Many fans are curious about Ben Vereen's financial success in April 2026. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.
What Is Ben Vereen's Net Worth?
Ben married Andrea Townsley on February 10, 1965, and they welcomed son Benjamin Jr. ("Benji") before divorcing in August 1974. Benji, a dancer and a choreographer, was found dead at the age of 55 in August 2020, about two weeks after going missing. Vereen wed Nancy Karen Bruner on July 15, 1976, and they had four children together. His daughter Naja died in a car accident in 1987 at the age of 16.
Numerous offers of work followed on the heels of Vereen's success in "Roots." In addition to an already dizzying schedule, he developed a live stage act that he performed in nightclubs all over the world. In the 1990s, he guest-starred on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as the father of engineer Geordi LaForge, played byLeVar Burton. In "Roots," he had played the grandson of another Burton character, Kunta Kinte. In 2005, Ben appeared in the Broadway musical "Wicked" as the Wizard of Oz. He was a recreational drug user for years, and he became seriously addicted to cocaine after his daughter was killed in a 1987 automobile accident. He made up for those lost opportunities by founding Celebrities for a Drug-Free America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating young people about the dangers of drugs. In recent years, Vereen has had recurring role on the Fox series "Star" (2018–2019) and the CBS sitcom "B Positive" (2021–2022).
In the '90s Ben appeared in the films "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (1998) and "I'll Take You There" (1999) and guest-starred on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1993), "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1994), "The Nanny" (1994), "New York Undercover" (1995), "Touched by an Angel" (1996), "Promised Land" (1999), and "Jamie FoxxShow" (1999). From 1991 to 1993, he had a recurring role as Capt. Ben Hutchinson on the CBS crime drama "Silk Stalkings." Vereen began the 2000s with roles in the 2001 film "The Painting" and the TV movie "The Feast of All Saints." He then guest-starred on "Oz" (2002), "Grey's Anatomy" (2007), "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2007), "House of Payne" (2010), "NCIS" (2013), "Hot in Cleveland" (2015), "Magnum P.I." (2018), and "The Good Fight" (2021) and had recurring roles as Sam Gibbs on "How I Met Your Mother" (2010–2014), Porter on "Sneaky Pete" (2017–2018), Calvin on "Star" (2018–2019), andPeter Morganon "B Positive" (2021–2022). Ben appeared in the films "Idlewild" (2006), "And Then Came Love" (2007), "Mama, I Want to Sing!" (2011), and "Time Out of Mind" (2014), and he co-starred withChris Rockin 2014's "Top Five," which was also written and directed by Rock. In 2016, Vereen played Dr. Everett von Scott in the Fox special "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again."
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At the age of 18, Ben appeared in the off-off Broadway play "The Prodigal Son," then he traveled to Las Vegas to perform in a Bob Fosse-directed production of "Sweet Charity." He toured with the show from 1967 to 1968. After returning to New York City, Vereen made his Broadway debut in "Hair" in 1968, and he followed it with Broadway productions of "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1971–1973), "Pippin" (1972–1977), "Grind" (1985), "Jelly's Last Jam" (1992–1993), "Fosse" (1999–2001), "I'm Not Rappaport" (2002), and "Wicked" (2005–2006). In 1969, he appeared in the film adaptation of "Sweet Charity" as an ensemble dancer. Next, Ben appeared in the films "Gas-s-s-s" (1970), "Funny Lady" (1975), and "All That Jazz" (1979), guest-starred on "The Muppet Show" (1976) and "TheCarol BurnettShow" (1977), and hosted "Ben Vereen… Comin' at Ya" (1975). He starred in the title role in the 1976 TV movie "Louis Armstrong– Chicago Style," and he played Chicken George Moore in the 1977 Emmy-winning miniseries "Roots." In 1980, he starred as E.L. 'Tenspeed' Turner on the ABC detective series "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" alongside Jeff Goldblum. Vereen starred as The Leading Player in the 1981 TV movie "Pippin: His Life and Times," then he guest-starred on "The Love Boat" (1982–1984), had a recurring role as Uncle Philip Long on "Webster" (1983–1985), and appeared in the films "This Boxer Wears a Shirt" (1980), "Sabine" (1982), "The Zoo Gang" (1985), and "Buy & Cell" (1988).
Ben Vereen was born Benjamin Augustus Middleton on October 10, 1946, in Laurinburg, North Carolina. His family moved to Brooklyn, New York City, when he was a baby, and they lived in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Ben was adopted by paint-factory worker James Vereen and theatre wardrobe mistress/maid Pauline Vereen, and he found out that he was adopted when he applied for a passport in his twenties. Vereen's family followed the Pentecostal religion, a form of Protestant Charismatic Christianity. As a preteen, Ben showed a talent for acting and dance, and he began performing in variety shows. When he was 14 years old, he started studying under choreographers George Balanchine, Martha Graham, and Jerome Robbins at the High School of Performing Arts. After graduation, Vereen had a difficult time finding suitable stage work and often took odd jobs to make extra money.
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Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has a net worth of $2 million. Ben Vereen shot to Broadway stardom when he won the 1973 Tony Award for his starring role inBob Fosse's"Pippin." The previous year, he had been nominated for a Tony Award for "Jesus Christ Superstar." Ben became a famously versatile song-and-dance man, a stage star who also appeared in feature films and on television. His most famous roles on TV include African slave Chicken George in the miniseries "Roots" (1977),Jeff Goldblum'spartner on the cop show "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" (1980), and the grumpy police captain on "Silk Stalkings" (1991–1993). He received an Emmy nomination in 1977 for Alex Haley's landmark TV miniseries "Roots."
Ultimately, Ben Vereen's financial journey is a testament to their success.
Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.