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Dick Cavett Net Worth

Richard Alva Cavett net worth is
$12 Million

Richard Alva Cavett Wiki Biography

Richard Alva Cavett was born on the 19th November 1936, in Gibbon, Nebraska USA, and is a Primetime-Emmy Award winning television host and actor, but still best known to the world for hosting his own “The Dick Cavett Show” from 1968 until 1991 in many forms and on many television stations, and also on radio stations. Cavett’s career started in 1959.

Have you ever wondered how rich Dick Cavett is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources it has been estimated that Cavett’s net worth is as high as $12 million, an amount earned through his successful career in the entertainment industry. Apart from hosting his own show and conducting numerous interviews with celebrities such as Katherine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Marlon Branod, Groucho Marx and John Lennon, among others, Dick has also a number of acting credits, including appearances in “Annie Hall” (1977), and “Beetlejuice” (1988).

Dick Cavett Net Worth $12 Million

Dick is of mixed heritage; he has Scottish, Irish, English, French and German roots. His father, Alva B. Cavett and his mother Erabel, were both educators. Because of their work, the whole family moved frequently, and Dick finished his high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, matriculating from Lincoln High School, after which he worked as a caddy at the Lincoln Country Club, while also starting to perform magic tricks, and soon met Johnny Carson, who later a became successful television host, and Dick was often a guest on his show.

Dick then enrolled at Yale University to study English, but in his senior year switched his studies to drama. While at university, Dick was active as actor and director, appearing in numerous Yale Drama productions. In order to support his education, Dick held numerous odd job positions too, including as copyboy at Time Magazine. This proved to be a good thing, once he saw an article in Time, in which is described Jack Paar’s struggle to come up with an opening monologue. He took one of the Time magazine envelopes and went to RCA Buidling, and wrote some jokes on a paper which he put into the envelope. A chance encounter with Paar had Dick giving him the envelope and jokes, and he watched the show from the audience stand. Paar used Dick’s writings which further led to Dick’s employment as a staff writer for the Tonight Show. His next venture was writing for “The Jerry Lewis Show” in 1963. Little by little, Dick’s name became more popular in the entertainment world, and in 1966 appeared in “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”, and until 1991 made over 30 appearances. His net worth was well established.

In 1968 he was given his own “The Dick Cavett Show”, which firstly lasted until 1974, and then in 1975 was picked up by other television networks, and was aired until 1991. Also, his show had another installment, which lasted from 1989 until 1995, and from 2006 until 2007. During his show Dick would often interview some of the most notable people of the entertainment world, including Woody Allen, Robert Altman, David Bowie and many others which lifted the popularity of his show, which only increased his net worth.

Apart from hosting, Dick also ventured intofilms, and during the ‘70s appeared as himself in productions such as “Nightside” (1973), “Annie Hall” (1977), and “Power Play” (1978). In 1988 he portrayed Bernard in the Oscar Award- winning fantasy “Beetlejuice”, starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Michael Keaton. His next notable appearance was in the Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar Award winning “Forrest Gump” (1994), starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. He stayed active as actor in the 2000s, and in 2005 had one of the lead roles in “Duane Hopwood”, next to Daisy Ang and Bill Buell. Most recently he had a part in the comedy “Before I Do”, which is yet to be released.

Dick is also an accomplished writer, and has published two books, including his autobiography “Cavett” (1974), and also writes a blog under the New York Times publication, entitled “Talk Show: Dick Cavett Speaks Again”. This also increased his net worth.

In his personal life, Dick has married twice, firstly to Carrie Nye from 1964 until her death in 2006, then to Martha Rogers since 2010.


Full NameDick Cavett
Net Worth$12 Million
Date Of BirthNovember 19, 1936
Place Of BirthGibbon, Nebraska, USA
Height1.68 m
ProfessionTelevision personality
EducationYale School of Drama, Yale University
NationalityAmerican
SpouseMartha Rogers, Ph.D. (m. 2010), Carrie Nye (m. 1964–2006)
ParentsAlva Cavett, Erabel Cavett
IMDBhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147118/
AwardsPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Or Music Program, Primetime Emmy Award for Special Classification Of Outstanding Program Achievement
NominationsGrammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing - Variety Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Program Achievement - Special Class
MoviesExcuse Me for Living, Norman Mailer: The American, Duane Hopwood, Beetlejuice, The Dick Cavett Show, Time Was
#Trademark
1Distinctive raspy, gravelly voice
#Quote
1At one point, I thought: I'm not so sure I want to become the poster boy for depression. But I still get mail about it, even today: 'You saved my dad's life.' 'You helped me acknowledge my own depression.' 'If Cavett can have this, then I guess it's all right for me to.'...Depression is epidemic because it's still so undiagnosed. And even my analyst made the mistake of saying to me - after I'd told him I wished he knew for a minute what my depression felt like - he said, 'Oh, that's all right, I was pretty low when my dad died.' I sat up and said, 'You think grief is even close to this?' He apologized.
2[on making President Richard Nixon angry] Well, apparently the White House was furious about a show I did with John Kerry and John O'Neill, debating the Vietnam War. That started it. Then, your friend and mine John Lennon asked if I'd come down to court and assert that he should not be deported by the Nixon administration. That really did it...You can even go to YouTube after lunch and listen to Nixon asking [Bob]Haldeman, 'What can we do to screw Cavett?' And years later, I learned from several members of my staff that he had used one of his favorite illegal hobbies and had the I.R.S. audit all of them, which was just hurting 'the little people, in the words of 'Joan Crawford (I)' qv.
3[re interviewing George Harrison] I remember saying to him, Yoko Ono sat in that chair.' And he knew to jump out of it, horrified. And by the end of the show, he was as interesting as anyone I had met. If you can convince them that you're not going to hurt them, that security led people to say: 'I've never felt this good on a talk show. My God, I don't know how you got me to talk about my abortion.' And that was a man.
4I remember being in a play once, and there were just 30 minutes left, and I thought, I don't want this ever to end. It's like being in a protective womb for a couple hours, then the poor actor has to go home.
5[on writing for Johnny Carson] I was a starving actor. And I wanted to be a comic, I thought vaguely. But most of all, I wanted to be on a talk show - as a guest - and even if I'd done it only once, I could go back to Nebraska and say: I made it, just like Johnny, who left Nebraska 12 years before me...There were sides of Johnny that I didn't know. But I know he was one of the unhappiest men in the world. But he loved me, so I felt good about him...Oh, God, he had a wretched mother. One time, Johnny wins some great prestigious award, and she says, 'I guess they know what they're doing'...She never encouraged him. And when I worked for him, there was an awful lot of tension. He was like a wire, a tight wire...And he had a wife on the ledge, and drinking troubles. His happiest hour was when he was out there on the set, and the rest of his life was really horrible.
6I never missed a Jack Paar show until I made my ludicrously ballsy move and got myself hired by him. I was a copy boy for Time magazine, and someone left The Herald Tribune open on the copy boy desk, and I read Marie Torre's column about Jack Paar. It said he worried more about his monologue than anything else. So I went home and typed one up, then took it to the bowels of the RCA Building and sneaked up to NBC. Of course, if there was security like there is now, I'd never be here today...So, here comes Jack Paar, walking out of the men's room, and I had the wits to put the monologue in a Time magazine envelope, and that caught his eye. I hand it to him. 'I wrote a monologue for you, Mr. Paar.' 'Oh yeah?' he says. And I think that's that for my monologue. But that night, he ad-libbed three of my lines on the show.
7[on being a talk-show host] It's a wonderful job for people who have never had a nervous breakdown and have always wanted one.
8[on Stu Hample] He was a great appreciator of comedy. He was an extremely funny man. He could be funny in a good stand-up comedy way in your living room. or walking across the park. And he had a prodigious memory for comic literature and could quote whole routines -- with the accuracy they deserved.
9There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?
10I'm perplexed when people adopt the modish abbreviation "Ms.," which doesn't abbreviate anything except common sense.
11Anyone who steals another comic's material should be sentenced for life to reading Aristophanes to the O.J. [O.J. Simpson] jury.
#Fact
1Though they graduated one year apart from one another he and actress Sandy Dennis attended the same high school in Lincoln, Nebraska and were in plays together.
2Jimmy Fallon wrote the foreword to Dick Cavett's book "Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks" which was published in 2014.
3"The Dick Cavett Show" aired on 5 networks for over 35 years: ABC daytime (March 4, 1968-January 24, 1969) (originally titled This Morning) ABC prime time (May 26-September 19, 1969) ABC late night (December 29, 1969-January 1, 1975) CBS prime time (August 16-September 6, 1975) PBS (October 10, 1977-October 8, 1982) USA prime time (September 30, 1985-September 23, 1986) ABC late night (September 23-December 30, 1986) CNBC (April 17, 1989-January 26, 1996).
4He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Annie Hall (1977) and Forrest Gump (1994).
5Insisted that his surname is technically pronounced "CAY-vit"/"cave-it", not as commonly "Cav-vet".
6Inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 1991.
7Appeared in the 1964 US Army "Big Picture" film, "Thayer of West Point" as a cadet enumerating the new rules that Superintendent Thayer was implementing, such as no valets or other servants to be employed by cadets.
8Announced November 9, 2010, on Imus in the Morning, that he had married Martha Rogers "about a week ago in New Orleans".
9The segment of "Sgt Bilko" called "Bilko's Godson" was his first appearance on TV. During an recent interview he recalled how during a break in the shooting, he approached Phil Silvers and said, "I know there's no way you'd remember, but I saw you in (the Broadway show) "Top Banana" and went backstage and you gave me an autographed picture." And without a moment's hesitation Silvers replied "What's the deal, kid, you here to give it back?".
10Was a gymnast when he was younger.
11Grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska.
12Suffered from manic-depressive disorder, since his freshman year at Yale University.
13Early in his career he applied to be an page at NBC's Rockefeller Center studio in New York City but was turned down.
14Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 99. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
15Was a talent coordinator for Jack Paar's TV show. Appeared many times on talk shows as a stand-up comic.
16Was an actor in army training films.
17Born at 1:24am-CST

All pictures

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Playhouse 901960TV Series
The Phil Silvers Show1959TV SeriesStudent in Front Row
The Edge of Night1956TV SeriesMoe Everhardt (1983)
Before I DoannouncedJonathan Chance
Childrens Hospital2016TV SeriesDick Cavett
River of Fundament2014Wake Guest
Are We There Yet?2012TV SeriesHarold Bradlee
Excuse Me for Living2012Reverend Pilatus
Driving Me Crazy2012Mr. Johnson
Duane Hopwood2005Fred
The Yesterday Show with John Kerwin2004TV Series
Behind the Seams2000Detective
Elvis Meets Nixon1997TV MovieNarrator
Good Money1996Doug
Forrest Gump1994Dick Cavett
Year of the Gun1991Ben Gershon
True Blue1990TV Series
Beetlejuice1988Bernard
Invisible Thread1987TV Movie
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors1987Dick Cavett
Hotel1984TV SeriesDick Cavett
Parade of Stars1983TV MovieFred Allen
Power Play1978Dick Cavett
Annie Hall1977Dick Cavett
Feelin' Good1974TV SeriesHost
Nightside1973TV MovieDick Cavett
Alias Smith and Jones1972TV SeriesSheriff
Another World1964TV SeriesOliver Twist (hypnotist / magician) (1988)

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The John Kerwin Show2008TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Jerry Lewis ShowTV Series 1 episode, 1963 writer - 5 episodes, 1963
The Tonight Show1962TV Series 1 episode

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Biography1995TV Series documentary photos - 1 episode

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Listen to Me Marlon2015Documentary thanks
Dick Cavett's Watergate2014TV Movie and especially
Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe2007Documentary thanks
Inside Deep Throat2005Documentary thanks
Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler1983Video documentary acknowledgment: film and stills courtesy of

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Last Days of Edward GoreyDocumentary post-productionHimself
Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf2011-2016TV SeriesHimself
American Masters2011-2016TV Series documentaryHimself
Joan Rivers: Exit Laughing2016DocumentaryHimself
Janis: Little Girl Blue2015DocumentaryHimself
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2015TV SeriesHimself
The Seventies2015TV Series documentaryHimself - Host, 'The Dick Cavett Show'
Dick Cavett's Vietnam2015TV Movie documentaryHimself
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson2010-2015TV SeriesHimself
Best of Enemies2015DocumentaryHimself
A Venue for the End of the World2014DocumentaryHimself
Larry King Now2014TV SeriesHimself
Tom Green Live2014TV SeriesHimself - Guest
Hellman v. McCarthy2014TV MovieHimself
Dateline NBC2014TV Series documentaryHimself - Guest
Dick Cavett's Watergate2014TV MovieHimself
Park Bench with Steve Buscemi2014TV SeriesHimself
The Sixties2014TV Mini-Series documentaryHimself
The Book of Saunders2014DocumentaryHimself
Katharine Hepburn: The Great Kate2014TV Movie documentaryHimself - Chat-Show Host
Imus in the Morning2014TV SeriesHimself - Phone Interview
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon2010-2014TV SeriesHimself
Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You2013DocumentaryHimself
Celebrity Ghost Stories2012TV Series documentaryHimself
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay2012DocumentaryHimself - Narrator (voice)
Woody Allen: A Documentary2012DocumentaryHimself
Gossip Girl2012TV SeriesHimself
Bored to Death2011TV SeriesHimself
That Is All2011ShortHimself
Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again2011TV MovieHimself
Charlie Rose2001-2011TV SeriesHimself - Guest / Himself
Bobby Fischer Against the World2011DocumentaryHimself
Tavis Smiley2006-2010TV SeriesHimself
Nixon's the One: The '68 Election2010DocumentaryNarrator
Norman Mailer: The American2010Documentary
The Battle for Late Night2010TV Movie documentaryHimself
Unforgettable2010DocumentaryHimself
Smash His Camera2010DocumentaryHimself
In the House with Peter Bart & Peter Guber2009TV Series
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel2009DocumentaryHimself: TV Talk Show Host
Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America2009TV Series documentaryHimself - Talk Show Host
James Brown: The Man, the Music, & the Message2008Video documentaryHimself
Pioneers of Television2008TV Mini-Series documentaryHimself
To My Great Chagrin: The Unbelievable Story of Brother Theodore2007DocumentaryHimself
Decoy: A Map to Nowhere2007Video shortHimself
Tension: Who's Guilty Now?2007Video shortHimself
Where Danger Lives: White Rose for Julie2007Video documentary shortHimself
48 Hours2007TV Series documentaryHimself
The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks2006TV MovieHimself
Jimmy Kimmel Live!2006TV SeriesHimself
Cavett Backstage2006Video documentary shortHimself
Cavett Remembers the Comic Legends2006Video documentary shortHimself
Cavett and the Lennons2005Video documentary shortHimself
Larry King Live2005TV SeriesHimself
NewsNight with Aaron Brown2005TV SeriesHimself
Cavett Meets The Rolling Stones2005Video shortHimself
Cavett Remembers Ray2005Video documentary shortHimself
Inside Deep Throat2005DocumentaryHimself
The Dick Cavett Interview2005Video shortHimself
Jack Paar: Smart Television2003TV Movie documentaryHimself
Jimi Hendrix: The Dick Cavett Show2002Video documentaryHimself
Long Island's Lighthouses2001TV Movie documentaryNarrator
ESPN SportsCentury2001TV Series documentaryHimself
The 55th Annual Tony Awards2001TV SpecialHimself - Presenter: The Rocky Horror Show
Bravo Profiles2001TV Series documentaryHimself
Once Upon a Sleigh Ride: The Music & Life of Leroy Anderson2000TV Movie documentaryHimself - Narrator
Frequency2000Himself
NY TV: By the People Who Made It - Part I & II1998TV Movie documentaryHimself
Lauren Hutton and...1996TV SeriesHimself
The History of Rock 'n' Roll1995TV Series documentaryHimself
The Dick Cavett Show1989-1995TV SeriesHimself - Host
The Simpsons1995TV SeriesHimself
Biography1995TV Series documentaryHimself
Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993-1994TV SeriesHimself
Barbarians at the Gate1993TV MovieHimself
The One, the Only... Groucho1991TV Movie documentaryHimself
Newton's Apple1991TV SeriesHimself
The Dick Cavett Show1975-1991TV SeriesHimself - Host
The 12th Annual CableACE Awards1991TV SpecialHimself - Winner
The Howard Stern Show1990TV SeriesHimself
Night of 100 Stars III1990TV MovieHimself
The New Hollywood Squares1988-1989TV SeriesHimself - Panelist
The Pat Sajak Show1989TV SeriesHimself
Wheel of Fortune1988TV SeriesHimself - Special Guest
Imagine: John Lennon1988DocumentaryHimself
Moon Over Parador1988Himself
After School1988Himself
Super Password1987-1988TV SeriesHimself - Celebrity Contestant
The $10,000 Pyramid1976-1988TV SeriesHimself
Funny1988DocumentaryHimself
College Bowl1987TV SeriesHost
The Dick Cavett Show1986TV SeriesHimself - Host
Bodywatch1986TV SeriesHimself
Late Night with David Letterman1982-1986TV SeriesHimself
Amazing Stories1986TV SeriesHimself
Kate & Allie1986TV SeriesHimself
Bye Bye Kipling1986TV MovieHimself
Doctor Duck's Super Secret All-Purpose Sauce1986VideoHimself - Player
Faces of Japan1986TV Series documentaryHost (1986-1987)
Harry Belafonte in Concert1985TV SpecialHimself
Bob Hope Buys NBC?1985TV SpecialHimself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1966-1984TV SeriesHimself - Guest / Himself / Himself - Guest Host
Super Birthday: A World's Fair Salute to Bob Hope1984TV MovieHimself
Cheers1983TV SeriesHimself
Saturday Night Live1976-1983TV SeriesHimself - Host / Himself
The 35th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards1983TV SpecialHimself - Presenter: Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
Tom Cottle: Up Close1982-1983TV SeriesHimself
Dick Cavett Behind the Scenes with John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John1983TV MovieHimself - Host
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell1982TV Movie documentaryHimself
Catch a Rising Star's 10th Anniversary1982TV SpecialHimself
Yesteryear1982TV Series documentaryHimself - Host
Acting: Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio1981DocumentaryHimself
Remember When...1981TV SeriesHimself
Rich and Famous1981Himself (uncredited)
HealtH1980Himself
Simon1980Himself
Time Was...1979-1980TV Series documentaryHimself - Host
All My Children1979TV SeriesHimself
Hollywood Greats1979TV Series documentaryHimself
Dick Cavett und...1978-1979TV SeriesHimself / Himself - Host
The Annual Friars Club Tribute Presents a Salute to Johnny Carson1979TV MovieHimself
Dinah!1974-1978TV SeriesHimself / Himself - Guest
Hocus Pocus, It's Magic1978TV MovieHimself - Host
Good Morning America1977TV SeriesHimself
Live from Lincoln Center1976TV SeriesHimself - Host
The Mike Douglas Show1967-1976TV SeriesHimself - TV Talk Show Host / Himself - TV Personality / Himself
Backlot USA1976TV MovieHimself - Host
Funny Girl to Funny Lady1975TV Special documentaryHimself / Interviewer / Presenter
The Odd Couple1975TV SeriesHimself
The Dick Cavett Show1968-1974TV SeriesHimself - Host
Janis1974DocumentaryHimself
Parkinson1972-1974TV SeriesHimself - Interviewer / Himself
Cocksucker Blues1972DocumentaryHimself
Imagine1972TV Movie documentaryHimself
VD Blues1972TV MovieHimself - Host
John & Yoko in Syracuse, New York1972TV Short documentaryHimself
Laugh-In1972TV SeriesHimself
Hollywood: The Dream Factory1972TV Movie documentaryHimself - Narrator (voice)
Plimpton! Did You Hear the One About?1971TV Movie documentaryHimself
The 25th Annual Tony Awards1971TV SpecialHimself - Presenter
Fight of the Century1971TV MovieHimself - Audience Member
The Most Deadly Game1971TV SeriesHimself
The Kraft Music Hall1967-1970TV SeriesHimself
The Joe Namath Show1969TV SeriesHimself
This Is Tom Jones1969TV Series documentaryHimself
Operation: Entertainment1968TV SeriesHimself - Host
To Tell the Truth1967TV SeriesHimself - Guest Panelist
What's My Line?1966-1967TV SeriesHimself - Panelist
The Ed Sullivan Show1966TV SeriesHimself
ABC Stage 671966TV SeriesHimself - Host
The Merv Griffin Show1965TV SeriesHimself
The Steve Allen Plymouth Show1958TV SeriesHimself

Archive Footage

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1974Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsSpecial Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual AchievementThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)
1972Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Variety Series - TalkThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2012Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Variety SpecialMel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again (2011)
1979Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Program Achievement - Special ClassThe Dick Cavett Show (1975)
1978Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsSpecial Classification of Outstanding Program AchievementThe Dick Cavett Show (1975)
1975Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsSpecial Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual AchievementThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)
1973Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Variety Musical SeriesThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)
1971Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Variety Series - TalkThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)
1970Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Variety or Musical SeriesThe Dick Cavett Show (1968)

Known for movies


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Abbie Anker

Update: 2024-05-21