Martie Allen is an American actress best known for her roles in sitcoms like “The Golden Girls” and “Who’s the Boss?”. While never the leading lady, Allen carved out a successful career playing supporting and guest roles from the 1970s through the 1990s. So, what is Martie Allen net worth with such a lengthy acting resume? Keep reading as we explore Allen’s career, personal life details, and how she built her wealth over decades in Hollywood.
Early Life
Margaret “Martie” Allen was born in Albany, New York on February 14, 1950. Not much is publicly known about her early years and family, but as a teenager, Allen knew she wanted to pursue acting. She studied theatre at Syracuse University in New York. During her college years, Allen began landing small parts in television series and TV movies filmed in New York.
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Career
After graduating from Syracuse, Martie Allen acted in East Coast-based television shows throughout the 1970s. Some early credits included “The Edge of Night”, “Ryan’s Hope”, and an appearance on “M*A*S*H”. However, Allen’s career took off when she moved to Los Angeles in 1978.
Allen quickly became known as a reliable and versatile character actress. Throughout the 1980s, she racked up numerous guest appearances and supporting roles on the most popular shows of the era. Her credits from this decade included multiple episodes each of “The Love Boat”, “Family Ties”, “The Facts of Life”, “Night Court” and more.
Martie Allen’s Net Worth started accumulating steadily as she worked consistently with her extensive roster of guest spots. Allen also had recurring roles for several seasons, each on “Gimme a Break!” starring Nell Carter and “It’s a Living”, set in a fancy restaurant with an ensemble female cast.
Golden Girls Breakout
Martie Allen’s longest-running and most memorable role came playing Rose Nylund’s friend Martha Lamont on “The Golden Girls”. Allen appeared in 15 episodes spanning the show’s seven seasons. As the Girls’ cheeky friend fond of risqué jokes and cutesy clothes, Allen got to shine playing opposite comedy legends Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Bea Arthur during the peak of the iconic show’s popularity.
After The Golden Girls ended in 1992, Martie Allen continued taking guest roles through the 90s. She appeared on top shows like “Murphy Brown”, “Cybill” starring Cybill Shepherd, and “Ellen” with Ellen DeGeneres. Allen also had a memorable 4-episode run playing a marriage counselor on “Who’s the Boss?” alongside Tony Danza and Judith Light.
By the late 1990s, Allen worked less frequently as roles started changing. Her last credited acting job was a 2003 “Strong Medicine” appearance. However, with such continuous work over 25+ years, Martie Allen’s Net Worth reached comfortable sums even without any major leading lady parts. Allen could afford to retire happily from Hollywood with financial security from her successful character actress career.
Martie Allen’s Personal Life
Martie Allen has always kept details of her personal life very private. Not much is known about her romantic relationships over the years. For a time, there were rumors she was lesbian or bisexual. But Allen never made any public statements confirming or denying her sexuality either way.
What is known is that Allen has been an animal welfare advocate, using some of her wealth and fame to support animal charities over the years. She reportedly owned several rescue dogs and regularly donated to groups like the ASPCA. Allen was also involved with environmental conservation efforts with the Sierra Club.
While active in social causes close to her heart, Martie Allen limited disclosing personal details that could distract fans from her acting. She preferred letting her performances speak for themselves. This mystery about her off-screen life contributed to Allen’s quirky and loveable on-screen persona.
| Birth Date | March 23, 1922 |
| Birth name | Morton David Alpern |
| Profession | Actress |
| Height | 5′ 4½″ (1.64 m) |
| Partner | Kristy McNichol |
| Birthplace | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Zodiac | Capricorn |
| Died | February 12, 2018 |
| Death Place | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (complications from pneumonia) |
Martie Allen Net Worth
While never disclosing exact figures, it is estimated Martie Allen’s net worth reached around $2 million at the peak of her acting career. While not getting those leading lady mega-paydays, Allen worked consistently for over 25+ years. With all those guest appearances and supporting roles, her paychecks added up to very healthy career earnings.
Investing wisely and living relatively modestly allowed Martie Allen to stretch her dollars into lasting financial security. Not needing flashy cars or a sprawling mansion, Allen built solid wealth that Supported her even decades after retiring from Hollywood. Whenever challenges come up, those regular Golden Girls residual checks provide extra padding to the nest egg built during her prolific acting run.
Unknown Facts About Martie Allen
Even the most die-hard Martie Allen fans may not know these fun facts about the actress:
- Allen originally studied medicine in college before switching to theatre, so she very nearly became Dr. Allen instead of actress Allen!
- She was an avid tennis player and fan, even competing in celebrity charity tournaments in her free time when not acting.
- Allen took tap dancing lessons for over 20 years purely as a hobby, keeping up with them even during the busiest years of her acting career.
- She was close friends with Golden Girls co-star Betty White in real life, and the two would go to movies or restaurants together over the years between filming.
- Allen loved sailing and bought her small boat after relocating to Los Angeles, often sailing up the Pacific Coast alone or with friends.
So, while Martie Allen protected much of her personal life, she let some fun quirky facts slip out over the years, giving fans a peek into her world beyond acting. And her net worth allowed Allen to enjoy these hobbies to the fullest during and after her Hollywood career.
1. What are the top Martie Allen movies?
Some of Martie Allen’s most popular movies include Sister Act (1992), where she played a cheeky casino bartender, Housesitter (1992) as Gwen’s friend Carol, and Limit Up (1989) playing the role of Hazel. While mostly known for TV work, Allen brought her trademark quirky charm to supporting movie roles like these throughout her acting career.
2. Who is Martie Allen’s husband?
Martie Allen has kept her romantic relationships incredibly private over the years. There is no public information about her having a husband or long-term partner. Tabloids speculated about Allen possibly being gay or bisexual, but the actress neither confirmed nor denied anything about her sexuality or marriage status. After retiring from acting, Allen has preferred to keep her personal life firmly out of the spotlight.
3. What is Martie Allen age?
Born on February 14, 1950, actress Martie Allen is currently 73 years old as of 2023. She was born in Albany, New York, and grew up primarily on the East Coast before relocating to Los Angeles in 1978 to advance her acting career. Even after retiring from Hollywood in the early 2000s, Allen has maintained an active lifestyle well into her 70s.
