Patricia Richardson Net Worth

What is Patricia Richardson's Net Worth and Salary?

Patricia Richardson is an American television and film actress who has a net worth of $20 million. Patricia Richardson is best known for her role as Jill Taylor on the hit television series "Home Improvement." Patricia Richardson starred opposite Tim Allen throughout the show's eight-season run from 1991 to 1999. Her performance as the intelligent, witty, and grounding matriarch of the Taylor family earned her four Primetime Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Over the course of 202 episodes, Richardson became one of television's most recognizable mothers, helping make "Home Improvement" one of the most popular shows of the 1990s. As we detail in the next section, both Patricia and her co-star Tim Allen were offered insane salaries to do a ninth season, but they declined, and the show ended.

Before "Home Improvement," Richardson built a solid résumé in theater and television. She made early appearances in series such as "The Cosby Show," "Quantum Leap," and "Double Trouble," and also worked extensively on stage in New York. Following her breakout success, she continued acting in film and television, including notable roles in "Strong Medicine," where she starred for multiple seasons, and a recurring role on "The West Wing." Richardson has also appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and independent films, maintaining a steady presence on screen for more than four decades.

Home Improvement Salary & Turning Down $25 Million

Richardson's salary had gradually climbed throughout the show's run, from roughly $200,000–$250,000 per episode in the mid-1990s to about $400,000–$500,000 per episode by the final season. Tim Allen, meanwhile, was earning an estimated $1.25 million per episode, making him one of the highest-paid actors on television at the time.

As Home Improvement neared the end of its eighth season, ABC executives were desperate to keep the show alive for one more year. How desperate? ABC offered Tim Allen $50 million for the season, roughly $2 million per episode. That's the same as $4 million per episode today after adjusting for inflation. ABC offered Patricia Richardson $25 million, $1 million per episode. Tim was very on board. Patricia was not pleased. As she would later tell it, Patricia was incensed that, once again, the network was treating the two stars extremely differently in terms of compensation. She responded to their offer by requesting pay parity with Tim, $2 million per episode. ABC opted to end the series. Patricia would later also explain that at that point, she was recently divorced and raising kids as a single mother. She also had an ailing parent she wanted to care for.

"The reason I turned down the ninth year of Home Improvement was because I was a single [divorced] parent and away from my kids too much."

"I also passed up another show that won, like, 30 Emmys. But I don't mean to sound like, 'Oh, I sacrificed this huge thing for my children,' because it's what I wanted. Granted, it's what they needed, but it was also what I needed because I missed them terribly. Home Improvement had much longer days than most sitcoms. Because I was involved in all the writing, I was away from them more than I wanted and felt I missed so many things."

And, she says, it wasn't as hard a decision as you might think to step away from it all, given the attitude that both she and one of her most famous costars shared about the perils of celebrity:

"I really hated fame. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and I had similar reactions — he backed off, too, and went to school. I didn't do charity events because I was desperate for time with my kids and husband, who was always mad I was never home. Hence the divorce."

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Early Life

Patricia Castle Richardson was born on February 23, 1951, in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended several high schools before enrolling at Southern Methodist University, where she graduated in 1972 with a degree in fine arts. During her college years, Richardson studied alongside future notables like playwright Beth Henley and actor Stephen Tobolowsky. Years later, Tobolowsky would play an unexpected role in her career trajectory: after turning down a part on "Home Improvement" due to scheduling conflicts, he recommended Richardson to the producers. She eventually auditioned for the role of Jill Taylor after Frances Fisher was deemed not the right fit and landed the part that would define her career. Richardson remains a practicing Methodist and is also a registered Democrat.

Career

Although "Home Improvement" made Patricia Richardson a household name, she had already built a strong foundation in theater and television. Her first major professional opportunity came as an understudy in a Broadway production of "Gypsy: A Musical Fable." Over the next decade, she performed in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions, honing her craft on stage before transitioning more fully to screen roles.

In the early stages of her television career, Richardson appeared in series such as "The Equalizer," "Spencer: For Hire," "Kate & Allie," and "The Cosby Show," where she memorably portrayed a woman giving birth to her ninth child. She also took on small film roles in cult favorites like "Christmas Evil" (1980) and "C.H.U.D." (1984), as well as guest roles on shows including "Quantum Leap."

Though she was offered opportunities to work on sitcoms in Los Angeles during the 1980s, Richardson chose to remain in New York, where she continued her theater work in productions like "The Miss Firecracker Contest." Still, she built up her TV résumé with appearances in shows such as "Double Trouble," "Eisenhower and Lutz," and "FM." In 1989, she appeared in three films—"Parent Trap III," "Lost Angels," and "In Country"—further establishing her versatility as an actress.

Home Improvement

Home Improvement

In 1991, Patricia Richardson's life and career changed dramatically when she was cast as Jill Taylor, the sharp, compassionate, and quick-witted matriarch on ABC's new sitcom "Home Improvement." At the time, she had just given birth to twins and was hesitant to commit to a full-time series. But after producers were impressed by her chemistry with Tim Allen during auditions, she accepted the role — a decision that would make her one of the most recognizable faces on television throughout the 1990s.

"Home Improvement" centered on Tim Taylor, the accident-prone host of a local cable show called "Tool Time," and his wife Jill, who often served as the moral and emotional anchor of the family. Richardson's grounded performance provided a counterbalance to Allen's larger-than-life energy and slapstick humor. Her portrayal of a smart, independent wife who juggled parenting, personal growth, and marriage resonated deeply with audiences, helping the show strike a balance between traditional sitcom laughs and real family dynamics.

Over the course of eight seasons and 202 episodes, "Home Improvement" became one of the highest-rated shows in America, frequently ranking among the top ten programs on network television. It earned Richardson four Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. She also won a 1994 Q Award from the Viewers for Quality Television association for Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series.

Behind the scenes, Richardson became a respected voice among the cast and crew, advocating for more realistic portrayals of women and family life. She often collaborated with the writers to ensure Jill's storylines reflected the perspectives of real working mothers rather than just serving as the "nagging wife" stereotype common in many sitcoms of the era.

During the height of "Home Improvement's" popularity, Richardson's fame extended well beyond the show. She hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards, appeared on countless magazine covers, and took on high-profile acting roles, including a starring turn opposite Peter Fonda in the 1997 independent drama "Ulee's Gold," which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female.

By the late 1990s, both Richardson and Allen had grown ready to move on from the series. When ABC offered enormous salary increases — reportedly in the millions per episode — to entice them into a ninth season, both declined. Richardson cited her desire to spend more time with her children after nearly a decade of grueling television production. The show ended in 1999, going out on top after eight successful years.

"Home Improvement" remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s, and Richardson's performance as Jill Taylor is still celebrated as one of the era's defining portrayals of a television mother — smart, funny, and deeply human.

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Other Work

Over the next few years, Patricia continued to book roles in a variety of productions. In 2002, she joined the cast of "Strong Medicine," replacing Janine Turner. She spent three seasons on this show before booking a recurring role as a campaign manager in the final two seasons of "The West Wing." Richardson then followed up with an appearance in the first season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" before executive producing a documentary called "Long Story Short" in 2008.

During the 2010s, Richardson appeared in a number of made-for-TV films, such as "The Jensen Project," "Smart Cookies," and "Bringing Ashley Home." She also booked a role in the 2012 film "Beautiful Wave" during this period. Tim Allen and Patricia eventually reunited for an episode of "Last Man Standing," appearing together in the 12th episode of the fourth season. Richardson then made another appearance in the 5th season of "Last Man Standing." By 2015, Patricia attempted to gain the presidency of the SAG-AFTRA union, which is one of the biggest acting unions in the world. However, she lost narrowly to Ken Howard. Richardson remains on the board, nonetheless.

Towards the end of the 2020s, Patricia turned her attention towards stage work once again. In 2016, she appeared in a production of "Steel Magnolias" alongside actors such as Elaine Hendrix, Lucy DeVito, Jessica Walter, and Susan Sullivan. The play was also directed by four-time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason. This play continued for the next three years and eventually became the highest-grossing show in the history of the Bucks County Playhouse.

Other Ventures

Patricia is closely involved with an organization called Cure PSP, having served on the organization's Board of Directors for many years. This research organization is dedicated to illnesses such as progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and multiple system atrophy. Richardson is passionate about this topic, as her father passed away from PSP in 2005.

Personal Life

In 1982, Patricia Richardson married Ray Baker, a fellow actor. They welcomed their first child into the world in 1985 before having twins in 1991. In 1995, Richardson and Baker finalized their divorce. Richardson then pursued a relationship with a retired psychologist named Mark Cline, whom she met while attending Southern Methodist University.

Real Estate

In January 1995, at the peak of "Home Improvement," Patricia paid $1.1 million for a 6,600-square-foot mansion set on 1 acre in Los Angeles. She listed this home for sale in November 2025 for $10 million:

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