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Ginger Rogers’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What Was Ginger Rogers’ Net Worth?Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, singer, and author who had a net worth of $20 million at the time of her death in 1995. Ginger Rogers was known for her collaborations with Fred Astaire in ten Hollywood musical films, such as “The Gay Divorcee” (1934), “Top Hat” (1935), and “Shall We Dance” (1937). Ginger won an Academy Award for her performance in the 1940 film “Kitty Foyle,” and in 1942, she was reportedly the highest-paid star in Hollywood. Rogers had more than 90 acting credits to her name, including the films “Honor Among Lovers” (1931), “The Thirteenth Guest” (1932), “42nd Street” (1933), “Don’t Bet on Love” (1933), “Stage Door” (1937), “Tom, Dick and Harry” (1941), “Roxie Hart” (1942), “The Major and the Minor” (1942), “It Had to Be You” (1947), “We’re Not Married!” (1952), “Monkey Business” (1952), and “Twist of Fate” (1954) and the TV movie “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” (1965). Ginger also performed in Broadway productions of “Top Speed” (1929), “Girl Crazy” (1930), “Love and Let Love” (1951), and “Hello, Dolly!” (1965), and she published the memoir “Ginger: My Story” in 1991. In 1999, Rogers was ranked #14 on the “AFI 100 Years…100 Stars” list. Ginger passed away from natural causes on April 25, 1995, at the age of 83.? Compare Ginger Rogers’ Net WorthEarly LifeGinger Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911, in Independence, Missouri. Her mother, Lela Emogene Owens, was a screenwriter, film producer, and journalist, and her father, William Eddins McMath, was an electrical engineer. Ginger was born in her parents’ home, and Lela and William separated when she was a baby. After William kidnapped Ginger twice, Lela divorced him in 1914, and Rogers never saw him again. Lela married John Logan Rogers in 1920, and though John never legally adopted Ginger, she began using his surname. The family lived in Fort Worth, Texas, where Lela was a theater critic for the “Fort Worth Record.” Rogers attended Central High School, and as a teenager, she considered becoming a teacher, but her mother’s job as a theatre critic and screenwriter got her interested in the entertainment industry.CareerGinger began her entertainment career when she served as a stand-in for Eddie Foy’s traveling vaudeville act in Fort Worth, and when she was 14, she entered a Charleston dance contest and won the opportunity to tour the Orpheum Circuit as Ginger Rogers and the Redheads for six months. In 1929, she appeared on Broadway for the first time, in a production of the musical “Top Speed,” which led to her starring in George and Ira Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy” in 1930. Fred Astaire worked on “Girl Crazy,” helping dancers with choreography. Rogers signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures in 1930, and that year she made her feature film debut in “Young Man of Manhattan.” She then appeared in the films “Queen High” (1930), “The Sap from Syracuse” (1930), “Follow the Leader” (1930), “Honor Among Lovers” (1931), “The Tip-Off” (1931), “Suicide Fleet” (1931), “Carnival Boat” (1932), “The Tenderfoot” (1932), “The Thirteenth Guest” (1932), “Hat Check Girl” (1932), “42nd Street” (1933), “Broadway Bad” (1933), “Don’t Bet on Love” (1933), and “Sitting Pretty” (1933), and she performed the song “We’re In The Money” in “Gold Diggers of 1933,” singing one verse in Pig Latin. Ginger teamed up with Astaire in 1933’s “Flying Down to Rio,” and one of the most famous partnerships in Hollywood history was born. The two would go on to co-star in 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee,” 1935’s “Roberta” and “Top Hat,” 1936’s “Follow the Fleet” and “Swing Time,” 1937’s “Shall We Dance,” 1938’s “Carefree,” 1939’s “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle,” and 1949’s “The Barkleys of Broadway.”Rogers co-starred with Katharine Hepburn and Lucille Ball in 1937’s “Stage Door” and with Ball, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Red Skelton in 1938’s “Having Wonderful Time,” and she won an Academy Award for starring in the title role of the 1940 drama “Kitty Foyle.” In the ’40s, she appeared in films such as “Primrose Path” (1940), “Tom, Dick and Harry” (1941), “Roxie Hart” (1942), “Tales of Manhattan” (1942), “Once Upon a Honeymoon” (1942), “I’ll Be Seeing You” (1944), “Week-End at the Waldorf” (1945), and “It Had to Be You” (1947). Ginger co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in 1952’s “We’re Not Married!” and “Monkey Business,” and she earned a Golden Globe nomination for “Monkey Business.” Ginger then starred in the films “Dreamboat” (1952), “Forever Female” (1953), “Black Widow” (1954), “Twist of Fate” (1954), “Tight Spot” (1955), “The First Traveling Saleslady” (1956), “Teenage Rebel” (1956), “Oh, Men! Oh, Women!” (1957), “Quick, Let’s Get Married” (1964), and “Harlow” (1965). In 1953, she performed the song  “Something’s Gotta Give” on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and in 1965, she appeared in the CBS movie “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” Rogers guest-starred on “Here’s Lucy” (1971), “The Love Boat” (1979), and “Glitter” (1984), and in 1985, she directed an off-Broadway production of the musical “Babes in Arms.” Ginger’s final screen role came in the 1987 “Hotel” episode “Hail and Farewell.”Personal LifeGinger was married and divorced five times. Her first marriage was to Jack Pepper, her dancing partner, when she was 17, and it lasted from March 1929 to July 1931. She then wed her “Don’t Bet on Love” co-star Lew Ayres on November 14, 1934, and after they divorced in March 1941, Rogers married U.S. Marine Jack Briggs on January 16, 1943. Ginger and Jack divorced in September 1949, then Rogers was married to Jacques Bergerac from February 1953 to July 1957. Bergerac, a French law student, decided to become an actor when he moved to Hollywood with Rogers, and he went on to win a Golden Globe for Foreign Newcomer – Male in 1957. Ginger married her fifth husband, director/producer William Marshall, on March 16, 1961, and they divorced eight years later. Rogers was a Republican, and she campaigned for Thomas Dewey (1944) and Barry Goldwater (1964) in presidential elections and for Ronald Reagan in the California gubernatorial election (1966).Ginger was a skilled tennis player who played in the US Open in 1950, but she and her doubles partner, Frank Shields, were eliminated in the first round. In 1994, her birthplace was designated a Historic Landmark Property by the City of Independence, Missouri, and she attended the Ginger Rogers’ Day celebration on July 16th of that year. The Rogers home was later turned into a museum dedicated to Ginger and her mother, Lela.Death and LegacyOn April 25, 1995, Ginger died of natural causes at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 83. Rogers was cremated, and her cremains were interred at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery with Lela. Ginger was the subject of the 1942 novel “Ginger Rogers and the Riddle of the Scarlet Cloak,” which was written by her mother, and she was referenced in the 1990 Madonna hit “Vogue.” In 2007, a musical about Ginger’s life, “Backwards in High Heels,” was produced in Florida. Rogers’ last public appearance took place in March 1995 when she was honored with the Women’s International Center Living Legacy Award, and in 1997, the Craterian Theater in Medford, Oregon, where Ginger used to perform vaudeville shows, was renamed the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater.Awards and NominationsIn 1941, Rogers won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for “Kitty Foyle.” She earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Comedy or Musical for “Monkey Business” in 1953, and in 1970, she won a Silver Medal at the Berlin International Film Festival for her achievements in acting and dancing. Ginger won three National Board of Review Awards for Best Acting, for “Primrose Path” in 1940, for “Kitty Foyle” and “Tom, Dick and Harry” in 1941, and “Roxie Hart” and “The Major and the Minor” in 1942. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and Kennedy Center Honors in 1992, and she was posthumously inducted into the Online Film & Television Association Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Mike Francesa’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Mike Francesa’s Net Worth and Salary?Mike Francesa is an American radio talk show host and television commentator who has a net worth of $16 million. Mike’e annual salary is $3 million.Mike Francesa is known for co-hosting the New York City WFAN sports-talk program “Mike and the Mad Dog” with Chris Russo which ran from 1989 until 2008. Following that, he hosted “Mike’s On: Francesa on the FAN” and created content for the Radio.com platform. Francesa has retired from broadcasting multiple times over the years, with his third retirement announced in the summer of 2020.His career started at College and Pro Football Newsweekly. Mike was hired by CBS Sports in 1982 as a researcher. He became a studio analyst for college football and basketball and was nicknamed “Brent Musburger’s brain”. Francesa turned down an offer to work for ESPN in 1991. He quit CBS in 1993. The original run of Mike and the Mad Dog aired from September 1989 until August 2008. It featured Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo talking sports and taking phone calls from listeners. Mike and the Mad Dog was one of the most popular sports radio shows of all time. The show was simulcast on the YES Network and around the country on various syndicated stations. In 2007, the show was the #1 show in the country for men between 25 and 54 years old. The duo won the 2000 Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year. In 2005 they broadcast live for 25 straight hours to raise money for charities. In March 2014 Francesa’s new show started broadcasting nationally on television on Fox Sports 1.? Compare Mike Francesa’s Net WorthEarly Life and EducationMike Francesa was born on March 20, 1954 in Long Beach, New York as the second of three sons of Michael and Marilyn. His older brother is John, while his younger brother, Marty, killed himself in the early 90s. When Francesa was still a kid, his mother left the family. As a teenager, he went to Maria Regina High School. After graduating, Francesa enrolled at the University of South Florida, where he spent a year before transferring to St. John’s University in Queens. Studying communications and athletic administration, he graduated in 1977.Career Beginnings at CBS SportsIn 1982, Francesa joined CBS Sports as a researcher and editorial assistant. The network executives were so impressed with his knowledge that they eventually appointed him as a studio analyst for college football and basketball games. After a little over a decade at CBS Sports, Francesa quit in April of 1993.Mike and the Mad DogAfter the New York City sports radio station WFAN was launched in 1987, Francesa tried eagerly to get a hosting job there. However, due to his lack of experience, he was only offered a job as a producer, which he rejected. Francesa pressed on in his pursuit, eventually landing a weekend job hosting college football and basketball coverage. Additionally, he served as a guest host on a number of other shows. Due to his success, Francesa was partnered with host Ed Coleman for a show during the morning-to-mid-afternoon slot. Later, in 1989, he got his big break when he was chosen as a replacement for Pete Franklin in the afternoon drive-time slot. Along with Chris Russo, Francesa became the co-host of “Mike and the Mad Dog.”A hugely popular program and a staple of the New York City sports scene, “Mike and the Mad Dog” featured Francesa and Russo discussing sports in their trademark manners. While the former was known for his hard-hitting commentary, the latter broadcaster introduced a lighter and more boisterous tone to conversations. “Mike and the Mad Dog” ran until 2008. There were many memorable moments during the show’s run, including a 25-hour broadcast between June 30 and July 1, 2005 that raised money for various charitable groups. Additionally, Francesa and Russo won the Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year in 2000, making them the first sports-talk hosts to ever claim the honor.Further Broadcasting CareerAmong his other broadcasting endeavors, Francesa hosted the weekly radio show “The NFL Now” and contributed commentary to the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. After the end of “Mike and the Mad Dog” in 2008, Francesa became the solo host of his own new WFAN sports radio program, “Mike’s On: Francesa on the FAN.” The show was simulcast on the YES Network from 2008 to 2014, and was subsequently broadcast on Fox Sports 1. However, due to a turbulent relationship with the network, Francesa’s contract ended in September of 2015. He continued to work at WFAN after this until he announced his retirement in late 2017.Just four months after announcing his retirement from WFAN, Francesa reported his intention to return to the station. Later, in August of 2018, he launched a subscription-based mobile application called Mike’s On that included a live video stream of his WFAN show in addition to various archived materials. Francesa’s return to radio was ultimately a success, as he won the ratings book in the fall of 2018. However, he soon became embroiled in controversy when he got into a dispute with Michael Kay of “The Michael Kay Show,” his ratings rival. Francesa attracted more backlash when he shamed the New York Giants on air in 2019, and got into frequently aggressive discussions with callers. In November of 2019, he announced his second retirement from WFAN. Despite this, he came back again to host a new show in early 2020. That summer, Francesa announced his retirement for the third time.Personal LifeFrancesa married his first wife, Kate, in 1983. The couple eventually divorced in 1994. Later, in 2000, Francesa wed his wife Rose. Together, they have a son named Harrison and fraternal twins named Jack and Emily. Francesa has residences in Manhasset, New York and South Florida.Through his JEH Racing Stable, Francesa owns a number of horses with which he has had racing success. In 2021, his horse High Oak claimed victory at the Grade II Saratoga Special Stakes. The year after that, Francesa partnered with Lee Einsidler to win the Grade I Fourstardave Handicap with their horse Casa Creed.
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Summer Glau’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What Is Summer Glau’s Net Worth?Summer Glau is an American actress and producer who has a net worth of $4 million. Summer Glau is best known for playing River Tam on  the Fox space Western “Firefly” (2002) and the 2005 film “Serenity,” Tess Doerner on the USA Network’s “The 4400” (2005–2007), Cameron Phillips on Fox’s “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (2008–2009), and Isabel Rochev/Ravager on The CW superhero series “Arrow” (2013–2014). Summer has more than 30 acting credits to her name, including the films “Sleepover” (2004) and “Knights of Badassdom” (2013), the TV movies “Mammoth” (2006) and “The Initiation of Sarah” (2006), and the television series “The Unit” (2006–2007), “Dollhouse” (2009–2010), “The Cape” (2011), and  “Alphas” (2011–2012). Glau also starred in and produced the 2014 Crackle series “Sequestered,” and she voiced Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in the 2010 direct-to-video animated movie “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.”? Compare Summer Glau’s Net WorthEarly LifeSummer Glau was born Summer Lyn Glau on July 24, 1981, in San Antonio, Texas. Summer grew up with mother Mari (a schoolteacher), father Mark (a general contractor), and younger sisters Christie and Kaitlin, and her ancestry is German and Scots-Irish. Glau trained at a ballet company on a scholarship, and she was homeschooled from third grade to her senior year of high school due to her training schedule. She also studied tango and flamenco dancing, and her dance career came to an end after she broke her toe. Summer told “The A.V. Club” in 2008, “I broke one of my toes, and I had really bad tendonitis in my heels already, so I lost all mobility on one of my feet. I danced on it broken for four months. The way I broke it was, I had started taking this little acting class, and I was reading a play, and the phone rang, and I scooped all the pages off the floor, and I ran and jumped over this camel saddle we had in our living room, and I ran right into the fireplace.” In 2002, Glau relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.CareerGlau made her TV debut as a prima ballerina in a 2002 episode of “Angel,” and the show’s co-creator, Joss Whedon, cast her as Summer Tam in “Firefly” later that year. Also starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, and Alan Tudyk, “Firefly” ran for 14 episodes and was ranked #5 on “TV Guide’s” list of shows that were “Cancelled Too Soon” in 2013. Summer reprised her role in the 2005 sequel film “Serenity,” which earned her a Saturn Award and an SFX Award. Glau’s first film was 2004’s “Sleepover,” and early in her career, she guest-starred on “Cold Case” (2003) and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2004). From 2005 to 2007, she had a recurring role as Tess Doerner on the sci-fi series “The 4400,” and she played Crystal Burns in seven episodes of the CBS action-drama “The Unit” from 2006 to 2007. In 2006, Summer appeared in two TV movies, Syfy’s “Mammoth” and ABC Family’s “The Initiation of Sarah.”From 2008 to 2009, Glau starred as Cameron Phillips on “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” alongside Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker. The series aired 31 episodes over two seasons, and Summer won a Saturn Award for her performance. In 2009, she guest-starred as herself on “The Big Bang Theory” and began a four-episode stint as Bennett Halverson on Fox’s “Dollhouse,” which was created by Joss Whedon. In 2010, Glau guest-starred on “Chuck” and appeared in the Lifetime movie “Deadly Honeymoon,” and the following year, she starred in the Western “The Legend of Hell’s Gate: An American Conspiracy” and played Jamie Fleming / Orwell on the NBC superhero drama “The Cape.” From 2011 to 2012, she had a recurring role as Skyward Adams on Syfy’s “Alphas,” and in 2012, she guest-starred on “Grey’s Anatomy” and appeared in the Hallmark movie “Help for the Holidays.”Summer starred in the 2013 short film “Inside the Box,” which won awards at the Aguilar de Campoo Short Film Festival, American Short Film Awards, L’Alfàs del Pi Film Festival, and Valladolid International Film Festival and earned Glau a Northeast Film Festival award. That year she also co-starred with Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, and Ryan Kwanten in the comedy horror film “Knights of Badassdom.” Summer guest-starred on “Hawaii Five-0” (2013), “NTSF:SD:SUV::” (2013), “Castle” (2016), and “Wu Assassins” (2019), and from 2013 to 2014, she played Isabel Rochev/Ravager on the superhero series “Arrow.” In 2014, she starred as Anna Brandt on Crackle’s “Sequestered,” which earned International Academy of Web Television Award nominations for Best Dramatic Series and Best Ensemble Performance (Drama), and in 2015, she appeared in the short film “Dead End.” In 2021, Glau narrated and voiced every character on the RPG podcast “Ctrl Alt Destroy.”Personal LifeSummer married Val Morrison in 2014, and they welcomed daughters Milena Jo and Sunny Izabo in January 2015 and October 2017, respectively.Awards and NominationsThe Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has nominated Glau for three Saturn Awards, and she won for Best Supporting Actress for “Serenity” in 2006 and Best Supporting Actress on Television for “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” in 2008. She was also nominated for “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” in 2009. For “Serenity”, Summer won an SFX Award for Best Actress in 2005 and received a SyFy Genre Award nomination for Best Actress/Movie in 2006. In 2008, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” earned her a Scream Award nomination for Best Science Fiction Actress and Teen Choice Award nominations for Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure and Choice TV Breakout Star Female. In 2014, Glau was named Best Actress in a Short Film for “Inside the Box” at the Northeast Film Festival, and she received a Best Actress nomination for the film at the L’Alfàs del Pi Film Festival.
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Thora Birch’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Thora Birch’s Net Worth?Thora Birch is an actress who has appeared in dozens of films since a very young age and has a net worth of $6 million. Thora Birch began her career as a child star in such 90s films as “Patriot Games,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Monkey Trouble,” and “Alaska.” After having her breakthrough as an adult in the Best Picture Oscar winner “American Beauty,” she appeared in “Ghost World,” “Silver City,” and “Winter of Frozen Dreams,” among other films. Birch has also acted on television, with her notable credits including the television film “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story” and the tenth season of the AMC series “The Walking Dead.”? Compare Thora Birch’s Net WorthEarly LifeThora Birch was born on March 11, 1982 in Los Angeles, California as the eldest child of Carol and Jack, both former adult actors who appeared in the classic adult film “Deep Throat.” She is of Scandinavian, French-Canadian, Italian, and German-Jewish ancestry, and has a young brother named Kian. Birch entered the entertainment industry early on in her life, appearing in a Quaker Oats commercial when she was four. She also appeared in commercials for such brands as Burger King, Vlasic Pickles, and California Raisins.Child Star in FilmAt the age of six in 1988, Birch made her film debut in the science-fiction comedy “Purple People Eater,” costarring Neil Patrick Harris, Ned Beatty, and Shelley Winters. For her performance, she won a Young Artist Award. Next, Birch starred alongside Elijah Wood, Don Johnson, and Melanie Griffith in the 1991 drama “Paradise.” The same year, she appeared in the Christmas romcom “All I Want for Christmas.” In 1992, Birch had a memorable role playing the daughter of Harrison Ford’s Jack Ryan in the spy thriller “Patriot Games,” based on the Tom Clancy novel. This was followed by the fantasy comedy “Hocus Pocus” and the animal dramedy “Monkey Trouble,” in which Birch starred opposite a capuchin monkey. The young actress next reprised her role from “Patriot Games” in that film’s sequel, “Clear and Present Danger.” In 1995, Birch reunited with her former costar Melanie Griffith to play the younger version of Griffith’s character in the coming-of-age film “Now and Then.” The year after that, she starred opposite Vincent Kartheiser in the adventure survival drama “Alaska.”Further Film CareerBirch had her breakthrough as an adult in Sam Mendes’ 1999 Best Picture Oscar winner “American Beauty.” In the film, she plays Jane Burnham, the shy daughter of Kevin Spacey’s main character. “American Beauty” was a major critical and commercial hit, garnering Birch a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Following this success, she appeared in the direct-to-DVD black comedy “The Smokers,” the fantasy adventure film “Dungeons & Dragons,” and the psychological thriller “The Hole.” Birch subsequently starred opposite Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi in Terry Zwigoff’s black comedy “Ghost World,” based on the Daniel Clowes graphic novel. She earned praise for her performance, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Next, Birch had a supporting role in John Sayles’ 2004 political satire “Silver City.” Two years after that, she starred in the horror-thriller “Dark Corners.” Birch followed this with two more horror films, 2008’s “Train” and 2009’s “Deadline.” She subsequently starred in the crime film “Winter of Frozen Dreams.”In 2012, Birch starred as the titular character in the dramedy “Petunia.” After a hiatus from film acting, she returned in 2018 with “The Etruscan Smile,” costarring Brian Cox. Also that year, Birch starred in the romcom “The Competition” and the political thriller “Affairs of State.” Her other credits have included “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “Kindred Spirits,” “Above Suspicion,” and “13 Minutes.”Television CareerAs in the movies, Birch began acting on television when she was a child. Her first role was on the NBC sitcom “Day by Day,” playing the recurring character Molly from 1988 to 1989. In the latter year, she also made an appearance on the medical sitcom “Doogie Howser, M.D.” Kicking off the 90s, Birch appeared in the television film “Dark Avenger” and had a main role on the sitcom “Parenthood,” based on the eponymous Ron Howard film. She went on to appear in episodes of various shows after that, including “Amen,” “Monty,” “The Outer Limits,” “Promised Land,” and “Touched by an Angel.” In 1999, Birch appeared in the CBS television film “Night Ride Home.”Birch acted less frequently on the small screen in the 00s. However, she gave one of her most acclaimed performances yet in the 2003 biographical television film “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story,” in which she starred as the titular woman. Birch received an Emmy nomination for her work. Later, in 2010, she starred in the television film “The Pregnancy Test.” Birch went on to land a guest role in the first season of the science-fiction series “Colony” in 2016. Following that, she had a recurring role in the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror series “The Walking Dead.” Among her other television credits, Birch directed and appeared in the Lifetime biographical television film “The Gabby Petito Story,” marking her directorial debut.Personal LifeIn late 2018, Birch wed talent manager and philanthropist Michael Benton Adler.
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Irene Cara’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What Is Irene Cara’s Net Worth?Irene Cara is an American actress and singer who has a net worth of $4 million. Irene Cara won an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for performing and co-writing the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which was featured in the 1983 film “Flashdance.” Irene starred as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical drama “Fame,” and she performed the title song, which reached #1 on the charts in several countries and earned Cara her first Grammy nomination.Irene has released the studio albums “Anyone Can See” (1982), “What a Feelin'” (1983), “Carasmatic” (1987), and “Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel” (2011), and she has performed in Broadway productions of “Maggie Flynn” (1968), “The Me Nobody Knows” (1970), “Via Galactica” (1972), and “Got Tu Go Disco” (1979). Cara has appeared in the films “Sparkle” (1976), “Killing ’em Softly” (1982), “D.C. Cab” (1983), and “City Heat” (1984), the TV movie “Sister, Sister” (1982), the miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations” (1979), and the television series “Love of Life” (1970–1971). Irene voiced Snow White in the 1990 animated musical “Happily Ever After,” and she also lent her voice to the films “Beauty and the Beast” (1992), “The Magic Voyage” (1992), and “The Jungle King” (1994).? Compare Irene Cara’s Net WorthEarly LifeIrene Cara was born Irene Cara Escalera on March 18, 1959, in The Bronx, New York City. Her father, retired saxophonist Gaspar Escalera, was a factory worker, and her mother, Louise, worked as a movie usher. Irene’s heritage is Cuban-American on her mother’s side and Puerto Rican on her father’s side. Cara has four older siblings, and at the age of 3, she was a finalist in the Little Miss America pageant. During her youth, Irene learned to play the piano by ear, and she studied acting, music, and dance. She began her performing career singing and dancing on Spanish-language television, and in the early ’70s, she appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and was a member of The Short Circus band on the PBS series “The Electric Company.” Cara recorded a Spanish-language album and an English-language Christmas album during her childhood, and she attended Manhattan’s Professional Children’s School.CareerIrene has performed in off-Broadway productions of the musicals “Ain’t Misbehavin'” (1978), “The Wiz” (1980), and “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1993), and she made her onscreen acting debut as Daisy Allen on the CBS soap opera “Love of Life” in 1970. She appeared in the films “Aaron Loves Angela” (1975) and “Apple Pie” (1976), and she starred as the title role in the 1976 musical drama “Sparkle.” Cara guest-starred on “Kojak” (1976) and “What’s Happening!!” (1977), and she played Bertha Palmer Haley in the 1979 miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations,” which won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series. She was named one of the “Promising New Actors of 1976” in “John Willis’ Screen World, Vol. 28,” and a “Right On!” magazine readers’ poll named her the year’s top actress. In 1980, Irene starred as Coco Hernandez in “Fame” and performed the songs “Fame” and “Out Here on My Own” in the film. Both songs earned their composers Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song, with “Fame” taking home the prize. “Fame” was certified Gold in Canada, France, the U.K., and the Netherlands, and it topped the “Billboard” Dance Club Songs chart and reached #1 in five other countries. “Out Here on My Own” reached #19 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart. Cara was named Top New Single Artist by “Billboard” and Top Female Vocalist and Most Promising Female Vocalist by “Cashbox Magazine.”In the ’80s, Irene appeared in the TV movies “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones” (1980) and “For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story” (1983) and the films “Killing ’em Softly” (1982), “Sister, Sister” (1982), “D.C. Cab” (1983), “City Heat” (1984), “Certain Fury” (1985), “Busted Up” (1986), and “Caged in Paradiso” (1989). She released her debut album, “Anyone Can See,” in 1982, and it reached #76 on the “Billboard” 200 chart and #39 on the “Billboard” Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 1983, Irene had her biggest hit with “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which was certified 2× Platinum in Canada, Platinum in France, and Gold in the U.S., Denmark, and Italy. The song reached #1 on the charts in more than a dozen countries and earned Cara an Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden Globe. “Flashdance… What a Feeling” has been featured on lists such as “AFI’s 100 Years … 100 Songs” (#55), the Recording Industry Association of America’s “Songs of the Century” (#256), and “The ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs” (#26).In 1987, Irene released her third album, “Carasmatic” on Elektra Records, then she guest-starred on “Gabriel’s Fire” (1991) and “Hearts Are Wild” (1992) and hosted the documentary short “Beyond Awareness to Action: Ending Abuse of Women” (1995). In 2004, she had a cameo in the film “Downtown: A Street Tale,” and the following year, she competed on the NBC series “Hit Me, Baby, One More Time” and won the third round after performing “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and a cover of Anastacia’s “I’m Outta Love” (which she performed with Hot Caramel, her all-female band). In 2006, her song “Forever My Love” was featured on the compilation album “Gay Happening Vol. 12,” and in 2011, she released her fourth album, “Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel.””What a Feelin” Royalty FightIrene’s 1983 album “What a Feelin'” included “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” and by mid-1984, she had only received $183 in royalties from her record company, Network Records. Over the next few months, Network paid her around $60,000, but in 1985, Cara filed a lawsuit against the record company for $10 million in punitive damages, alleging that Network Records executive Al Coury had withheld $2 million in deals that involved “Flashdance… What a Feeling.”After filing the lawsuit, Irene noticed a change in the way she was being treated in the entertainment industry and suspected that Coury had begun a smear campaign against her. In 1993, a Los Angeles judge awarded Cara $1.5 million after concluding that her career had been damaged.Personal LifeIrene married actor/film director/stuntman Conrad Palmisano on April 13, 1986, in Los Angeles, and they divorced five years later. Cara starred in Palmisano’s 1986 film “Busted Up,” and Conrad also directed the 1985 sci-fi Western “Space Rage.”Awards and NominationsIn 1984, Cara won an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for “Flashdance… What a Feeling.” She won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture for the track, and in 1981, she earned a Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical nomination for “Fame.” That year she also received Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for “Fame.” In 1984, Irene won Grammys for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special for “Flashdance” and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and earned nominations for Album of the Year for “Flashdance (Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture)” and Record of the Year for “Flashdance… What a Feeling.” The song also won a National Music Publisher’s Association Award for Best Song in a Movie and received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Original Song. In 1982, Cara won an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Drama Special for “Sister, Sister.” In 2004, she was inducted into the Ciboney Cafe Hall of Fame, and she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prestige Awards.
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