Tony Dow Net Worth, Income, Salary, Career, Bio

Tony Dow Net Worth:

$4 Million

What is Tony Dow Net Worth?

Tony Dow was an American actor, director, and sculptor who died with a Tony Dow Net Worth of $4 million. Tony Dow was most remembered for his role as Wally Cleaver, the eldest son on the television sitcom “Leave it to Beaver” from 1957 to 1963.

Following that, he starred in the teen soap opera “Never Too Young” and appeared as a guest star on a number of other shows, including “Mr. Novak” and “Square Pegs.” Dow went behind the camera later in his career to direct episodes of shows like “Babylon 5” and “Coach.”

Early Life

Tony Lee Dow was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California in 1945. His father, John, was a designer and general contractor, and his mother, Muriel, was a stuntwoman in early Western films who also doubled for actress Clara Bow. Dow began swimming as a child and went on to become a Junior Olympics diving champion.

“Leave it to Beaver”

In the late 1950s, Dow attended a casting call for the sitcom “Leave it to Beaver.” Despite having little prior acting experience, he was cast as Wally Cleaver, the eldest son of June, played by Barbara Billingsley, and Ward, played by Hugh Beaumont. Dow appeared in the sitcom alongside Jerry Mathers, who played his younger brother Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver. “Leave it to Beaver,” a huge smash, ran for 234 episodes until 1963. The show ended with Beaver about to graduate from high school and Wally about to start college.

Further Television Career

Dow appeared in a number of episodes of other sitcoms after “Leave it to Beaver” ended. “The Eleventh Hour,” “Dr. Kildare,” “The Greatest Show on Earth,” and “My Three Sons” were among them. He also appeared in five episodes of “Mr. Novak” in three distinct characters. Dow’s next major role was on ABC’s “Never Too Young,” the first television soap opera aimed at a young audience, in 1965. Merry Anders, Michael Blodgett, Jan Clayton, and Joy Harmon were also among the cast members.

After serving in the National Guard for three years, Dow made a comeback to acting in the 1970s with a number of guest-starring parts. He appeared in episodes of the medical drama “Emergency,” the crime thriller “The Mod Squad,” the comedy anthology “Love, American Style,” and the police procedural “Adam-12”! Dow made an appearance in the made-for-television movie “Death Scream” later in the 1970s, which also starred Ed Asner and Cloris Leachman.

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He appeared in episodes of “Square Pegs,” “Quincy M.E.”, “Knight Rider,” “High School U.S.A.”, “Murder, She Wrote,” and “The New Mike Hammer” in the 1980s. Additionally, Dow returned to the role of Wally Cleaver in the 1983 television movie reunion “Still the Beaver” and the subsequent revival series “The New Leave it to Beaver,” both of which aired from 1983 to 1986.

Directing Career

In 1989, Dow started working behind the camera by directing an episode of “The New Lassie.” He then directed episodes of the sitcoms “Coach,” “Harry and the Hendersons,” and “Get a Life.” A few episodes of the space opera series “Babylon 5,” on which he also served as visual effects supervisor, were directed by Dow in the middle the to late 1990s. Later, he was the director of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9’s” “Field of Fire” episode in the seventh season.

Film Career

Dow has made a few cinematic appearances in addition to television. He reprised his role as Wally Cleaver in a mock courtroom trial in the sketch comedy movie “The Kentucky Fried Movie” in 1977, making a memorable cameo. Dow later played a minor role in the satirical comedy “Back to the Beach,” which starred Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, in 1987.

It wasn’t until 2003 that the actor made a cameo appearance in the David Spade comedy “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.” More than two dozen former child actors, including Corey Feldman, Emmanuel Lewis, and Danny Bonaduce, as well as Dow, parody their careers in the movie.

Other Career Pursuits

Outside of television and movies, Dow has pursued a number of professional endeavors over the course of his career. In addition to acting in the 1970s, he also worked in construction and pursued a journalism degree. Later, he developed an interest in sculpture and established himself as a creator of abstract bronze sculptures.

He creates limited editions of nine different bronzes using the lost-wax casting technique; Barbara Billingsley, a co-star from “Leave it to Beaver,” had one of his works on display in her garden. Dow was chosen as one of three sculptors to display his work in the 2008 Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris as a result of his work.

Personal Life and Mental Health

Dow and Lauren Shulkind were wed from 1980 till his passing in July 2022.

Dow made his problems with clinical depression public in the 1990s. His subsequent self-help videos, including one titled “Beating the Blues,” discussed his struggles.

Death

On July 27, 2022, Tony Dow passed away at the age of 77. Days prior to his passing, his official Facebook fan page, which apparently erroneously received bad information, unintentionally announced his death.

FAQs

Is the cast of Leave It to Beaver compensated?

No, there are no residuals from Leave it to Beaver. We were only compensated for the first six airings of each show.

Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers are they friends?

Dow and Mathers enjoyed a close friendship, just like their movie characters. Their connection lasted six decades and was tragically cut short by Dow’s death. Dow died on July 27 at the age of 77, and friends instantly expressed their sympathies.

Is Tony Dow the father of any children?

Dow, Christopher