Earl Holliman Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth

What was Earl Holliman’s net worth?

Earl Holliman was an American actor who had a net worth of $4 million at the time of his death. Earl died on November 25, 2024, at the age of 96.

Ruggedly handsome with an iron jaw and an unpretentious screen presence, Holliman appeared in nearly 100 film and television projects over five decades. He worked comfortably across genres, becoming a familiar figure in Westerns, war films, science fiction, and police procedurals. His résumé included major studio productions such as “Giant,” “Forbidden Planet,” and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” as well as iconic television appearances, including the very first episode of “The Twilight Zone.” In the 1970s, he reached his widest audience as Lt. Bill Crowley, the steady, paternal boss to Angie Dickinson’s undercover detective on NBC’s “Police Woman.” Holliman’s career was defined less by ambition than by consistency. He was candid throughout his life about his lack of hunger for stardom, preferring the work itself to the trappings of celebrity. That attitude kept him from becoming a household name, but it also allowed him to sustain a remarkably durable career, moving fluidly between film and television while earning the respect of colleagues and audiences alike.

Early Life

Earl Holliman was born Henry Earl Holliman on September 11, 1928, near Delhi, Louisiana. His father died before he was born, and his mother, already raising nine children, placed him for adoption. He was raised by Henry Holliman, an oil field worker, and Velma Cornwell Holliman, a waitress. Holliman later spoke openly about his childhood and the emotional roots of his desire to perform, once explaining that he had wanted to be an actor since early childhood because he “wanted to be loved.”

As a teenager during World War II, Holliman lied about his age and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, training in naval communications in Long Beach, California. While stationed there, he spent his free time at the Hollywood Canteen, a popular club where servicemen mingled with movie stars. When the Navy discovered his true age, he was discharged and returned to Louisiana to finish high school. Once he was old enough, he reenlisted, then eventually settled in California, where he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, one of the country’s most respected theatrical training grounds.

Breaking Into Hollywood

Holliman’s professional acting career began after he was signed as a contract player at Paramount Pictures by producer Hal B. Wallis. His first speaking role came in the 1953 comedy “Scared Stiff,” starring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Though the part was small, it opened the door to steady studio work.

Throughout the early 1950s, Holliman appeared in a series of supporting roles, often playing soldiers, cowboys, or earnest young men. His rugged looks and relaxed delivery made him a natural fit for Westerns and war films, and studios increasingly turned to him as a dependable presence who could elevate secondary roles without overpowering a scene.

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Film Career Highlights

Holliman’s breakout year came in 1956. He won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “The Rainmaker,” playing the impulsive younger brother of a lonely Kansas woman portrayed by Katharine Hepburn. The film also starred Burt Lancaster, and Holliman’s emotionally raw performance drew widespread praise. Notably, he beat out Elvis Presley for the role, a casting decision that became a favorite piece of Hollywood trivia.

That same year, Holliman appeared in the landmark science fiction film “Forbidden Planet,” providing comic relief as the ship’s cook opposite Robby the Robot. The film later became a major influence on Gene Roddenberry’s creation of “Star Trek.” In 1956, he also appeared in George Stevens’s epic “Giant,” sharing the screen with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean in Dean’s final film role.

Over the next two decades, Holliman continued to work steadily in film, appearing in “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” “The Sons of Katie Elder,” and later the gritty 1981 crime thriller “Sharky’s Machine.”

Television and “The Twilight Zone”

While Holliman maintained a film career, television increasingly became a major part of his professional life. In 1959, he starred in “Where Is Everybody?,” the first-ever episode of “The Twilight Zone,” created by Rod Serling. Playing an Air Force pilot suffering from amnesia in a seemingly abandoned town, Holliman delivered a performance that helped establish the series’ unsettling tone and psychological depth.

In subsequent years, he made guest appearances on numerous television series, including “Gunsmoke,” “CHiPs,” and “Murder, She Wrote.” His reliability and versatility made him a frequent choice for both episodic roles and recurring characters.

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“Police Woman” and Later Career

Holliman’s most sustained television role came in the mid-1970s when he was cast as Lt. Bill Crowley on “Police Woman.” For four seasons beginning in 1974, he played the supervisor and moral anchor to Angie Dickinson’s Sgt. Pepper Anderson. The role brought him renewed visibility, including talk show appearances and media profiles, though he remained more a respected working actor than a celebrity.

Despite the increased attention, Holliman never expressed regret about not pursuing superstardom more aggressively. He frequently joked about his ambivalence toward fame and the business side of Hollywood, admitting that he often stepped away from opportunities when others might have pushed harder. That attitude, he said, suited him just fine.

Personal Life and Legacy

Earl Holliman lived a long, private life away from Hollywood’s spotlight. He was married several times and, later in life, was married to Craig Curtis, who survived him. Holliman died at his home in Studio City, California, on November 25, 2024, at the age of 96.

Though he never became a leading man in the traditional sense, Holliman’s legacy rests in the sheer breadth and durability of his career. He was the kind of actor audiences recognized instantly, even if they could not always name him. Across Westerns, prestige films, and classic television, Earl Holliman carved out a lasting place in American screen history as a consummate professional who valued the work more than the spotlight.

Real Estate

In August 1982, Earl paid $385,000 for a home in Studio City, California.