Known for: The Outsiders and the “Brat Pack”
Net worth: $60 million
Rob Lowe was catapulted to fame as a teen idol in the ’80s with the rest of the “Brat Pack.” The group starred in one insanely popular coming-of-age flick after another, truly defining a generation. Sixteen Candles , St. Elmo’s Fire , and, of course, The Breakfast Club featured these young men and women, most of whom became serious Hollywood legends in their own right. Our heartthrob, Mr. Lowe, ran into a dab of trouble on the way up, but he’s been recovering as an alcoholic for over two decades. Oh, and that sex-tape scandal-thing? Just think of it as a blip on the map that helped him hit his bottom.
He’s arguably more popular now than ever. His Twitter following is impressive, and fans love him on Parks and Recreation and Grinder. West Wing gave his career the lift it needed after Wayne’s World rescued him from the sex scandal thing. Lowe’s never shied away from politics. In fact, his first sex scandal incident occurred on the night before the 1988 DNC nomination of Michael Dukakis, a man he was endorsing at the convention. Operative word: “was.” Currently, he backs a Homeowners Defense Fund for government transparency in Santa Barbara and is a spokesman for the breast cancer awareness organization, Lee National Awareness Day.
Elliot Gould
Known for: M*A*S*H*
Net worth: $20 million
Brooklyn native Elliott Gould made his stage debut in 1962 starring in I Can Get it For You Wholesale. It was a significant time in his life as he starred in the Broadway musical with his future wife, Barbara Streisand. The recognition brought starring roles in Drat! The Cat! And Little Murders . By 1969 he formed his own film production company, and, more notably, signed a contract to play Trapper John in Robert Altman’s seminal film M*A*S*H* . It was a smashing hit.
He flopped with Move, and I Love My Wife, but then rebounded in The Long Goodbye. He played opposite Diane Keaton in both, I Will, I Will…for Now, and Harry and Walter Go to New York. More flops. His portrayal of an aging mobster in Warren Beatty’s Bugsy brought him showers of accolades. In American History X starring Edward Norton, Gould delivered a remarkable appearance. He’s hosted Saturday Night Live a total of six times and guest-starred on Friends. He and Barbara Streisand didn’t stay married. They divorced in 1971. He went on to marry and divorce Jennifer Bogart two times.
Michael Caine
Known for: Alfie and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Net worth: $75 million
British film icon Michael Caine was born in South London. As a young lad with a certain idealism about communism, he was sent off to fight during the Korean War. He returned to England loathing the ideology, hating combat, and searching for a new vocation. He decided to try his hand at theatre procuring a job as an assistant stage manager. More than 130 films later, Michael Caine is a master at his craft and holds the rare distinction of earning an Oscar nomination for five consecutive decades. Recognized by his cockney accent, his films have collectively grossed over $7.4 billion worldwide.
Caine received his first Oscar nomination for playing a heartless heartthrob in Alfie. It cemented his Hollywood career, Gambit, Play Dirty and Get Carter followed. In the 1990s, Hannah and Her Sisters snagged him his first Oscar win. He played a respectable Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol, and audiences liked him in the Batman trilogy as Alfred, the fatherly butler. As a rare conservative among the ranks of Hollywood liberals, Caine’s politics include a protest on paying taxes. He once left the U.K. until Margaret Thatcher cut the tax rate for top-earners.
Michael J. Fox
Known for: Family Ties and Back to the Future
Net worth: $65 million
Before Michael J. Fox played Marty McFly, he was Alex Keaton on the wildly popular 1980s sitcom Family Ties . The Canadian-born actor played a hilarious young-Republican growing up in a throw-back hippie family. The show ran from 1982 to 1989. Fox won three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe for the role. In the midst of it, he starred in one of the most successful movies of all time. Back to the Future was a genre-smashing sci-fi adventure comedy with a franchise that has stretched over three decades producing a Trilogy, an attraction at Universal Studios, and an animated TV series.
He also won a Primetime Emmy, two SAGs and three Golden Globe Awards for his role on Spin City . During the filming of the 1991 romantic comedy Doc Hollywood , Fox noticed an uncontrollable twitch in his finger. When he went to the doctor, he learned of his Parkinson’s diagnosis. After the sad news, he founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help advance research on the debilitating disease.
Cicely Tyson
Known for: Sounder
Net worth: $10 million
Discovered as a fashion model, Cicely Tyson shot to the top of the modeling profession with her strikingly beautiful and unique look. She found her way to the stage by 1957. Tyson got her foot in the door appearing on television programs like the miniseries movie Roots which was a 1970s national sensation. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her work in Roots. In 1972, Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in the critically acclaimed movie Sounder .
She also appeared in acclaimed films like Fried Green Tomatoes and The Help. Miles Davis fell in love with Cicely Tyson. The world-renowned jazz musician photographed Tyson for his album, Sorcerer. They were married in 1981.