Geri Jewell Net Worth

What Is Geri Jewell's Net Worth?

Geri Jewell is an American actress, comedian, author, motivational speaker, and disability advocate who has a net worth of $300 thousand.

Geri Jewell is best known for playing Geri Tyler, Blair Warner's cousin, on the NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life." Her casting was groundbreaking: Jewell became the first performer with a visible disability to have a recurring role on an American primetime television series.

Jewell later made another memorable television comeback as Jewel, the sharp-witted cleaning woman at the Gem Saloon, on HBO's acclaimed Western drama "Deadwood." She appeared in 23 episodes between 2004 and 2006 and returned for the 2019 continuation "Deadwood: The Movie." Outside acting, Jewell has spent decades performing stand-up comedy and working as a motivational speaker and corporate trainer specializing in disability, diversity, and inclusion. Her career has been marked by major breakthroughs as well as long periods when Hollywood offered her little work.

Early Life

Geraldine Ann Jewell was born on September 13, 1956, in Buffalo, New York. She was born approximately three months prematurely and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young child. Her family subsequently moved to Southern California, in part so she could have better access to education and services.

Jewell spent much of her childhood in special education programs and later attended conventional high school. She developed an early fascination with performing and particularly admired Carol Burnett. While attending college, a blind friend who performed comedy encouraged Jewell to try making jokes about cerebral palsy onstage.

In 1978, Jewell began performing stand-up at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Her act directly addressed cerebral palsy and people's discomfort around disability, using humor to undermine stereotypes that were rarely challenged on television at the time.

"The Facts of Life"

Jewell's breakthrough came in 1980 after she performed at the Media Access Awards. Producer Norman Lear saw her act and was impressed, and she was subsequently cast on "The Facts of Life."

Her character, Geri Tyler, was introduced as the cousin of wealthy and sometimes self-centered Blair Warner, played by Lisa Whelchel. Jewell joined an ensemble that also included Charlotte Rae as housemother Edna Garrett, Kim Fields as Tootie Ramsey, Mindy Cohn as Natalie Green, and Nancy McKeon as Jo Polniaczek. Jewell's first episode, "Cousin Geri," used comedy to address the awkwardness and misconceptions surrounding cerebral palsy without treating her character simply as an object of pity.

Jewell became a recurring performer and ultimately appeared in 12 episodes between 1980 and 1984. Her presence represented an important milestone in television representation, but her role never developed into the permanent position she hoped it would become. There were discussions about expanding Geri's role and even an option involving a possible series of her own, but those plans did not materialize.

"The Facts of Life" continued for several years after Jewell's final appearance and eventually brought in other notable performers, including George Clooney, who had a recurring role as handyman George Burnett during the 1980s.

Jewell's departure coincided with severe personal and financial problems. She has said her manager stole the money she had earned and was later imprisoned for embezzlement and securities fraud. When "The Facts of Life" stopped using her, Jewell found herself famous but effectively broke. She subsequently went years without substantial Hollywood acting work.

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Comedy, Speaking, and Advocacy

During the years when acting roles were scarce, Jewell continued performing stand-up and increasingly built a career as a motivational speaker, trainer, and disability advocate.

She spoke at the White House about disability issues and eventually worked with corporations and government organizations on disability awareness and workplace inclusion. Her speaking and training clients have included Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Amgen, Raytheon, the CIA, the U.S. Treasury Department, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Army.

Jewell also returned periodically to television, appearing in shows including "21 Jump Street," "The Young and the Restless," and "Strong Medicine."

"Deadwood"

Jewell's biggest acting comeback came after a chance encounter with television producer David Milch at a pharmacy. Milch recognized her and told her about a Western series he was developing for HBO. He eventually asked Jewell to help create a character suited to the world of "Deadwood."

The result was Jewel, a disabled woman who works at Al Swearengen's Gem Saloon. Jewell helped develop the character's history and personality, and the role allowed her to play someone whose disability was only one part of a fully developed character.

Jewell appeared in 23 episodes of "Deadwood" during its three-season run. The role brought her renewed attention and led to other acting opportunities. More than a decade after the series ended, she reprised Jewel in the 2019 HBO film "Deadwood: The Movie."

Books

Jewell's first book, "Geri," was published in 1984, though she later said that she was unhappy with the way the book represented her life.

In 2011, she published the much more personal memoir "I'm Walking as Straight as I Can: Transcending Disability in Hollywood and Beyond." The title referred both to living with cerebral palsy and to Jewell's sexuality. In the book, she discussed her career, discrimination in Hollywood, financial exploitation, her marriage and divorce, and coming out as a lesbian. The memoir received an Independent Publisher Book Award.

Personal Life

Jewell was married to disability-rights advocate and professional speaker Richard Pimentel. The relationship lasted approximately 14 years, including about 12 years of marriage, before ending in divorce. Jewell later publicly came out as a lesbian.

Throughout her career, Jewell has spoken candidly about the unusual combination of visibility and financial insecurity she experienced in Hollywood. Although "The Facts of Life" made her recognizable to millions of viewers, it did not provide lasting financial security, and she endured lengthy stretches without significant acting work. Her subsequent career as a speaker, comedian, author, consultant, and performer allowed her to remain professionally active while becoming an influential advocate for greater disability representation in entertainment.

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