What is Johnny Whitaker’s net worth? It’s a whopping $2 million
Johnny Whitaker’s Background
John Orson Whitaker, Jr. was born in Van Nuys, California, USA, on December 13, 1959. He is widely known for his various acting roles, including Jody Davis in “Family Affair”, the lead role in “Tom Sawyer”, and Johnny Stuart in “Sigmund And The Sea Monsters”. His career began in 1962.
Have you ever pondered just how wealthy Johnny Whitaker is? His estimated net worth in late 2017 was over $2 million, according to reliable sources. This wealth stems from his successful career in the film industry.
Johnny Whitaker Net Worth: $2 Million
Johnny was raised with seven siblings by Thelma and John Orson Whitaker, Sr.; notable among them is his sister, Dora Whitaker, a well-known talent agent. Johnny attended Sylmar High School before spending two years in Portugal doing missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After returning, he pursued a degree in Communications from Brigham Young University in 1986.
Before his professional acting career, Johnny appeared in numerous commercials at the age of three in 1962, and made his adult acting debut as Scotty ‘Scott’ Baldwin on the soap opera “General Hospital” in 1965. This marked the beginning of the increase in his net worth. He proceeded to play Jerry Maxwell in the film “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!” (1966), and the same year, he took on the role of Jonathan ‘Jody’ Patterson-Davis in the TV series “Family Affair”. This was followed in the next year by his portrayal of Willie Hubbard in the TV series “Gunsmoke”, both of which lasted until 1971, significantly contributing to his net worth.
In 1972, Johnny appeared in several films, including “Something Evil” where he played Stevie Worden, directed by Steven Spielberg. He also played Napoleon in “Napoleon And Samantha”, and Richard Baxter in “Snowball Express”. He was then selected to play the title role in the film “Tom Sawyer” in 1973, followed by the role of Johnny Stuart in the TV series “Sigmund And The Sea Monsters”. These roles further increased his net worth. However, from 1977 to 2011, he only made three guest-starring appearances, working as a computer analyst for CBS during this period and later for his sister who was a talent agent in Los Angeles.
In 2011, Johnny appeared as Craig Peterson in the TV film “Growing Up Normal”, and went on to do voice-overs in the 2013 film “A Talking Pony!?!” and the 2014 film “Knock ’em Dead”. More recently, he featured in the role of Mr. Haight in the film “The Wrong Child”, and played Santa in the film “A Husband For Christmas”, both in 2016. These roles also added to his net worth.
Johnny’s contributions to the entertainment industry were acknowledged when he won the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award at the Young Artist Awards in 1999.
As for his personal life, Johnny Whitaker was married to Symbria Wright from 1984 to 1988 and does not have any children. He struggled with substance abuse but successfully overcame it. He decided to become a certified drug counselor and founded the non-profit organization Paso Por Paso, focused on helping addicts through alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Spain.
- Structural Info
- Quotes
- Facts
- Pictures
- Filmography
- Awards
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | “We played twins but were poles apart as human beings. It didn’t affect our relationship, but we were raised in very different homes. I felt terrible about her death, but I wasn’t all that much surprised.” – JW, reflecting on the drug death of former co-star Anissa Jones |
| 2 | “[Family Affair (1966)] was much too sugar-and-spice. We never lied or cheated. No children are as angelic as we were supposed to be.” |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Appeared at the Hollywood Celebrities and Collectors Show in Burbank, April 23-24 to sign autographs. [April 2005] |
| 2 | Starring in stage play ‘Nighty Nite San Francisco,’ a talk show parody, in San Francisco. [October 2001] |
| 3 | Best known by the public for his role as Jody Davis on Family Affair (1966). |
| 4 | Interviewed in “Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television” by Tom Goldrup and Jim Goldrup (McFarland, 2002). |
| 5 | Brother of Billy and Dora Whitaker. |
| 6 | Originated the role of Scotty Baldwin, a General Hospital (1963) character still seen on the show. |
| 7 | Co-starred with young Jodie Foster twice in films: once in Disney’s “Napoleon and Samantha” and the second time as Becky Thatcher to his Tom Sawyer. He later toured nationally to promote the “Tom Sawyer” line of boys’ clothing after being cast in the musical film. Eventually, the same firm put out a “Johnnie Whitaker” line as well. |
| 8 | Changed the spelling of his first name from “Johnnie” to the more adult “Johnny” around 1973. |
| 9 | Married theatrical agent Symbria Wright in June 1984. They divorced four years later. |
| 10 | Was part of a variety act called The Johnny Whitaker Show, along with two of his sisters and a brother, performing at fairs and Mormon church gatherings. |
| 11 | His sister, Dora Whitaker, is a well-established talent agent in North Hollywood, California. |
| 12 | Worked closely with the joint SAG/AFTRA Young Performer’s Committee for 13 years, aiding young performers in receiving benefits and preparing them for the challenges of show business. |
| 13 | After the tragic death of his 18-year-old “Family Affair” co-star Anissa Jones, Johnny took a supposed extended sabbatical from acting and returned to “normalcy” by attending public schools. Instead, he engaged in missionary work. |
| 14 | His first film, “The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming” (1966), co-starred Brian Keith. Both got along very well, and Keith helped set up an interview for Johnny with the producers of “Family Affair”, where he was cast as Keith’s nephew. |
| 15 | Received the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award at the Young Artist Awards in 1999. |
| 16 | A recovering addict since 1997, Johnny is the President and Founder of Paso Por Paso, a California 501 (c)3 corporation dedicated to helping Spanish-speaking addicts/alcoholics find treatment and recovery. |
| 17 | Started his acting career at the age of three after being discovered while singing in his church’s children’s program, where he improvised a song after forgetting the lyrics. He did his first on-air performance in a commercial for OK Used Cars. |
| 18 | Fluently speaks several languages including Portuguese, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. |
| 19 | Gave Jodie Foster her first on-screen kiss in Tom Sawyer (1973). |
| 20 | Was the only six-year-old who screen-tested for the role of Jody Davis in “Family Affair”, originally intended for a 10-year-old. When producers saw the chemistry between him and Anissa Jones, they rewrote the parts for 6-year-old twins. |
| 21 | Was the fifth of eight children born to Thelma and John O. Whitaker, Sr. He was born at 12:14 AM, Pacific Standard Time. |
| 22 | Divorced in 1988, he underwent a 12-step program to overcome drug dependency. |
| 23 | Graduated from Sylmar High School after “Family Affair” was canceled. He then spent two years in Portugal as a full-time missionary before obtaining a degree in communications from Brigham Young University in 1986. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Husband for Christmas | 2016 | TV Movie | Santa |
| The Wrong Child | 2016 | Mr. Haight | |
| Sigmund and the Sea Monsters | 2016 | TV Movie | Zach |
| The Comeback Kids | 2015 | TV Series | Johnny Whittaker |
| Knock ’em Dead | 2014 | Jack (voice) | |
| A Talking Pony!?! | 2013 | Horatio (voice) | |
| A Talking Cat!?! | 2013 | Phil | |
| Growing Up Normal | 2011 | TV Movie | Craig Peterson |
| Family Affair | 2002 | TV Series | Kevin |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Sing-Alongs: Having Fun | 1997 | Video short performer: “Freebootin'” | |
| The NBC Saturday Morning Preview Revue | 1974 | TV Movie performer: “By the Seaside I” | |
| The 46th Annual Academy Awards | 1974 | TV Special performer: “Love” | |
| Sigmund and the Sea Monsters | 1973 | TV Series performer (7 episodes) | |
| Tom Sawyer | 1973 | performer: “A Man’s Gotta Be What He Was Born to Be”, “How Come?”, “If’n I Was God”, “Freebootin'” |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Whitaker’s Drug Policy in Portugal Documentary | 2016 | Documentary |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Whitaker’s Drug Policy in Portugal Documentary | 2016 | Documentary |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Whitaker’s Drug Policy in Portugal Documentary | 2016 | Documentary – executive producer |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye on Entertainment | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
| Oprah: Where Are They Now? |
