Robert Altman Net Worth
Robert Altman had an estimated net worth of $60 million at the time of his death in 2006. The American filmmaker built his wealth and reputation through a career spanning film, television and theater.
Altman was one of the most influential directors of the New Hollywood era. He became known for large ensemble casts, overlapping dialogue, unconventional storytelling and fluid camerawork. His distinctive approach produced some of the most acclaimed films of the 20th century, including M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts and Gosford Park.
Throughout his career, Altman received five Academy Award nominations for Best Director. In 2006, shortly before his death, he received an Academy Honorary Award recognizing his contributions to filmmaking.
| Robert Altman Net Worth | $60 Million |
| Date of Birth | February 20, 1925 |
| Place of Birth | Kansas City, Missouri |
Early Life
Robert Bernard Altman was born on February 20, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri.
His parents were Helen and Bernard Altman. His father was a successful insurance salesman, and Altman was raised in a Catholic family.
He attended Jesuit schools and later enrolled at Rockhurst High School. He subsequently attended Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri, graduating in 1943.
Military Service and Early Career
After graduating from military school, Altman joined the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He served as a co-pilot aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 307th Bomb Group. During his military service, he flew more than 50 bombing missions over areas including Borneo and the Dutch East Indies.
After being discharged in 1947, Altman moved to California and began looking for opportunities in entertainment.
He co-wrote the story that became the basis for the 1948 film noir Bodyguard. The experience encouraged him to pursue screenwriting in New York, although he struggled to establish himself there.
Altman eventually returned to Kansas City and found work directing and writing industrial films for the Calvin Company. During this period, he also became involved with theater and directed plays at the Resident Theatre of the Jewish Community Center.
Television Career
Altman’s television career began in the early 1950s.
One of his earliest credits came on the DuMont drama series Pulse of the City, which ran from 1953 to 1954. He later directed episodes of The Sheriff of Cochise and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
As his reputation grew, Altman became increasingly active in television. His directing credits included episodes of Whirlybirds, The Millionaire, The Roaring 20s, Bonanza, Combat! and Maverick.
He also directed television movies, including Nightmare in Chicago, 2 by South, The Laundromat and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
One of his notable later television projects was Tanner ’88, a political mockumentary miniseries. The project earned Altman an Emmy Award.
Film Directing Career: 1957-1979
Altman made his feature film directing debut in 1957 with the low-budget teen drama The Delinquents. The film was shot in his hometown of Kansas City.
He did not return to feature filmmaking until 1967, when he directed the science-fiction film Countdown. Two years later, he directed the psychological thriller That Cold Day in the Park.
Altman’s major breakthrough came in 1970 with M*A*S*H.
The satirical war film was based on a novel set during the Korean War. It became a major commercial success and won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
M*A*S*H also received five Academy Award nominations, including Altman’s first nomination for Best Director. The film became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1970 and later inspired the hugely successful television series of the same name.
Altman followed M*A*S*H with films including Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Images, The Long Goodbye, Thieves Like Us and California Split.
Nashville and New Hollywood
In 1975, Altman directed Nashville, one of the most acclaimed films of his career.
The film featured a large ensemble cast and multiple interconnected storylines set against the country music industry. It received five Academy Award nominations, including another Best Director nomination for Altman.
He followed the film with Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Altman then directed 3 Women, A Wedding, Quintet and A Perfect Couple.
Although several of his late-1970s films performed poorly commercially, Altman had already established himself as one of the leading independent-minded filmmakers of the New Hollywood period.
His willingness to challenge studio executives and experiment with narrative structure became a defining feature of his career.
Film Directing: 1980-1989
Altman entered the 1980s with Health and Popeye.
Popeye, released in 1980, was a musical adaptation of the famous comic strip and cartoon character. The film starred Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.
Although it was intended to help Altman return to mainstream commercial filmmaking, the production was difficult and the movie performed only modestly at the box office.
Altman subsequently faced difficulty securing financing from major Hollywood studios and returned to television and theater.
He continued making films, however, including Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, Streamers, Secret Honor, Fool for Love and Beyond Therapy.
In 1987, O.C. and Stiggs, a teen comedy filmed several years earlier, was finally released after a long delay.
The Player and Short Cuts
Altman’s career experienced another major resurgence in the 1990s.
After directing the biographical drama Vincent & Theo, he made The Player in 1992. The Hollywood satire was based on Michael Tolkin’s novel and was widely praised.
The film earned three Academy Award nominations and marked a major comeback for Altman.
The following year, he directed Short Cuts, an ambitious ensemble drama based on the stories of Raymond Carver. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and earned Altman another Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Altman later directed Prêt-à-Porter, Kansas City and The Gingerbread Man.
He closed the decade with Cookie’s Fortune, a black comedy that received positive reviews and performed better commercially than several of his previous films.
Gosford Park and Final Films
Altman began the 2000s with Dr. T & the Women, but returned to widespread critical acclaim with Gosford Park in 2001.
The British murder mystery featured a large ensemble cast and explored class relationships within an English country estate.
Gosford Park received seven Academy Award nominations, including Altman’s final nomination for Best Director. Screenwriter Julian Fellowes won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Altman’s later films included The Company, a drama about a ballet company, and A Prairie Home Companion, released in 2006.
A Prairie Home Companion was Altman’s final feature film. It was based on Garrison Keillor’s long-running public radio program.
Academy Honorary Award
Although Altman never won the competitive Academy Award for Best Director, he received an honorary Oscar in 2006.
The Academy presented him with the Honorary Award in recognition of a career that had repeatedly challenged conventional filmmaking and influenced generations of directors.
The honor came near the end of his life and represented recognition of his lasting impact on American cinema.
Personal Life
Altman was married three times.
He married his first wife, LaVonne Elmer, in 1946. They had a daughter named Christine before divorcing in 1951.
In 1954, Altman married Lotus Corelli. They had two sons, Michael and Stephen, before their marriage ended in divorce in 1957.
Altman married actress Kathryn Reed in 1959. They remained together until his death and had two sons, Robert and Matthew.
Robert Altman’s Death
Robert Altman died on November 20, 2006, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 81.
He died from complications related to leukemia.
Following his death, his personal archives were transferred to the University of Michigan. Altman had a long connection with the university, where he filmed Secret Honor and directed several operas.
In 2014, filmmaker Ron Mann released a documentary examining Altman’s life and career.
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