Donald James Yarmy was born on 13th April 1923 in New York City USA, and as Don Adams was an award-winning television and voice actor, comedian, and game show host. His acting career started in 1963, with a guest role in television series “The Bill Dana Show”. He passed away in 2005.
Have you ever wondered how rich Don Adams was at the time of his death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Adams’s net worth was as high as $15 million, an amount earned through his successful career in acting, hosting, and comedy.
Don Adams Net Worth $15 Million
Don Adams was one of three children of William and Consuelo Yarmy (nee Deiter); Don was raised in his mother’s Roman Catholic religion, while his brother Richard was raised according to their father’s Jewish religion. A high school drop-out, Don supported himself by working as an usher in a theatre, before serving in World War II, first in combat as a member of the US Marine Corps.
However, he contracted blackwater fever due to a combat wound, which forced him to spend an entire year recovering at a Navy hospital in New Zealand. Afterward, he served as a Marine drill instructor back home.
Having decided to try himself out in comedic waters, Don took on the stage name Adams, which was also the name under which his first wife Adelaide (Efantis) performed. His career as a comedian started in 1954, with his win on the talent show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts”. After that, he appeared in “The Steve Allen Show” (1956-1960) in eleven episodes, and then became a regular on “The Perry Como Show” (1960-1963). Following this, Don branched out into acting waters, as an inept detective in the sitcom “The Bill Dana Show” (1963-1965). This would contribute to his type-casting, resulting eventually in his iconic role, that of the iconic bumbling detective Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 in the comedy spoof series “Get Smart” (1965-1970). The show made fun of the popular spy film and television series of that time, such as the James Bond movies and the TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (1964-1968). Don took home three Emmy Awards for this role, and introduced numerous catchphrases into American vernacular.
Unfortunately, his ensuing projects never reached the level of fame and success that the role of Smart brought to him. He appeared in numerous television series and films, both as a guest and as a star, but his most notable subsequent part was achieved in voice acting, when he lent his voice to the eponymous detective in the animated series “Inspector Gadget” (1983-1985). He also hosted his own game show, entitled “Don Adams’ Screen Test” (1975-1976). While he continued to act at that time, most of Don’s income was earned by his work on stage and in nightclubs.
Regarding his personal life, he was thrice married and divorced, with seven children from those marriages. He firstly married Adelaide (1947-60), then Dorothy Bracken (1960-76) and thirdly Judy Luciano from 1977 to 1990. His health declined after his daughter, Cecily Adams, who was also an actress, died of lung cancer in 2004. Following a lung infection, he succumbed to bone lymphoma on 25th September 2005. Don enjoyed painting and writing poetry, though these hobbies took second seat to his greatest passion in life, gambling. He was also a history buff, with particular interest in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler.
