Lorraine Gary Net Worth

What is Lorraine Gary's Net Worth?

Lorraine Gary is an American retired actress who has a net worth of $30 million. Lorraine married entertainment executive Sidney Sheinberg in 1956. They remained together until his death in 2019. Lorraine continues to live in the couple's longtime Beverly Hills mansion, which is valued at roughly $15 million today.

Lorraine Gary is best known for playing Ellen Brody in the "Jaws" film series, starting with the original in 1975 and continuing with the sequels "Jaws 2" and "Jaws: The Revenge." She also appeared in such films as "Car Wash," "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," and "1941," and had guest roles on various television shows in the late 1960s and throughout the '70s.

Early Life and Education

Lorraine Gary was born Lorraine Gottfried on August 16, 1937 in the Queens borough of New York City. Her parents were Belle and George, the latter of whom worked in show business as a manager. As a child, Gary moved with her parents to Los Angeles. She took to acting, and at the age of 16 won a competition at Pasadena Playhouse. Although Gary was offered a scholarship to enroll at the institution, she elected to attend Columbia University instead to study political science.

Film Career

In 1975, Gary made her big-screen debut in Steven Spielberg's thriller "Jaws." Among the first actors cast, she played Ellen Brody, the wife of Roy Scheider's main character Chief Martin Brody. "Jaws" was a monster hit, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time to date and launching the tradition of summer blockbusters. Gary would reprise her role as Ellen Brody in the less-well-received sequels "Jaws 2" (1978) and "Jaws: The Revenge" (1987), the latter of which was her final film role. Meanwhile, she appeared in some other films. In 1976, Gary played Hysterical Lady in the comedy "Car Wash," and in 1977 she was Esther Blake in the psychological drama "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," based on the novel by Joanne Greenberg. She next played Billy-Jon in the 1978 comedy "Zero to Sixty." The year after that, Gary was in two films: the comedy "Just You and Me, Kid," starring George Burns and Brooke Shields, and the war comedy "1941," her second film directed by Steven Spielberg. She played Joan Douglas in the latter.

(Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Television Career

Gary began acting on television in the late 1960s. She appeared in guest roles on such shows as "Dragnet," "The Virginian," "The Name of the Game," and "The Bold Ones: The Protectors" and was in multiple episodes of "Ironside." Gary was especially prolific on the small screen in the first half of the 1970s. Early in the decade, she guest-starred on "McCloud," "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury," "Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law," "McMillan & Wife," "Hec Ramsey," and "Night Gallery," among other series. Gary also continued making appearances on "Ironside." In 1973, she was in the NBC television film "Partners in Crime" and began a two-episode role on "Kojak." Gary was in another television film, ABC's "Pray for the Wildcats," in early 1974. Later that year, she was in episodes of "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "The Rookies." Among her other television credits in the 1970s, Gary guest-starred in the pilot episode of the short-lived NBC police procedural series "Lanigan's Rabbi" and appeared in the cast of the 1978 ABC television film "Crash," based on the true story of the first-ever crash of a wide-body aircraft, which occurred in the Florida Everglades in late 1972.

Other Activities

Beyond her acting career, Gary is a member of the Human Rights Watch's Women's Rights Advisory Committee, for which she produced and directed a series of educational films. She also sits on the advisory boards of Ms. Magazine and Girls Lean International. In honor of her philanthropic work, Gary shared the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Humanitarian Award with her husband Sidney. In former activities, she previously owned the television production company New Hope Productions.

Personal Life

A few days after turning 19 in 1956, Gary married entertainment executive Sidney Sheinberg. They had two sons named Jonathan and William, both of whom became film producers. Gary and Sheinberg remained together until the latter's passing in 2019.

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