Beverly D’Angelo’s net worth is estimated at $20 million. The 73-year-old actress earned much of her fortune playing Ellen Griswold in the Vacation movies. Over four decades, she added steady income streams and smart investments, so her wealth goes beyond just one role.
What is Beverly D’Angelo Net Worth?
D’Angelo grew up in Columbus, Ohio, with musician parents (father on bass, mother on violin). In her early 20s, she moved to New York City and worked as a cartoonist for a small magazine. By 1976, she landed her first acting role on Broadway in Rockabye Hamlet, and that set the stage for her move into film and TV.
Her first big break was playing Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980). That role earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year (as part of the soundtrack). Her fee for the film was $50,000, but the nominations boosted her profile in Hollywood.
The Vacation Money Machine
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) was her breakout hit. She played Ellen Griswold alongside Chevy Chase. The production budget was around $15 million, and it grossed $61 million worldwide.
Over four sequels, her pay rose steadily:
- National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983): $100,000
- European Vacation (1985): $200,000
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989): $400,000
- Vegas Vacation (1997): $600,000
In 2015, she reprised Ellen in Vacation with Ed Helms and Christina Applegate.
Reruns fuel another big income source. Christmas Vacation airs every December on multiple networks and streaming platforms. While exact figures vary, the film’s TV and streaming licensing can total around $20 million each holiday season. D’Angelo’s residuals for Christmas Vacation alone can top $500,000 per year.
Netflix briefly added the movie in 2019, which boosted viewership by 300%, so her streaming payouts have climbed too.”
Smart Career Moves
After Vacation, D’Angelo diversified to avoid typecasting. In Hair (1979), she earned $75,000 and showed off her singing by playing Sheila Franklin. In American History X (1998), she made $150,000 as Edward Norton’s character’s mother—proof she could handle serious drama.
On TV, she had recurring roles:
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2003–08) as defense attorney Rebecca Balthus, earning around $25,000 per episode. Residuals from reruns still pay her each month.
- Entourage (2005–11) as agent Barbara “Babs” Miller. Guest spots paid $15,000 each, and she appeared in 25 episodes. That show now streams on HBO Max, so she collects streaming residuals too.
Voice acting rounds out her income. She guest-starred three times on The Simpsons (as Lurleen Lumpkin in 1992, 2008, and most recently in 2025). Animation roles typically pay $10,000–$30,000 plus toy and DVD royalties.”
In March 2025, she lent her voice again to Lurleen Lumpkin in The Simpsons episode “Lurleen’s Return,” marking her third time playing that character (1992, 2008, 2025)
Recent Film & TV Work
- Violent Night (2022)
- True Lies (2023)
- Any upcoming or 2024–25 projects
- Convention appearances (e.g., Christmas Con 2023, Fan Expo Chicago)
In 2022, D’Angelo played crime family matriarch Gertrude Lightstone in Violent Night, a surprise holiday hit that grossed $76 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. That role put her back in theaters after a few years focusing on family.
In 2023, she appeared on the TV series True Lies, playing Director Susan Trilby in two episodes. She also guest-starred on Law & Order: SVU in 2022 as Serafina Carisi.
She appeared in two episodes as Director Susan Trilby; the show premiered in late 2023 and ran through spring 2024
In late 2023, she reunited with Vacation co-stars Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, and Juliette Lewis at Christmas Con (New Jersey). She also signed autographs at Fan Expo Chicago in August 2023, with Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Christie Brinkley, and Randy Quaid, where she talked about the SAG-AFTRA strike and her work in Violent Night.
D’Angelo Beverly Hills House
In 1985, D’Angelo paid $650,000 for a Beverly Hills home. As of 2024, it’s valued near $3.2 million—almost a 380% gain. In 2020, she sold a Los Angeles house she’d bought in the early 1990s, realizing about $2 million profit.
Current holdings:
- Beverly Hills home (worth $3.2 million)
- Malibu condo (worth $1.8 million; rented for $8,000/month, which nets $96,000/year)
- Manhattan apartment (worth $900,000)
In 2022, she bought a five-bedroom home in Pacific Palisades for $3.8 million (formerly owned by Dan Aykroyd). That purchase shows she’s still active in the real estate market. Altogether, property makes up about 30% of her net worth.”
Personal Life and Money
From 1996 to 2003, D’Angelo was in a relationship with Al Pacino. They welcomed twins, Anton Napier and Olivia Rose, in January 2001. While Pacino contributed to child support, D’Angelo maintained financial independence through her own acting and business ventures.
In 1981, she married Italian noble Don Lorenzo Salviati, heir to the Salviati dukedom. The marriage lasted until 1995. Throughout, she kept control of her earnings and continued working on films and TV.
Beyond acting, D’Angelo has supported environmental causes. In the early 2000s, she joined Greenpeace to protest old-growth logging in the Pacific Northwest. She’s also donated to animal rescue groups like The Humane Society. In interviews, she has encouraged fans to support climate justice organizations.
D’Angelo still acts but picks her projects. Recent Netflix work pays $50,000-100,000 per project.
She charges around $5,000–$10,000 per convention appearance (signing autographs, photo ops). In December 2023, she appeared at Christmas Con in New Jersey with Chevy Chase, which paid roughly $8,000. Typically, she does 8–10 conventions a year, earning $60,000–$80,000 in total.
On Cameo, she charges $200 per personalized video. Recording about 20–30 videos a month adds $4,000–$6,000 annually. In mid-2024, she briefly paused Cameo to film a streaming miniseries, but by early 2025, she resumed, so her Cameo income should tick back up.
How She Stacks Up
D’Angelo’s $20 million beats most character actresses:
- Catherine O’Hara: $8 million
- Annie Potts: $6 million
- Bonnie Hunt: $12 million
Chevy Chase has $50 million, but he starred in more blockbusters. For a supporting actress, $20 million is major league money.
The Money Lessons
D’Angelo got rich through consistency, not stardom. She worked steadily for 45 years without long career breaks.
Residuals became her gold mine. Most actors get paid once. D’Angelo still gets checks from movies made 40 years ago.
Real estate protected her wealth. Her $650,000 house became worth $3.2 million with zero effort.
She built multiple income sources. Movies, TV, voice work, real estate, and fan events all pay her. When one dries up, others keep flowing.
D’Angelo proves you don’t need to be the biggest star to get rich. Work steadily, pick smart projects, invest in property, and negotiate for residuals. That’s how a middle-class Ohio girl built $20 million.
Conclusion
Beverly D’Angelo’s $20 million net worth didn’t come from one lucky break—it came from decades of smart choices. She built a steady career, diversified her income, and made real estate moves that paid off. Her long-term residuals, side projects, and convention appearances help her stay financially independent. D’Angelo’s story shows that steady work, smart investments, and owning your career can go a long way in building real wealth in Hollywood