Even in recent years, there are only a handful of actors who can be just as successful when it to their music careers. But long before today's stars, there was a man named Harry Connick Jr. This is a man who boasts of both Grammy and Emmy wins.Recently, Connick took a break from working on his music to star on NBC’s Annie Live! alongside a star-studded cast that includes Tituss Burgess, Taraji P. Henson, and Nicole Scherzinger. So far, the series has received a lot of critical praise. Moreover, it’s also got fans wondering when Connick plans to return onscreen once more.And while everyone waits for his next project, it might also be interesting to see how much of a fortune Connick has amassed over the years.
This Romantic Comedy Turned Harry Connick Jr. Into A Music Star
Connick had always been a musician at heart and back in the '80s, he was still a relatively new talent. As such, he wasn’t getting a lot of exposure at that time. However, that changed once he worked on the music for the Oscar-nominated romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....
“Before that I’d had two records out and they’d done OK, but that film meant I went from selling thousands to selling millions of records and it put me out there on an international level,” Connick recalled during an interview with The Guardian. “It was before the internet, so if you were on a billboard people were going to hear about it. Those were much simpler times.”
Little did Connick know that soon after, he was also going to be booking onscreen gigs himself.
Harry Connick Jr. Is Quite The Actor Too
In recent years, Connick may be more recognized for his music. Several years ago, however, the crooner was also starring in a series of films. In fact, Connick’s first-ever Hollywood gig was a role in the 1990 war drama Memphis Belle. Soon after, he also starred in the drama Little Man Tate and did a guest appearance in the comedy classic Cheers.
Just a few years later, Connick also starred in the Oscar-winning film Independence Day. Interestingly, however, he wasn’t the one that director Roland Emmerich and his team were thinking about initially for the role of Captain Jimmy Wilder. In fact, the role was originally meant for Friends star Matthew Perry.
“Getting Harry Connick Jr. was coup. Originally this part was supposed to be played by Matt Perry, who dropped out very close to the time we started shooting,” Dean Devlin, Emmerich’s co-writer on the film, revealed in a video commentary.
“Through the good fortune of Harry Connick Jr’s recording schedule and touring schedule, there was a window of opportunity that he could kind of do this part, and he was just terrific.”
Connick landed more film roles soon after. He starred in Excess Baggage with Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, and Christopher Walken then followed this up with a lead role opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic drama Hope Floats.
It may not have been one of Sandra's highest-paying roles, but it was important to her; Oscar-winner Bullock also produced the film and initially, she wasn’t sold on Connick.
“To be completely honest, when they said that you were coming in [to audition], I thought, 'ugh, please...the crooner's not gonna cut it, it's not gonna happen,” the actress told Connick himself during an interview, according to E! News.
But after he gave his audition, it looks like Bullock changed her mind entirely.
From here, Connick kept starring in films over the years. He even did voice work, joining Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel in the critically acclaimed animated feature The Iron Giant. In addition, Connick also starred in films such as P.S. I Love You, Bug, and the Dolphin Tale films. Most recently, he stars in Annie Live! and Fear of Rain.
Over the years, he also took on some tv roles. For starters, he played Executive A.D.A. David Haden in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a few episodes. On the show, Connick played a love interest to Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson.
In fact, Hargitay is the main reason why the singer/actor took the role. “I think my main reason for doing Law & Order: SVU was very clear in my mind and that's just to work with Mariska Hargitay. She is such a hero,” Connick told E! News in another interview. “Any time I get to spend with Mariska is time well spent for me.” Connick also had a recurring role on the hit sitcom Will & Grace.
Here’s Harry Connick Jr.’s Net Worth Today
According to estimates, Connick is currently worth anywhere between $35 to $55 million. While he may have made quite a fortune from all his acting roles, it’s likely that majority of his earnings had come from his music. Reports indicate that he has already sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.
Even after being in the business for a long time, Connick continues to grow his fortune. In fact, the crooner already has tour dates set all over the U.S. for 2022, according to his website.