range of classes to hone her speech and body movement.

Film Career

Harrison made her film debut in the 1966 Z movie "The Fat Spy." Later in the year, she played an astronaut in the Jerry Lewis comedy "Way… Way Out." In 1967, Harrison played the young lover of Carl Reiner's character in Gene Kelly's bedroom farce "A Guide for the Married Man." Her breakout role came the next year, in Franklin J. Schaffner's science-fiction film "Planet of the Apes." In the classic, she plays Nova, a woman who is held captive with Charlton Heston's protagonist George Taylor. "Planet of the Apes" was both a critical and commercial hit, spawning a major franchise. Harrison reprised her role as Nova in the first sequel, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," which came out in 1970. The film ultimately failed to match the critical or commercial success of its predecessor.

In 1974, Harrison appeared in the disaster film "Airport 1975," the sequel to the 1970 blockbuster "Airport." It stars her "Planet of the Apes" co-star Charlton Heston. In the film, Harrison is credited as Augusta Summerland. Following a break from the big screen lasting over a decade, Harrison returned in 1985 to play Susan in Ron Howard's science-fiction film "Cocoon." She went on to reprise her role in the 1988 sequel "Cocoon: The Return." After another hiatus from film, Harrison had a small part in Walter Hill's 1995 Western biopic "Wild Bill." She next had a cameo in Tim Burton's 2001 "Planet of the Apes" movie. Harrison didn't appear in another film until 2023, in the post-apocalyptic thriller "Midnight Massacre."

(Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Television Career

In 1966, the same year she debuted on the big screen, Harrison made her first appearances on television. She played a biker chick in the pilot episode of "Felony Squad," entitled "Men Against Evil," and had a role as a cheerleader on "Batman." Harrison had her longest-running television role from 1969 to 1970, as aspiring actress Paulette Douglas on the NBC series "Bracken's World." She starred alongside Jeanne Cooper, Elizabeth Allen, Eleanor Parker, and Dennis Cole, among other actors. "Bracken's World" was ultimately canceled midway through its second season. In the wake of the cancellation, Harrison's contract with 20th Century Fox was abruptly terminated, and she became entangled in a proxy shareholder war. Harrison later sued the studio for wrongful termination, breach of contract, alleged defamation, and emotional distress. The suit was eventually settled out of court. Harrison resumed acting on television in the latter half of the 1970s under the name Augusta Summerland, appearing in episodes of "Barnaby Jones" and "Switch."

Personal Life

Harrison's life and career have been closely entwined with 20th Century Fox and its producer Richard D. Zanuck, whom she married in 1969. He was the son of studio head Darryl F. Zanuck. The couple had two children, including Dean, and divorced in 1978. Dean and his former wife, Marisa Zanuck, were at one point cast members on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

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