Inasmuch as he has spent close to two decades in Hollywood as an actor and filmmaker, Tommy Wiseau is not the most popular individual. His name mostly pops up when you are looking for the worst movies ever been made, thanks to his 2003 film, The Room. Despite the fact he has been involved in a lot of things, many were surprised to realize that Tommy Wiseau’s net worth is only $500 thousand. Find out why below.
Who Is Tommy Wiseau?
Tommy Wiseau is a mysterious individual and not much is known about him. Although it is known that he was born somewhere in Europe, the exact date of his birth is still unknown. According to him, he was born between 1968 and ’69, but other speculations claim he was born in the 1950s.
He lived in different parts of the world including France before finally moving to the United States where he was raised in New Orleans. He indicated that he attended Laney Community College in Oakland where he obtained a degree in psychology. He later moved to California where he took on a number of odd jobs before going on to start his retail business.
In 2003, Wiseau released his first work, The Room, which was heavily criticized but still got a huge following. Since then, he has gone on to be a part of more than 10 films, TV shows, and web shows.
What Is Tommy Wiseau’s Net Worth?
As indicated, the filmmaker has a net worth that is estimated at $500,000. Looking at where he is coming from and all he has been involved in, the net worth is far less than anyone would have expected. He has been very active as an entertainer for more than 15 years, working as an actor, writer, director, and producer.
Tommy made his fortune from his long career as an actor and filmmaker. Before becoming an actor, he has had his hands in different things after moving to the United States, where he tried to make a life for himself. To make ends meet, he sold jeans, was a restaurant busboy, as well as a hospital worker among other things.
His online merchandise is also another way through which he makes some money. He sells things like clothes for both men and women as well as other fashion accessories.
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Why Tommy Wiseau’s Net Worth is Only $500 Thousand
Since he has been famous for a long time, it is naturally expected that his net worth would be more than what it is. However, it doesn’t always work that way. Tommy Wiseau’s net worth is only half a million because he has not made any very successful movie, neither has he been a part of any as an actor. Almost all the projects he has been involved in are mid-to-low budget projects which are not enough to make him very rich. In addition to that, his most famous work is The Room, and that is for the simple reason that the work was considered pretty bad.
It is not uncommon to find people who write, produce, direct, and act in their own movies as Tommy Wiseau. Nonetheless, what that means is that they may also finance the films either in some part or their entirety. The filmmaker has produced and directed three of his films and also two TV shows – Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and The Neighbors.
He has put in his money made through his other films and endeavors into making these films but they have not yielded so much in return, which has not been very good for his fortune.
One more reason why his fortune is not higher than what he has at the moment is that he is not a fan of the limelight. Tommy has preferred, through the years, to maintain a quiet life, often avoiding the media and disguising himself to avoid any attention. This will not help anyone to earn much in Hollywood since being known very much can help one get the big jobs and afford good connections.
Finally, he seems not to always have the time for too many projects. Most often, Wiseau is always working on single projects. This, in part, is because he is always busy with his projects and so his inability to take on many projects at a time has not helped his net worth to rise higher than it is.
