Danny Glover Net Worth

What Is Danny Glover's Net Worth and Salary?

Danny Glover is an American actor, producer, director, and political activist who has a net worth of $40 million.

Danny Glover is best known for playing LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh opposite Mel Gibson in the "Lethal Weapon" film franchise. His weary, funny, morally grounded performance as Murtaugh made him one of the most recognizable movie stars of the late 1980s and 1990s, and his famous line, "I'm too old for this," became one of the most quoted action-comedy lines of the era.

Danny Glover's career, however, is much larger than one franchise. He gave major dramatic performances in "The Color Purple," "Places in the Heart," "Witness," "To Sleep with Anger," "Mandela," "Lonesome Dove," "Bopha!," "Beloved," "Dreamgirls," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Saw," "Shooter," "2012," "Sorry to Bother You," and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco." Over several decades, he built a reputation as one of Hollywood's most dependable character actors, moving easily between studio blockbusters, prestige dramas, television movies, independent films, voice work, and socially conscious projects.

Beyond acting, Glover is known for his activism and humanitarian efforts. He has been involved in various social and political causes, including civil rights, labor rights, and global justice issues. He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.

Glover has received numerous awards and nominations, including multiple NAACP Image Awards and an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in "To Sleep with Anger."

Early Life

Daniel Lebern Glover was born on July 22, 1946, in San Francisco, California. His parents, Carrie and James Glover, both worked for the postal service and were active members of the NAACP. Their political engagement and commitment to civil rights had a lasting influence on Glover, whose activism later became almost as central to his public identity as his acting career.

Glover attended George Washington High School in San Francisco and later studied at San Francisco State University. While at San Francisco State, he became involved with the Black Students' Union during a period of major campus activism. He was part of the student movement that helped push for the creation of ethnic studies programs, an experience that helped shape his lifelong interest in social justice.

Before becoming an actor, Glover worked in city administration in San Francisco, focusing on community development. He eventually left that career path to pursue acting. He trained at the American Conservatory Theater and with acting teacher Jean Shelton, building a foundation in stage performance before transitioning into film and television.

Early Acting Career

Glover began appearing onscreen in the late 1970s. One of his first film roles came in "Escape from Alcatraz" in 1979. He then gained attention through television and supporting film roles, including work on "Hill Street Blues" and a notable performance in the 1984 drama "Places in the Heart."

His major breakthrough came in 1985 with Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's novel "The Color Purple." Glover played Albert, also known as Mister, the abusive husband of Whoopi Goldberg's Celie. The role was disturbing, complicated, and memorable, and it helped introduce him to a much wider audience. That same year, he also appeared in "Witness" and "Silverado," giving him a remarkable three-film run that established him as a major screen presence.

Lethal Weapon

In 1987, Glover starred as Roger Murtaugh in "Lethal Weapon." The Shane Black-penned film paired him with Mel Gibson, who played reckless detective Martin Riggs. The chemistry between Glover's cautious family man and Gibson's volatile risk-taker turned the movie into a hit and helped launch one of the most successful buddy-cop franchises in film history.

Glover returned for "Lethal Weapon 2" in 1989, "Lethal Weapon 3" in 1992, and "Lethal Weapon 4" in 1998. The series made him internationally famous and provided the commercial anchor of his film career. While Gibson's Riggs often generated the chaos, Glover's Murtaugh gave the franchise its emotional center. His character was a husband, father, veteran detective, and reluctant action hero, which made the films work as both action vehicles and comedies.

Lethal Weapon Salary

For the fourth installment of "Lethal Weapon" in 1998, Danny Glover was paid a salary of $7 million. After adjusting for inflation, that's the same as around $13 million in today's dollars.

"I'm Too Old For This Shit"

Danny's most iconic line from all of his projects is "I'm too old for this shit." He first said the phrase in 1987's "Lethal Weapon," and it became a runner in all the ensuing sequels. At the time Danny first said the phrase, he was 40 years old.

Francois Durand/Getty Images

Film And Television Career

Glover continued to work steadily outside the "Lethal Weapon" franchise. In 1987, he played Nelson Mandela in the HBO television film "Mandela." In 1989, he appeared as Joshua Deets in the acclaimed miniseries "Lonesome Dove." In 1990, he starred in Charles Burnett's "To Sleep with Anger," a performance often cited as one of his finest.

During the 1990s, Glover appeared in films including "Predator 2," "Grand Canyon," "Bopha!," "Maverick," "Angels in the Outfield," "Operation Dumbo Drop," "Beloved," and "The Rainmaker." He also made his feature directing debut with "Just a Dream" and continued producing projects that reflected his political and cultural interests.

In the 2000s and 2010s, Glover remained highly active. His credits included "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Saw," "Dreamgirls," "Shooter," "Be Kind Rewind," "2012," "Death at a Funeral," "Beyond the Lights," "Dirty Grandpa," "Sorry to Bother You," "The Old Man & the Gun," "The Dead Don't Die," "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," and "Jumanji: The Next Level." His later career showed his range, as he moved between prestige independent films, horror, comedy, family entertainment, and large studio productions.

Activism And Humanitarian Work

Glover has been a prominent activist for most of his adult life. His causes have included civil rights, labor rights, economic justice, anti-apartheid activism, global health, education, and humanitarian development. He served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme from 1998 to 2004, focusing on poverty, disease, and development issues in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

He has also supported UNICEF, the TransAfrica Forum, the Algebra Project, and many other organizations. In 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an Oscar statuette given for outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes. The honor recognized not only his acting career but also his decades of activism and public service.

(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for NAACP)

Activism

Danny Glover took an interest in activism early on, joining as a member of the Black Students' Union while attending San Francisco State University. The group collaborated with the Third World Liberation Front and the American Federation of Teachers to lead a five-month strike to establish a Department of Black Studies. This strike was the longest student walkout in U.S. history. It not only helped create the first Dept. of Black Studies but also the first School of Ethnic Studies in the U.S.

Danny is a co-chair of the Vanguard Public Foundation and a board member of the Algebra Project, the Black Aids Institute, Walden House, and Something Positive dance group founded by Cheryl Byron. He also supports United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, and several service unions. A former cab driver, in 1999, Glover used his leverage to raise awareness about African Americans being passed over for white passengers. Rudy Giuliani launched Operation Refusal in response. Danny is a co-founder and CEO of Louverture Films, which is dedicated to the production of historically relevant films. The company released 2008's "Trouble the Water," a documentary about New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Worldwide, Glover is an active board member of the TransAfrica Forum. He actively led protests against the Iraq War in 2003.

Danny was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly during a protest over Sudan's humanitarian crisis in Darfur. On April 16, 2010, Glover was arrested in Maryland during a protest by SEIU workers for Sodexo's unfair and illegal treatment of workers. He was given a citation and later released. The Associated Press reported: "Glover and others stepped past yellow police tape and were asked to step back three times at Sodexo headquarters. When they refused, (Starks says) officers arrested them."

Honors

Glover delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Utah State University. That same year, Starr King School for the Ministry awarded the Doctorate of Humane Letters to Danny for his activism and commitment to human and civil rights. In December 2016, Glover was awarded the Cuban National Medal of Friendship by the Cuban Council of State in a ceremony in Havana for his solidarity with the Cuban 5 during their incarceration in the U.S.

Personal Life

Danny Glover married Asake Bomani in 1975. They had one daughter, Mandisa, before divorcing in 2000. He later married Brazilian educator Eliane Cavalleiro in 2009. They divorced in 2022.

Glover has spoken publicly about having epilepsy when he was younger. He has said that he had his first seizure as a teenager and that he eventually learned to recognize and manage the condition. He has also said he stopped having seizures by his mid-30s.

In 2026, Glover publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He said the diagnosis came several years earlier, after he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. His daughter Mandisa also spoke publicly about noticing changes in his memory and helping support him through the diagnosis. Glover described the disease with characteristic honesty, saying he was still processing it while emphasizing that life continues.

Real Estate

In 1990, Danny bought a home located at 737 Buena Vista Ave in San Francisco. He deeded this home to Asake in 2003. The home sold in 2014 for $10 million. Danny continues to live in San Francisco, 12 blocks from where he grew up in the city's Haight-Ashbury district. In June 1999, he paid $1.3 million for a 6,000-square-foot house in Portland, Oregon.

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