An American actor who works in theatre, television, and movies, Jerry Mathers has a $3 million fortune. Jerry Mathers built up his wealth through performing on stage, in movies, and on television. His role as “Beaver” on the popular comedy Leave it to Beaver from 1957 to 1963 is what made him most famous.
Early life:
Gerald Patrick Mathers, better known as Jerry Mathers, was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on June 2, 1948. His father served as the head of a high school. He grew up in Los Angeles, California’s San Fernando Valley, where he spent his formative years. He has three siblings growing up—two brothers and one sister.
At the age of two, Jerry began his modeling career by serving as a child model in a department store advertising. Following a first advertisement, he made an appearance alongside the comedian Ed Wynn in a PET Milk promo. The following year, Jerry had a few movie appearances, including “This Is My Love,” “Men of the Fighting Lady,” “The Seven Little Foys,” and “The Trouble with Harry.”
Jerry Mathers Net Worth
Jerry Mathers‘ net worth is projected to be around $4 million as of 2022. He has two songs called “Don’t Cha Cry” and “Wind-Up Toy” that was recorded for single 45 rpm singles in addition to his success as an actor. Additionally, he served as the PhRMA, or Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association national the spokesperson.
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Leave it to Beaver
In the 1957 film “Leave it to Beaver,” Mathers received his first major acting job as “Beaver” Cleaver, the young son of suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver and Wally’s brother. Mathers reportedly landed the part after being upfront with the show’s producers about preferring to be at his Club Scout meeting over the audition. The producers were reportedly won over by Mathers’ candor. Over the course of six years, Mathers appeared in all 234 episodes as the character. He established himself as the first kid actor to ever have a contract in which he received a specified amount of a television program’s merchandise earnings.
With more than 80 nations and 40 languages airing “Leave it to Beaver,” it is clear that the show is still well-liked. Additionally, Mathers and Barbara Billingsley, who played his mother on the show, remained friends.
Education and Military Service:
When Mathers reached adolescence, he briefly put acting on hold to focus on his high school obligations. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, and was the frontman for Beaver and the Trappers, a band there. He enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve in 1966 while still a student; he kept serving after graduating and eventually rose to the rank of Sergeant. He afterward enrolled in the University of California at Berkeley, where he later earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, before leaving in 1973.
Back to Entertainment:
After working as a real estate developer and a commercial bank loan officer, Mathers went back to acting in 1978. In the same year, he co-starred in a Kansas City production of the play “Boeing, Boeing” with former “Leave it to Beaver” cast member Tony Dow. He also made an appearance in an episode of the television show “Flying High.” After that, Mathers spent the next 1.5 years touring with Dow in the production of “So Long, Stanley.” In 1981, he was a disc jockey in Anaheim, California, and appeared in the fantasy television movie “The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Dynamite,” with Lee Purcell and Philip MacHale.
In the 1983 television reunion film “Still the Beaver,” which featured the majority of the original cast, Mathers resumed his role as the Beaver. A new series centered on the Beaver was developed as a result of the movie’s popularity; it debuted on the Disney Channel in 1984 before being picked up by TBS and broadcast syndication. The show had been renamed “The New Leave it to Beaver,” and it had 101 episodes when it ended in 1989. In an episode of “The Love Boat,” Mathers also played the Beaver during this time.
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Later Acting:
Following “Married… with Children,” “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” “Vengeance Unlimited,” and “Diagnosis: Murder,” Mathers appeared on television in the 1990s. Mathers participated in a special “Child TV Stars Edition” episode of “The Weakest Link” in 2001; he was eliminated after the first round. He made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning show “Hairspray” in 2007. In a play performed at the Neil Simon Theater, Mathers played the title role of Wilbur Turnblad.
Personal Life:
In 1974, Mathers married Diana Platt, a woman he had originally met in college. In 1981, the couple got a divorce. Mathers later married Rhonda Gehring, whom he had met while performing “So Long, Stanley” on tour. Gretchen, Mercedes, and Noah were their three children. In 1997, the two were divorced. In 2011, Mathers tied the knot with Teresa Modnick for the third time.
Mathers was given a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 1996. The next year, he signed up for a Jenny Craig weight loss program and lost almost 40 pounds. He thereby became the company’s first-ever male spokesperson. He took on the role of the organization’s national spokesperson for its Partnership for Prescription Assistance program in 2009.
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