Actor Edward Herrmann enjoyed a storied career for decades. He earned Emmy awards and nominations, and even a Tony award for his theater performances. However, no roles cemented his place in pop culture quite like his role as Richard Gilmore, the patriarch and outnumbered male figurehead on Gilmore Girls.
After decades in Hollywood, it’s easy to believe that Herrmann would have accumulated an impressive net worth. But how much was the actor estimated to have at the time of his death? Here’s more about the actor’s career and earnings.
Edward Herrmann, the famed Richard Gilmore in ‘Gilmore Girls,’ died in 2014 from brain cancer
Herrmann had already proved himself as an actor when he was cast as the father to Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and the grandfather to Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). Gilmore Girls, which ran for seven seasons from 2000 until 2007, helped put Herrmann back in the pop culture spotlight as the serious but caring patriarch. He was often scripted as a foil for his frenetic on-screen wife Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop). Despite often disapproving of Lorelai’s antics, Herrmann worked his way into fans’ hearts as Richard.
Herrmann was involved in all seven seasons of the original TV series. But he died at age 71 on New Year’s Eve in 2014 after a battle with brain cancer. He left behind his real-life wife, Star, and two daughters, Emma and Ryen, according to Bustle. In the weeks leading up to his death, Herrmann’s family invited Bishop to visit him to say goodbye, according to Vanity Fair. “I was so touched by that,” Bishop told the publication. “This said to me, ‘Well, Ed must have expressed a great fondness for me, for you to have thought to include me in this very small family group.’”
Edward Herrmann’s net worth at the time of his death was $10 million
The bulk of Herrmann’s earnings came from his on-screen and narration credits, rather than endorsements or off-screen ventures. He rose to fame with classical theater training and appeared on Broadway. He eventually won a Tony award for his performance in Mrs. Warren‘s Profession.
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Herrmann later moved on to television and film projects. He became well-known for portraying President Franklin Roosevelt in Eleanor and Franklin, a TV miniseries, and its sequel. He was nominated for Emmy awards for that work, along with guest starring in St. Elsewhere. The actor secured an Emmy win in 1999 for guest starring in The Practice, according to IMDb.
Herrmann also did a fair amount of work off-camera as a narrator. He was the voice behind several specials for PBS and The History Channel. And he narrated audiobooks including Einstein: His Life and Universe. It was that narration, along with others, that led to Herrmann winning several Audie Awards from the Audio Publishers Association. All told, Herrmann’s net worth at the time of his death was estimated to be $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Edward Herrmann wanted ‘Gilmore Girls’ to continue past its seven seasons
Sadly, Herrmann died two years before the Netflix revival, the four-part series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The series was written by the show’s original writer, Amy Sherman-Palladino. The Netflix version also spent a significant amount of time paying homage to Herrmann. It showed how each of the Gilmore women processed Richard’s death in poignant and humorous ways. (Case in point: Emily’s commissioning of an enormous portrait in Richard’’s likeness.)
That said, Herrmann’s family said he would have “loved” the revival and the chance to further some of the cast’s storylines. Star Herrmann told fans at a Gilmore Girls panel in 2017 hosted by Bustle that her late husband would have been disappointed to miss it, but equally glad it happened. “He would have been really unhappy that he couldn’t be here to participate, because he felt very strongly that the series should go on because of what it had to say about people, their lives, and what it could do.”
