Wallace Beery Biography: Birthplace, Height, Ethnicity, Parents, Religion, Net Worth, Age, Wife, Children

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery was an American film actor who became one of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, known for his gruff voice, burly build, and portrayals of rough but lovable characters in both silent and sound films.

He appeared in nearly 250 movies over a 36-year career, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Champ in 1931 and becoming the highest-paid actor in the world at the height of his fame in the early 1930s through his long contract with MGM.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Wallace Fitzgerald Beery
• Stage Name: Wallace Beery
• Born: 1 April 1885
• Age: 64 years old
• Died: 15 April 1949
• Birthplace: Clay County, Missouri, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Film Actor
• Height: 1.8 m
• Parents: Noah Webster Beery, Frances Margaret Fitzgerald
• Siblings: Noah Beery, William C. Beery
• Spouse: Gloria Swanson (m. 1916–1919), Rita Gilman (m. 1924–1939)
• Children: Carol Ann Beery, Phyllis Ann Beery
• Relationship: Divorced
• Net Worth: $5 million

Early Life and Education

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery was born on 1 April 1885 in Clay County, Missouri, near Smithville.

He was the youngest of three sons of Noah Webster Beery, who later worked as a police officer in Kansas City, and Frances Margaret Fitzgerald.

His siblings were older brothers, Noah Beery, who also became a successful actor, and William C. Beery. The family moved to Kansas City in the 1890s. Beery attended the Chase School there and took some piano lessons, but showed little interest in academics, leaving school after the fourth grade.

He worked briefly on the railroad and in a factory before running away from home. His ethnicity was a mix of German, English, Irish, Scottish, and Swiss-German ancestry, and his religion is unknown.

Career

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery began his career at age 16 when he ran away to join the Ringling Brothers Circus as an assistant elephant trainer.

He left after two years following a leopard attack and followed his brother Noah into acting, first appearing in touring theater companies and on Broadway in New York.

He entered films around 1913 with the Essanay Studios in Chicago, starting in short comedies where he often played a Swedish maid named Sweedie in drag, which brought him early attention.

Beery moved to Hollywood and built a reputation as a versatile character actor in silent films, taking on heavy roles and supporting parts in films such as The Last of the Mohicans and Robin Hood.

His career soared in the sound era with MGM, where he starred in hits like Min and Bill opposite Marie Dressler, The Champ with Jackie Cooper, Grand Hotel, Treasure Island as Long John Silver, and Viva Villa!. He earned the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1931–32 and held a unique contract that paid him one dollar more than any other MGM player, making him the highest-paid actor of his time.

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery enjoyed a long and successful run as one of Hollywood’s most reliable box-office draws, appearing in major studio productions through the 1940s.

His portrayals of tough, folksy men left a strong impression on audiences and helped define the studio system’s star-driven era. He continued working steadily until near the end of his life, leaving behind a large body of work that captured the spirit of early Hollywood filmmaking.

Social Media

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery does not have social media platforms.

Personal Life

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery married actress Gloria Swanson in 1916, but the union ended in divorce in 1919 amid reported difficulties.

He wed actress Rita Gilman in 1924, and they remained together until their divorce in 1939. During the second marriage, the couple adopted Carol Ann Beery.

After the divorce, Beery adopted infant Phyllis Ann Beery in late 1939, though the arrangement drew some public questions at the time. He lived in Beverly Hills and passed away there in 1949.

Filmography

• The Champ (1931)
• Min and Bill (1930)
• Grand Hotel (1932)
• Treasure Island (1934)
• Viva Villa! (1934)
• Dinner at Eight (1933)
• The Big House (1930)
• China Seas (1935)
• A Date with Judy (1948)
• Big Jack (1949)

Net Worth

Wallace Fitzgerald Beery accumulated an estimated net worth of around $5 million by the time of his death in 1949, a considerable sum for the era.

His wealth came mainly from his position as one of MGM’s top contract players with exceptionally high salaries that peaked when he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, along with earnings from nearly 250 film appearances spanning silent shorts to major sound features.