Gary Burghoff bio: Age, children, wife, left hand, movies and TV shows, net worth

November 2024 · 6 minute read

Gary Burghoff is a legendary American-born actor, drummer, painter, and songwriter. He is famous for some of his most iconic roles such as Charlie Brown in the Broadway musical titled You are a Good Man. He played as Corporal Walter O'Reilly in MASH, and this earned him numerous nominations in the Emmy Award.

Between 1974 and 1975, he became a regular face on the famous hit TV game Match Game thus gaining more fame in the industry. He is a globally recognized wildlife painter with most of his paintings costing a considerable fortune.

Gary Burghoff profile summary

Biography

Gary Burghoff was born on 24th May 1943 in Bristol, Connecticut, USA. He is the son of Rodney Burghoff (father) and Ann Burghoff (mother). His father worked for a clock company while his mother was a professional dancer. He also has an older brother known as David Burghoff, who is a philatelist.

Career

Gary trained to become a tap dancer and drummer. He got his training from H.B. studio, New York and gained experience with Belfry Players of Williamson Bay in Wisconsin.

He came to the limelight in 1967 for the role of Charlie Brown in You are a Good Man. In 1968, he became a member of the Relatives Singing band as a drummer.

He played at the Sahara Hotel and Casio Lounge in Las Vegas, Nevada for three months together with the band. Later, he fully ventured into the entertainment field as an actor. Here are some of his movies, TV shows, and paintings:

Gary Burghoff movies

Gary Burghoff TV shows

Gary Burghoff books

Gary Burghoff paintings

Other than being a celebrated author and great actor, he is a respected wildlife artist. He has been painting all his life even though he began his professional painting in the early 1990s. His love and passion for wildlife inspired the creation of Radar's zoo in M*A*S*H.

His other ventures include:

  • 1980's - T.V. spokesman for B.P. gasoline and IBM computers.
  • 2000 - Spokesman for an auction website known as PriceRadar.com.
  • The inventor of a toilet seat lifting handle and a type of fishing pole known as Chum Magic which attracts fish towards the boat of the fisher.
  • As a philatelist, he was chosen to select a stamp for the USA Hunters.

    • Awards and nominations

    The portrayal of Corporal Walter O'Reilly in MASH was one of his most iconic roles. He was nominated for eight Emmy Awards for this role as follows:

    Daytime Emmy Awards

    Primetime Emmy Awards

    Gary Burghoff wife and children

    Gary has married and divorced twice in his life. He tied the knot with his first ex-wife, Janet Gayle, in 1971. They bore their first child in 1975 but divorced in 1979.

    He decided to remarry again and thus tied the knot with his second ex-wife Elizabeth Bostrom. The duo had two children but decided to end the union in 2005. In both divorces, he has not publicly stated the reasons behind them.

    The actor is a father of three lovely kids, a daughter from his first marriage and two sons from his second marriage. Gary Burghoff children are Gena Gale Burghoff (daughter) and Jordan and Miles Burghoff (sons).

    Gary Burghoff left hand Poland syndrome

    The Poland syndrome is a condition that occurs when a baby is born with certain underdeveloped body parts such as the arm, shoulder or any other part of the body. Gary was born with this condition on his left hand, which has three significantly smaller fingers as compared to those on the right hand.

    Net worth

    As of 2020, Gary net worth is roughly $6 million. His earnings primarily come from his career as an actor. He also earns part of his wealth from his various patented inventions.

    Gary Burghoff is an all-round individual who has tried his luck in different ventures and succeeded in all of them. His Poland condition did not hinder him from pursuing his career and following his passion.

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