Elizabeth Ashley net worth, biography, married, salary, divorce, husband, children

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<a href="/biography/elizabeth-ashley">Elizabeth Ann Cole</a>, better known as Elizabeth Ashley was born on August 30, 1939, in a small town called Ocala, located in the northern part of Florida. Early in her life her family moved to Louisiana and Elizabeth was raised in Baton Rouge. Elizabeth attended Louisiana State University but left during her freshman year and moved to New York. She first studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre while working as a commercial actress and showroom model.

Acting Career

In 1959, Elizabeth had her first appearance on Broadway, playing the role of Esmeralda, in the play “Dirty Hands”. Later on, after understudying the lead roles in Broadway's "Roman Candle" and "Mary, Mary", she won the role of "Mollie" in the delightful comedy  “Take Her, She’s Mine”, for which she earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. This performance also garnered her a Theatre World award and launched her career.  Elizabeth also received a nomination in 1963 for her work in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon">Neil Simon</a>’s “Barefoot in the Park”, where she played the role of Corie Bratter and played opposite of <a href="/biography/robert-redford">Robert Redford</a>. Her third Tony nomination, this time for Best Actress, was for the role of Maggie in a Broadway revival of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Williams">Tennessee Williams</a>’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.

Elizabeth’s success in Broadway led her to receive some interesting offers for films. Her first role was in the film adaptation of the bestselling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Robbins">Harold Robbins</a> book “The Carpetbaggers” in 1964; a story which was generally thought to be inspired by the life of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes">Howard Hughes</a>. This debut was not well received by critics, but still, Elizabeth managed to get additional movie roles. In fact, Elizabeth has been featured in major motion pictures for over five decades, including early roles in “Ship of Fools”, and “The Third Day”, both produced in 1965. Other film credits include “The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker” (1971), “Rancho Deluxe” (1975), “Coma” (1978), “Paternity” (1981), “Dragnet” (1987), “Vampire's Kiss” (1989), and “Windows” (1980). Her most recent film roles were as Diane Freed in “Happiness” (1998), and as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Simpson">Marge</a> in the 2007 film “The Cake Eaters”.

Ashley appeared often appeared on television throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. She played the role of Kate in “Sandburg’s Lincoln”, a six part miniseries which ran on NBC and had guest parts in many different television shows including “The Two Mrs. Greenvilles”, “Ben Casey”, “Route 66”, “Sam Benedict”, “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoney_Burke_(TV_series)">Stoney Burke</a>”, “The Six Million Dollar Man”, “Family”, “Miami Vice”, “Mission Impossible”, “Murder She Wrote”, and many others.

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds">Burt Reynolds</a> was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds">man</a> who opened other doors for Elizabeth on television. Having worked with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds">Burt</a> on the film “Paternity” in 1981 and after appearing as a guest star on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds">Reynolds</a>’s series, “B.L. Stryker” in1989, Elizabeth got a permanent role on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds">Burt</a>’s next project, “Evening Shade”, playing Aunt Frieda Evans. Elizabeth continued to work on the show from 1990 until 1994.  For her performance in this role, Elizabeth garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Being involved in movies, TV shows and Broadway plays, Elizabeth has changed her appearances many times over five decades; but always proves to be an actress worth watching.

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Publications

In 1978 she published her first and only book as a memoir of her life entitled: “Actress: Postcards from the Road”. The manuscript was well received by the public and quickly became a best seller.

Since most of Elizabeth’s roles on Broadway and movies have been on independent productions, which often are unable to pay a high salary; her book and her continuous hard work are the reasons behind Elizabeth’s net worth being estimated in excess of one million dollars.

Personal Life

Throughout her life, Elizabeth has had brief moments of personal happiness but, unfortunately, she has also compiled three unsuccessful marriages. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Farentino">James Farentino</a> was her first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Farentino">husband</a> and they got married in 1962, when her Broadway career was just starting and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Farentino">James</a> was on his way up; but the marriage only lasted three years, and the couple was divorced in 1965.

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Peppard">George Peppard</a> was her second <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Peppard">husband</a>; they met during the filming of “The Carpetbaggers” movie in 1964, and got married two years later. This marriage lasted longer than the first, and the couple also had a child, Christian Peppard (born in 1968), but the marriage proved to be a volatile one and their divorce was settled in 1972.

Another <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Farentino">James</a> was her last try at marriage. In 1975, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McCarthy_(footballer)">James McCarthy</a> became her husband, but again, this marriage did not last long. They terminated their marriage in 1981, again lasting six years, and they had no children.

Other tragedies have surrounded her life. In 1977 she was brutally raped by 3 men at an abandoned gas station. This was hidden and only revealed in 1993, when she decided to step out and tell the world about this incident while testifying at a friend’s rape trial.

Elizabeth was also the <a href="/biography/elizabeth-ashley">victim</a> of a fire at her New York apartment in which she lost everything. Elizabeth also suffered through a five year recovery period for an accident that she had on a boat which ended up causing her to undergo a jaw replacement procedure.

Through it all, the still-lovely Elizabeth continues to demonstrate her mettle and maintain a busy acting schedule on stage performing in "Enchanted April”, and “Ann & Debbie". Elizabeth is also a founding <a href="/biography/elizabeth-ashley">member</a> of the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute. She served on the First National Council of the Arts during the administrations of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. <a href="/biography/elizabeth-ashley">Elizabeth Cole</a> has also served on the President’s Committee for the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Awards. No matter what the performance, the award winning <a href="/biography/elizabeth-ashley">Elizabeth Cole</a> can always be counted on to give it her all; she is considered to be an engaging interpreter of screenplays and her engaging looks and outgoing personality cause her to be appreciated by all.

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