How Much Was the Psycho Actor Worth?

Anthony Perkins net worth in 2024 still interests fans of classic film. Known best for his role as Norman Bates in Psycho, Perkins became a lasting figure in Hollywood history. His unique talent made him stand out, and he starred in many memorable films, earning respect for his intense, often haunting performances. Even decades after his passing, his influence in film remains strong.

Let’s explore the financial legacy Perkins left behind and look at the main sources of his income.

What is Anthony Perkins Net Worth in 2024?

Anthony Perkins was an American actor, director, and singer with a net worth of $6 million at the time of his passing in 1992. Anthony Perkins built most of his wealth from acting.

He became famous for his role as Norman Bates in the classic horror film Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. This role brought him great fame and led to more roles in movies and TV shows. He also acted in sequels of Psycho, which kept him popular over the years. Perkins acted in both Hollywood and theater, and he earned money from each role.

Although acting was his main source of income, he also made some money from singing, releasing a few songs in the 1950s. Perkins’ work in the film industry, along with the lasting success of Psycho, was the core of his wealth.

Anthony Perkins’ Early Life

Father Death

Anthony Perkins was born in Manhattan on April 4, 1932. His father Osgood Perkins was a busy actor known for his role in Scarface. Because of his father’s work, Perkins rarely saw him. One of the few good memories he had with his father was a short vacation in 1937, the same year his father sadly died of a heart attack after the opening of his play Susan and God. This loss deeply affected young Perkins, leaving him with feelings of guilt, thinking he had somehow wished for his father’s death.

After his father’s death, Anthony Perkins grew up mostly around women, especially his mother, Janet. Their relationship was very close but complicated. He felt torn between love and jealousy for her attention, a feeling he described later as intense and confusing. As he grew up, his mother’s controlling behavior impacted him, and her actions affected his mental health and self-esteem.

In 1942, Perkins and his mother moved to Boston, where she worked in theater. Perkins went to different schools, facing struggles with health, studies, and social life. He stuttered and wasn’t interested in sports, making him stand out. Later, he attended Brooks School where he began improving academically aiming to return to Boston for better schooling.

Growing Talents

Anthony Perkins’s interest in acting grew as he saw it as a way to connect with his late father. His mother supported this by arranging small acting roles for him in summer theater. His first roles were in plays like Junior Miss and Kiss and Tell, where he earned $25 a week. Acting became an escape, helping him to build confidence and find purpose.

In high school, he gained popularity for his comedic impressions of actors like Roddy McDowall and participated in various performances. Perkins was seen as mature beyond his years, with interests different from his peers. He started questioning his identity and sexuality, something he kept private as he explored his feelings for close friends.

College Life

When it came time for college Perkins’s grades didn’t qualify him for Harvard, so he attended Rollins College in Florida a conservative school. There, he acted in many productions and started experimenting with his identity. However, the atmosphere was tense due to hostility toward homosexuals, which led to the expulsion of some of his friends. He eventually transferred to Columbia University in search of a more open environment.

Through it all, Perkins remained passionate about acting, giving him a sense of identity and connection to his father. His early life was marked by personal and family struggles, but it laid the foundation for the complex characters he would later portray in movies like Psycho, where he channeled much of his emotional experience.

Anthony Perkins’ Career

Film and Broadway Beginnings

Tony Perkins began his acting career while he was still in college at Rollins College. During a summer break, he went to California, hoping to get into movies. He spent his days hanging around MGM studios, waiting for a chance to be noticed. One day, he got lucky. They needed someone to show the back of a head in a scene, and they asked Tony to help. This led to his first role in The Actress, where he acted alongside Jean Simmons and Spencer Tracy. Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, it earned a nomination for Best Costume Design.

In 1954, Perkins got his big break on Broadway, replacing John Kerr in Tea and Sympathy. Directed by Elia Kazan, Perkins played Tom Lee, a college student labeled a sissy. His performance resonated with many, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, and established him as a talent to watch.

Military Service and Challenges

While performing in Tea and Sympathy, Anthony Perkins was drafted into the military. To avoid serving, he claimed he was a practicing homosexual, which caused him great stress and trauma.

Perkins quickly rose to fame with the movie Friendly Persuasion, where he played Josh Birdwell. His audition impressed director William Wyler, and soon he was working alongside stars like Gary Cooper. Despite his nervousness, his acting skills shone through, earning him the title of Best New Actor from the Golden Globe Awards.

He also starred in Fear Strikes Out, a film about a baseball player’s struggle with mental health. Critics praised his performance, comparing him to James Dean.

Teen Idol and Musical Pursuits

In 1957 and 1958, Anthony Perkins released three pop music albums. His song Moon-Light Swim was a hit, reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, he was not fully committed to a music career and returned to Broadway for a role in Look Homeward, Angel.

Perkins worked on several films, including Green Mansions with Audrey Hepburn and On the Beach, which featured a strong cast including Gregory Peck. He continued to show his acting range, playing a doomed father in a post-apocalyptic world.

Despite challenges in his personal life, including his sexuality and the pressures of Hollywood, Tony Perkins carved out a unique place in the film industry during the late 1950s. His early roles established him as a talented actor with a deep connection to his characters, influencing both theater and film for years to come.

Career Evolution of Anthony Perkins

In the 1960s, actor Anthony Perkins faced many challenges with Paramount Pictures. He became famous after being signed in 1955. The studio invested $15 million in him, promoting him as a teen idol. However, Perkins wanted to be seen as a serious actor, not just a heartthrob. He lost important roles, like Shell Oil Junior in Some Like It Hot and Tony in West Side Story.

Paramount’s president, Barney Balaban, often clashed with Perkins because of his sexuality. Balaban wanted Perkins to break up with his boyfriend, actor Tab Hunter and even suggested therapy to change him. Perkins stood firm, saying, But I love him! This tension continued until Perkins ended his contract with Paramount in 1959.

Breakthrough Roles

Anthony Perkins’s big break came with the film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He played Norman Bates, a complex character that earned him international fame. The film’s shocking twist revealed Bates was impersonating his dead mother, which led to a series of murders.

While filming Psycho, Perkins also worked on the Broadway musical Greenwillow. His performance was praised, and he was nominated for a Tony Award. Despite its small budget, Psycho became a huge success, securing Perkins’s place as a leading actor.

European Ventures

After leaving Paramount, Anthony Perkins moved to France and starred in several European films, including Goodbye Again with Ingrid Bergman. His role earned him the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He also appeared in Phaedra and Five Miles to Midnight, where he showcased his range as an actor.

Perkins worked with famous director Orson Welles in The Trial, a film that received great reviews despite Perkins facing criticism. Welles later expressed regret for how the film impacted Perkins’s reputation.

Return to the U.S. and Later Works

In 1966, Perkins returned to the U.S. to star in the horror musical Evening Primrose. He also acted in Neil Simon’s play The Star-Spangled Girl. After this, he went back to Europe for a French film called The Champagne Murders.

In 1968, Perkins starred in Pretty Poison, portraying a troubled young man. This film, while not a box office hit gained a cult following over time.

In the 1970s, Anthony Perkins started taking on supporting roles in Hollywood films. His first movie in this new phase was Catch-22, where he played Chaplain Tappman. He also had a small role in WUSA, starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Perkins continued his acting career in theater, directing and starring in Steambath.

He starred in the TV movie How Awful About Allan, playing a psychotic character alongside Julie Harris and Joan Hackett. This film didn’t get much attention at first but later gained a following when it entered the public domain. Perkins returned to film with Someone Behind the Door, where he played a disturbed man again.

Perkins’s roles often featured dark themes. In Ten Days’ Wonder, he was in love with his stepmother, similar to his earlier films. In Play It as It Lays, he played B.Z., a closeted producer. Critics praised his performance, calling it one of his best. However, despite the acclaim, he and co-star Tuesday Weld did not receive Oscar nominations.

In The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Perkins took a different turn, playing a wandering minister alongside Paul Newman. This film was also significant in his life because it led to a conversation about Perkins’s sexuality and personal struggles.

Perkins teamed up with friend Stephen Sondheim to create The Last of Sheila, a mystery film that was well-received and won an award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. They had plans for more projects, but many of them never came to fruition.

He appeared in Murder on the Orient Express, which was a huge success, and later co-starred with Blythe Danner in Lovin’ Molly. Perkins had success on Broadway with the play Equus, where he played a psychiatrist, showcasing his acting range.

In the late 1970s, Perkins hosted Saturday Night Live, poking fun at his serious image. He also starred in Remember My Name, which was popular and praised for its performances.

Perkins continued to take on television roles, including a part in Les Misérables and Disney’s The Black Hole. He returned to Broadway with the play Romantic Comedy, which was a hit.

In the 1980s, Perkins played Norman Bates again in Psycho II, which was a box-office success. He also appeared in various TV mini-series and films. Perkins directed and starred in Psycho III, earning praise for his performance despite the film’s mixed reviews.

Anthony Perkins’ Personal Life

Meeting Berry Berenson

Anthony Perkins met his future wife, photographer Berinthia Berry Berenson, in different ways. Some say it was at a party in Manhattan in 1972, while others think they met on the set of Play It as It Lays. At first, they were just friends. Berry was engaged to Richard Bernstein. But their friendship turned romantic, and Berry got pregnant. When she told Bernstein, he dismissed Perkins, saying he was gay. Berry disagreed and left Bernstein immediately.

Their Marriage and Family

Perkins and Berenson married on August 9, 1973, when he was 41 and she was 25. Berry was three months pregnant at the time. They had two sons: Oz Perkins, born in 1974, and Elvis Perkins, born in 1976. Many friends were surprised by their marriage and thought it wouldn’t last. Even Berry thought people doubted them, saying she was naïve and didn’t understand the concerns.

Sadly, Berry died in the 9/11 attacks in 2001, when her flight crashed into the World Trade Center. She was only 53 years old and had just returned from vacation.

Perkins’s Sexuality

Rumors about Perkins’s sexuality started early in his career. He played a gay character in the Broadway play Tea and Sympathy. Some friends believed he was gay because of his close relationships with men. Perkins reportedly had his first experience with a woman at age 39 with actress Victoria Principal.

In therapy, Perkins explored his sexuality. His therapist, Mildred Newman, believed homosexuality was a phase and tried to help him change. Perkins had a long-term boyfriend, Grover Dale, but both wanted to start fresh with women. They thought their sexuality was causing unhappiness.

Therapy with Mildred Newman

After breaking up with Grover Dale, Anthony Perkins sought help from friends and started seeing Mildred Newman. Their sessions were intense and often emotional. Perkins cried during discussions about women, showing he was struggling with his feelings. Newman believed some gay men could change, which caused controversy after Perkins’s death.

Friendships

One of his close friends was Sophia Loren. She once joked about Perkins’s dressing room looking like a monk’s cage while they filmed Desire Under the Elms in 1958. They enjoyed spending time together, often smiling and laughing when they met in Europe later.

When making Green Mansions in 1959, Perkins wanted to make Audrey Hepburn laugh every day. Another actress, Elaine Aiken, remembered him stealing food from her plate during their dates. They never talked about Perkins being gay, and Aiken said it didn’t matter to her. She just wanted a good friend.

Anthony Perkins’ Death

During the filming of Psycho IV: The Beginning, actor Anthony Perkins was secretly dealing with a serious health issue called facial palsy. Rumors spread when a tabloid, National Enquirer, claimed he was HIV-positive. His wife, Berry Berenson, said that Perkins had not been tested for HIV but had undergone blood tests in Los Angeles for his condition. She believed someone might have leaked his test results to the newspaper.

For two years, Perkins kept his AIDS diagnosis private, visiting hospitals under fake names. His wife and children were tested regularly, and all results came back negative. It wasn’t until just weeks before he died that he publicly revealed his illness. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles on September 12, 1992, at the age of 60 due to pneumonia related to AIDS.

In a statement before his death, Anthony Perkins explained why he chose to keep his illness a secret. He said, “I’m not much good at being noble, but I learned more about love and understanding from my experience with AIDS than I ever did in my acting career.”