Bruce Dern Net Worth

What Is Bruce Dern's Net Worth and Salary?

Bruce Dern is an American actor who has a net worth of $4 million. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he has appeared in more than 100 films and earned two Academy Award nominations, establishing himself as one of Hollywood's most enduring character actors.

Born in Chicago to a prominent political family, Dern trained at the Actors Studio under Elia Kazan and began his career on stage before moving into television and film in the early 1960s. He first gained attention for small but memorable roles in "Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964) and Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964). By the late 1960s and early 1970s, he became a fixture of the New Hollywood movement, known for his gritty realism in films like "Hang 'Em High" (1968), "The Wild Angels" (1966), and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969).

Dern's breakthrough came with "Coming Home" (1978), earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as a traumatized Vietnam veteran. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he remained a versatile screen presence in films such as "The Great Gatsby," "Tattoo," "After Dark, My Sweet," and "The 'Burbs."

In 2013, Dern delivered one of his most acclaimed performances in Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," playing a stubborn Midwestern father on a delusional quest for a sweepstakes prize, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His later work includes "The Hateful Eight," "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and "The Artist's Wife," underscoring his remarkable longevity and continued creative vigor.

Along with his ex-wife Diane Ladd and their daughter Laura Dern, Bruce has an adjoining star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Family

Bruce MacLeish Dern was born on June 4, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, into a distinguished and politically influential family. His father, John Dern, was a successful attorney, and his family lineage included several prominent figures in American history. His paternal grandfather, George Henry Dern, served as both the governor of Utah and later as U.S. Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His godfather, Adlai Stevenson II, was the governor of Illinois and the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in both 1952 and 1956. His great-grandfather, George H. Carson, was a founder of the Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. department store chain, one of Chicago's historic commercial institutions.

Raised in the affluent suburb of Kenilworth, Dern grew up surrounded by privilege but developed a fiercely independent streak. He attended New Trier High School, where he excelled as a middle-distance runner and attempted to qualify for the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials. After graduating, he studied at the University of Pennsylvania, but ultimately found his passion not in athletics or law, but in performance. Drawn to the emotional intensity of the craft, Dern trained at the prestigious Actors Studio under Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg, refining the raw, psychologically complex acting style that would later define his career.

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Career

Bruce Dern's career began on the stage in Philadelphia and New York, where he built a reputation for commitment and intensity in live theater before transitioning to film and television in the late 1950s. His first film appearance came with a small role in Elia Kazan's "Wild River" (1960), which marked the start of a long and steady rise through Hollywood's ranks. Over the next decade, Dern became a familiar face in television Westerns such as "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," and "Wagon Train," often portraying unpredictable or antagonistic characters — roles that showcased his ability to bring empathy to even the most sinister parts.

His early film work in Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964) and the Clint Eastwood Western "Hang 'Em High" (1968) helped solidify his reputation as a go-to character actor for complex, often menacing roles. But Dern refused to be typecast. In the early 1970s, he expanded his range with leading parts in socially conscious films like "Silent Running" (1972), in which he played a botanist trying to preserve Earth's last forests in space. The film highlighted Dern's ability to project vulnerability and moral conviction — qualities that would recur throughout his most acclaimed performances.

The mid-1970s marked a prolific and defining period in his career. He appeared in "The Great Gatsby" (1974), "Posse" (1975), and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, "Family Plot" (1976), where his dry humor and intensity anchored the director's farewell to cinema. In 1978, Dern delivered one of his most memorable performances as a haunted Vietnam veteran in Hal Ashby's "Coming Home," earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Dern remained one of Hollywood's most versatile and dependable performers. He took on leading roles in "Tattoo" (1981) and "That Championship Season" (1982), and appeared in cult favorites like "The 'Burbs" (1989) and "After Dark, My Sweet" (1990). His work was marked by a willingness to take risks and an aversion to cliché — a hallmark of his long career.

In 2013, Dern experienced a late-career resurgence with Alexander Payne's black-and-white drama "Nebraska," portraying Woody Grant, a stubborn Midwestern father chasing an illusory sweepstakes prize. The performance earned him widespread critical acclaim, a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards, and the Best Actor Award at Cannes, reaffirming his place as one of America's great screen veterans.

In the years that followed, Dern collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on "Django Unchained" (2012), "The Hateful Eight" (2015), and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019), bringing gravitas to even brief appearances. He also appeared in films such as "White Boy Rick" (2018), "The Artist's Wife" (2019), and "The Gateway" (2021), continuing to work steadily into his late eighties. Through every era, Dern remained known for his authenticity, discipline, and unwavering dedication to character-driven storytelling — a legacy few actors of his generation can match.

(Photo by Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)

Relationships

Bruce Dern married his first wife, Marie Dawn Pierce, in 1957, though the marriage ended in 1959. In 1960, he wed actress Diane Ladd, with whom he shared both a creative partnership and two daughters. Their first child, Diane Elizabeth Dern, tragically died in a swimming pool accident at 18 months old. Their second daughter, Laura Dern, grew up to become one of Hollywood's most celebrated actresses, earning an Academy Award, multiple Emmys, and Golden Globes for her film and television work. Bruce and Diane divorced in 1969 but maintained mutual respect throughout their parallel careers. In 1969, Dern married Andrea Beckett, with whom he has shared a long and private marriage away from the public spotlight.

Real Estate

From the mid-1970s to 1999, Bruce owned an oceanfront mansion in Malibu, California. He listed the home for sale in January 1998 for $6 million. In March 1999, he sold the home for $4.95 million to Lilly Tartikoff, the widow of entertainment executive Brandon Tartikoff. In the summer months, Lilly rents the home for $250,000 PER MONTH. The home is likely worth $20 million. In March 2002, Bruce paid $800,000 for a home in Pasadena, California. He sold this home in April 2021 for $1.715 million.

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