Jamie Farr is an American actor who has a net worth of $6 million. Jamie Farr won a local talent contest when he was in fifth grade, and went on to work at the Pasadena Playhouse as a young adult. A talent scout from MGM saw him on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse and offered him a screen test. Farr began his professional on-camera career in the film Blackboard Jungle. He appeared in small roles in a few more films before joining the U.S. Army. After he returned to the U.S., he began acting again. Jamie went on to appear in supporting roles in a variety of film and television projects, including No Time for Sergeants, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Red Skelton, Dick Van Dike Show, and The Chicago Teddy Bears. He became a household name when he was cast as Corporal Klinger on M*A*S*H. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985. He has also hosted a daily radio show called Travelin’ Farr and often appears in theater productions.
Early Life
Jameel Joseph Farah was born on July 1, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. He is the son of Jamelia and Samuel Farah. His father was an immigrant from Lebanon and owned a grocery store. His mother, whose parents had come to America from Lebanon, was a seamstress.
Farr graduated from Woodward High School, a public high school in Toledo, Ohio, in 1952. He then moved to California, where he attended classes at Pasadena Playhouse, an award-winning performing arts venue. While there, he met a talent scout for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios who invited him to audition for the role of Santini in the 1955 American drama film The Blackboard Jungle which he won.
Television & the Army
Farr was cast as the recurring character Snorkel in the American television comedy show The Red Skelton Show in 1955. Two years later, he was drafted into the military and joined the 6th Infantry Division of the United States Army. Jamie served his country as a Broadcast Specialist and in the entertainment branch of the military.
Shortly after returning home from Korea, Farr’s father died, and he decided to give up on his dream of acting in order to seek out a job that would provide stable support for his mother.
Radio
In 2007 and 2008, Jamie appeared as one of the hosts at the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular, which took place at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. He also hosted the radio travel show Travelin’ Farr.
Books
Jamie published his autobiography Just Farr Fun in 1994. In 2003, he co-wrote the book Hababy’s Christmas Eve with his wife.
Personal Life & Real Estate
In 2018, Jamie retired from stage acting due to health issues. Farr married model Joy Richards in 1963, and they have two children, Jonas and Yvonne. In September 1987, Jamie and Joy paid $863,000 for a home in Bell Canyon, California. Today, this home is worth around $2 million.
