David Schramm Net Worth

What Was David Schramm's Net Worth?

David Schramm was an American actor who had a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death in 2020. A barrel-chested and mustachioed actor, David Schramm left a mark in Hollywood by portraying both small-screen and big-screen characters with an equal zest. He was best known for playing Roy Biggins on the NBC sitcom "Wings" (1990–1997). Schramm began acting as a child, and thanks to his devotion and talent, he was awarded a four-year graduate scholarship in New York by Julliard's drama school. In the summer of 1988, he finally got a role that would put him on the map. It was after David co-starred with Rebecca De Mornay in the play "Born Yesterday" in California that he caught Hollywood's eye.

Schramm guest-stared on numerous television series, such as "Spenser: For Hire" (1987), "The Equalizer" (1988), "Miami Vice" (1989), "Wiseguy" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1989), and he had recurring roles on "Max Monroe" and "Working Girl" in 1990. David also appeared in the films "Let It Ride" (1989), "Johnny Handsome" (1989), and "Big Packages" (1996), and he portrayed Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the 1983 miniseries "Kennedy." He performed in numerous Broadway productions, such as "The Beggar's Opera" (1973), "The Robber Bridegroom" (1975), and "Tartuffe" (1996). Sadly, David Schramm died of a heart attack on March 28, 2020, at the age of 73.

Early Life

David Schramm was born David Michael Schramm on August 14, 1946, in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the son of Laura Ruth Thomas Schramm and bookie Orien Edward Schramm Sr. In a 2012 interview with DC Theatre Scene, David stated, "I got started in acting because others helped push me into it. When I was a kid, it was other actors getting me to do it. Then I had a series of teachers who told me I was going to do it. John Houseman got me under his wing, and I went along with it happily." During a 2008 NJ.com interview, he said of his parents, "They always came to see me in school, where I won trophies for speaking, and then in those big outdoor dramas we have in Kentucky, and then as an apprentice actor at the playhouse that eventually became the Actors Theater of Louisville." After high school, Schramm enrolled at Western Kentucky University, where he took acting classes. He earned a full scholarship to New York City's prestigious Juilliard School, and he graduated in 1972. That year David and his classmates from the Drama Division's first graduating class became founding members of the NYC-based professional theater company The Acting Company alongside John Houseman and Margot Harley.

(Photo by Robin Platzer/FilmMagic)

Career

John Houseman offered Schramm the title role in an Off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's "King Lear," then in 1974, he made his Broadway debut in "The Three Sisters." In the '70s, David also appeared in Broadway productions of "The Beggar's Opera," "Measure for Measure," "Scapin," "Next Time I'll Sing to You," "The Robber Bridegroom," "Edward II," "The Time of Your Life," and "Bedroom Farce." Schramm returned to Broadway in 1980's "Goodbye Fidel" and 1983's "The Misanthrope." He portrayed Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the 1983 miniseries "Kennedy," which won a BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series/Serial and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. In 1984, David had a recurring role as Herb Harris on the NBC soap opera "Another World," then he guest-starred on "Spenser: For Hire" (1987), "The Equalizer" (1988), "Miami Vice" (1989), "Wiseguy" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1989). In 1988, he co-starred with Rebecca De Mornay in a Pasadena Playhouse production of "Born Yesterday," and the following year, he appeared in the films "Let It Ride" and "Johnny Handsome."

In 1990, Schramm had recurring roles as Captain Faraday on the CBS drama "Max Monroe" and Joe McGill on the NBC sitcom "Working Girl," and he appeared in the film "A Shock to the System." From 1990 to 1997, he played airline owner Roy Biggins on the NBC sitcom "Wings," which aired 172 episodes over eight seasons. In 1996, David appeared in the film "Big Packages," and after he finished filming "Wings," he returned to Broadway in a 1997 production of "London Assurance." From October 2009 to January 2010, he played Senator Rawkins in a Broadway revival of "Finian's Rainbow," and in the summer of 2012, he starred as Falstaff in a Washington, D.C., production of Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor." In 2015, Schramm was cast in a Barrington Stage Company production of the Richard Strand play "Butler," but he had to drop out due to vocal problems. His final stage performance took place in 2019 when he appeared in a York Theatre Company revival of "Enter Laughing: The Musical."

Personal Life

David lived in New York, and he had homes in Riverdale and Chatham. In a 2008 interview with NJ.com, he stated, "I'm not a drinker, though I come from an area where drinking is like breathing. My father was a bookie, so consequently we went to the track a lot, where there was plenty of booze. My entire family drank; on weekends, there were always plenty of cases of beer in the house. Don't ask me why, but I just didn't get that gene."

Death

On March 28, 2020, Schramm died of a heart attack at the age of 73. His "Wings" co-star Tim Daly said of the sad news, "He was a brilliant actor and a comic genius. More importantly, he was dear-hearted, complicated, mischievous, and beautifully sensitive. He was a human being. And I loved him. And I will miss him." Another "Wings" castmate, Steven Weber, stated, "His timing was never less than perfect, his professionalism was always on display. He was kind. It was an honor and a pleasure to have been able to work with him."

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