What Is Steve Guttenberg's Net Worth and Salary?
Steve Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian who has a net worth of $12 million. Steve Guttenberg was one of the busiest and most popular actors of the 1980s. It has been said Guttenberg appeared in more film projects between 1980 and 1990 than any other actor except Gene Hackman. Guttenberg's best-known films include "Police Academy," "Diner," "Cocoon," and "Three Men and a Baby." His career has spanned over four decades.
Early Life
Steve Guttenberg was born Steven Robert Guttenberg on August 24, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Ann Iris, a surgical assistant, and Jerome Stanley Guttenberg, an electrical engineer. He had a Jewish upbringing in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens before his family moved to North Massapequa, New York. In his high school years, Gutenberg attended a summer program at Julliard, where he studied under John Houseman. He won a role in an off-Broadway production of "The Lion in Winter." After Steve graduated from Plainedge High School in 1976, he attended the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany for a year and then moved to California to pursue an acting career. Within weeks, he was cast in a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken playing Colonel Sanders.
Career
Guttenberg's first screen credit was in the TV movie "Something for Joey" in 1977. He went on to take small parts throughout the late seventies and early eighties. Steve was only twenty years old when he turned into one of the biggest comedic and dramatic box-office draws in the world. Cast in Levinson's 1982 classic comedy "Diner," Guttenberg went on to become the sensation of the decade. He starred in an enormous hit when he played the lead role in 1984's "Police Academy." He became one of the world's busiest stars over the next four years, appearing in nine starring roles.
In 1985, Steve starred in "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment." He then played the romantic male lead in "Cocoon" that same year, yet another huge box office success. In 1986, Steve starred in the third installment of the "Policy Academy" franchise, "Police Academy 3: Back in Training." He then starred in "Short Circuit" in 1986 and made his last "Police Academy" film in 1987, "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol."
Guttenberg scored the biggest financial success of his career to date in 1987 with "Three Men and a Baby," starring opposite Tom Selleck and Ted Danson. His next three films, "High Spirits," "Don't Tell Her It's Me," and "Cocoon: The Return" were commercial disappointments. "Three Men and a Little Lady," however, was a success in 1990.
Guttenberg made his Broadway debut with 1991's Prelude to a Kiss, after which he participated in several theater productions, such as "The Boys Next Door" in London's West End and "Furthest From the Sun." He starred opposite Kristie Alley and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in 1995's "It Takes Two." He also starred in "Zeus and Roxanne," "Casper," and "Tower of Terror."
As for his TV roles, the most popular is his turn as Mayor Woody Goodman in 2004's mystery series "Veronica Mars." Meanwhile, he also served as director, producer, co-writer, and actor on the 2002 film adaptation of the Broadway hit "P.S. Your Cat is Dead." Furthermore, Steve was the executive producer of the Emmy-winning show CBS "Schoolbreak Special," a broadcast focused on issues affecting high school students. In addition to the above, Guttenberg was added to the cast of the reality show "Dancing with the Stars" in the spring of 2008, along with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya as his dancing partner. That same year, he released a video titled "Steve Guttenberg's Steak House" on funnyordie.com.
Guttenberg played himself in an episode of the Starz comedy "Party Down" in May 2010 and also appeared in an episode of "Law & Order." He returned to Broadway in 2012 for Woody Allen's one-act play "Honeymoon Hotel." In 2015, he appeared on the History Channel miniseries "Sons of Liberty." In 2020, Steve appeared in "The Goldbergs," "Paper Empire," and "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."
Diner Salary
In a January 2023 interview with radio hosts Jim Norton and Sam Roberts, Steve told the story of how he ended up taking a slight pay cut to get top-billing in 1982's "Diner." According to Guttenberg, the film's producers relayed a message to his agents which explained that he had two salary options:
- #1) Take $35,000 but receive second billing below co-star Mickey Rourke.
- #2) Take $30,000 and get top billing.
As a struggling actor, Steve initially insisted his agent take the extra $5k and leave top billing for Rourke. However, his agent insisted he go with the second option and secure top billing, as it would be better for his career. Steve followed his agent's advice. When "Diner" tripled its $5 million budget at the box office, Guttenberg's star shined extra brightly.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Awards
The sixth annual Fire Island Golden Wagon Film Festival honored Steve with the 2008 Tony Randall Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the entertainment industry, outstanding community service, and charitable acts. In December 2011, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In October 2014, Guttenberg received a key to the city of Miami for his work with the charity Fun Paw Care, which raises awareness for animal rights.
Philanthropy
When he is not onscreen or onstage, Steve Guttenberg is focused on helping the homeless and improving opportunities for young people. He set up Guttenhouse, an apartment complex that accommodates those in need who are past their foster child status. Also, he was named Ambassador for Children's Issues by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and when Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. in 2005, Steve was one of the volunteers at the Houston Astrodome for a week. In 2016, a trust was set up in his honor to provide support services to the homeless population of Los Angeles. That same year, Guttenberg pre-recorded a message for the New York Walk to Fight Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases in Brooklyn announcing that he had joined the Lymphatic Education & Research Network's Honorary Board.
Personal Life
Steve Guttenberg was married for three years to model Denise Bixler until they separated in June 1991 and divorced one year later. Guttenberg has been involved with reporter Emily Smith since 2014. They announced their engagement in December 2016 and were married on January 19, 2019.
Real Estate
Steve's wife, Emily, is a reporter for WABC and CBS New York. As such, they spend much of the year living in an Upper West Side apartment that Steve has rented for several decades.
Steve also owns a large Spanish-style mansion in LA's exclusive Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Because they spend so much time away from LA, his LA mansion has been offered up for rent for $12,000 – $20,000 per month.
