John Pinette was an American comedian and actor, probably best known for his impressions of entertainment celebrities. He was born on 23 March 1964, in Boston, Massachusetts, of part-French and Irish ancestry, and passed away in 2014.
With a career that spanned a quarter of a century, how wealthy was John Pinette? Sources indicate his net worth at $100,000.
John Pinette Net Worth $100,000
After leaving Malden Catholic High School in 1982, Pinette attended the University of Massachusetts, graduating in 1986 with a degree in Accounting. He began working in comedy at the age of twenty-two, touring comedy clubs, but an early big break came when he was booked onto a tour with crooning superstar, Frank Sinatra.
Pinette was very overweight, and often referenced this fact in his stand-up routine. At his heaviest, he reached somewhere between 400 and 450 pounds. He was particularly known for his impressions, including Marlon Brando (specifically, his performance in The Godfather), Gollum, and Elvis Presley, amongst others. His extensive touring contributed greatly to his net worth.
In 1998, Pinette released his first comedy album, Show Me the Buffet, and a year later, he won Funniest Male Stand Up Comic of the Year at the American Comedy Awards.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Pinette appeared in various acting roles. Television shows in which he appeared included “Alf” (1990), “Vinnie and Bobby” (1992), and a recurring role as a sports coach on “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” (1992 – 1993). His public profile rose hugely when he appeared on the finale of the wildly successful sitcom “Seinfeld” as Howie, the victim of a carjacking. He also made regular appearances on “The View” and “The Tonight Show”. Starting in 2013 he hosted his own program – “All You Can Eat” – which took a focussed look at American dining habits and preferences.
Pinette also appeared in more than 20 movies, boosting his net worth and public profile, including “Reckless Kelly” (1993), “Junior” with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger (1994), “Simon Sez” (1999), and “The Punisher” (2004).
In 2004, Pinette joined the John Waters musical “Hairspray” on tour, playing the role of Edna Turnblad. He went with the show to Broadway, and continued to play the role until May of 2006. He was noted for his excellent singing voice, and sometimes sang songs as part of his stand-up routine.
In his personal life, John Pinette never married. Perhaps unsurprisingly considering his constant battle with weight, Pinette had heart and liver disease, and cause of death was declared as a pulmonary embolism, although by the time of his death on 5 April 2014, John was 200 pounds lighter than he had been at his heaviest, having overhauled his lifestyle and undergone gastric bypass surgery in 2013. In 2013 interviews, he reported feeling healthier and fitter than he had in a long time, before postponing his touring schedule three months before death, citing ill health. He was found in his hotel room at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh. He had been in town to attend a family function. Contributing to his poor wellbeing, Pinette had been battling an addiction to prescription drugs, and had entered into treatment for this addiction in late 2013.
