Edd Byrnes
Actor

Edd Byrnes Net Worth

Edd Byrnes was born in New York City in 1933 and had a difficult childhood due to his father's alcoholism. He developed an athletic body and was approached by a man who offered to take free "physique" photos of him. This led to a few years of "hustling" older, well-to-do men. He eventually moved to California and won a role in the TV series 77 Sunset Strip, playing a hip-talking parking-lot attendant named "Kookie". His fan mail soon reached an astonishing 15,000 letters a week and his single with Connie Stevens, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb", became a top-5 hit. He eventually settled a contract dispute with Warner Brothers, but his career had passed its peak before he turned 30. He married long-time girlfriend Asa Maynor in 1962 and their son, Logan, was born in 1965. The marriage ended in divorce in 1971 due to his reliance on drugs and alcohol. In 1982 he succeeded in going "clean and sober" and has come to terms with his role as television's first teen idol.
Edd Byrnes is a member of Actor

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Actor, Soundtrack
Birth Day July 30, 1933
Birth Place  New York City, New York, United States
Age 90 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Leo
Occupation Actor
Years active 1956–1999
Spouse(s) Asa Maynor (m. 1962–1971) (divorced) one child
Children Logan Byrnes

💰 Net worth: $1 Million (2024)

Edd Byrnes, a renowned actor and soundtrack artist in the United States, is estimated to have a net worth of $1 Million in 2024. With a successful career spanning several decades, Byrnes has left a significant impact on the entertainment industry. Best known for his role as Kookie in the hit television series "77 Sunset Strip," Byrnes captivated audiences with his charismatic charm and talent. His contributions as a soundtrack artist further solidified his position in the industry. While his net worth reflects his financial success, Byrnes' true legacy lies in his iconic contributions to American television and music.

Famous Quotes:

We previewed this show, and because Edd Byrnes was such a hit, we decided that Kookie and his comb had to be in our series. So this week, we'll just forget that in the pilot he went off to prison to be executed.

— From the pre-credit sequence for the episode "Lovely Lady, Pity Me"

Biography/Timeline

1956

In 1956 Byrnes got a non paying job in a summer stock theatre company in Connecticut, the Litchfield Community Playhouse. He began appearing in plays put on by the company as an actor. He tried Broadway without luck but managed to get some jobs in TV, starting with an episode of Crossroads in 1956. He could be seen in episodes of the shows Wire Service and Navy Log.

1957

He tested for a role in Bernadine and Until They Sail but did not get it. A contemporary report described him as "a Tab Hunter type." However he did guest star on an episode of Cheyenne made by Warner Bros. They liked Byrnes' work and signed him to a long term contract in May 1957.

1958

The show aired in October 1958 and was so popular Warners decided to turn it into a TV series 77 Sunset Strip. Byrnes' character became an immediate national teen sensation, prompting the producers to make Byrnes a regular cast member. They transformed Kookie from a hitman into a parking valet at a nearby restaurant who helped as a private investigator. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., explained the situation to the audience:

1959

Byrnes walked off the show in the second season, demanding a bigger part and higher pay. In November 1959 Warners put him on suspension. They eventually offered $750 a week but he refused. In April 1960 they came to terms and Byrne went back to work.

1960

Owing to restrictions in his Warner Brothers television contract, Byrnes was forced to turn down film roles in Ocean's Eleven (1960), Rio Bravo (1959), North to Alaska (1960), and The Longest Day (1962). He tested for the role of John F. Kennedy in PT 109, but President Kennedy preferred Cliff Robertson.

1962

Instead he guest starred on Lawman. Byrnes made a cameo as Kookie in Surfside Six and Hawaiian Eye, a 77 Sunset Strip spin off. He bought a story for Warners Make Mine Vanilla but it was not made. He threatened to punch a Photographer who was trying to take a photo of him getting a marriage licence. He did some summer stock in 1962 with his wife.

1963

In August 1963 Byrnes bought up the remaining ten months of his contract with Warner Bros and left Sunset Strip. "No more hipster image for me," said Byrnes. "From now on I'd like to establish myself as a movie star."

1964

Back in the US he made a pilot for a TV series, Kissin Cousins, based on the Elvis Presley film Kissin' Cousins (1964) with Byrnes to play the lieutenant played by Presley in the film. It did not go to series. Byrne starred in a beach party movie financed by Corman, Beach Ball (1965). He was in episodes of Mister Roberts, Honey West, and Theatre of Stars and did Picnic, Bus Stop, Sunday in New York, Sweet Bird of Youth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on stage in stock.

1966

The Shadow of Kookie hung over him. "People think that's the only role you can play," he said in 1966. "Producers and Directors still think of me as the kid I played on the Strip. I've been offered other series but they've still wanted to cast me as the same kid."

1967

Byrnes returned to Europe for several spaghetti westerns, including the 1967 films Renegade Riders, Any Gun Can Play and Red Blood, Yellow Gold. In 1969 he said he made more money in the preceding year than in his entire time on Warner Bros.

1969

Back in the US he worked mostly in TV: episodes of Mannix, Love, American Style, The Virginian, Adam 12, and The Pathfinders. He was also in the TV movies The Silent Gun (1969) and The Gift of Terror.

1973

Byrne was in the "Duo-Vision" horror film Wicked, Wicked in 1973, and as a TV interviewer in the David Essex film Stardust (1974).

1974

In 1974, Byrnes hosted the pilots of Wheel of Fortune but he was replaced by Chuck Woolery.

1978

Byrnes played the role of the Dick Clark-like dance-show host Vince Fontaine, host of National Bandstand, in the 1978 movie Grease.

1981

The success of the film led to Byrne being cast in the lead of a TV series $weepstake$ but it only lasted nine episodes. He went back to guest starring in shows like CHiPs, B.J. and the Bear, House Calls, Charlie's Angels, Vega$, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Quincy M.E., The Master, Simon & Simon and Crazy Like a Fox. He had a small role in the Erin Moran film Twirl (1981) and the lead in Erotic Images (1983) with Britt Ekland.

1987

Byrnes also appeared in Mankillers (1987), Back to the Beach (1987), Party Line (1988) and Troop Beverly Hills (1989).

1998

One of his final roles was Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1998).

2005

As a tribute to his enduring Celebrity and his iconic "Kookie" character, Byrnes has ranked #5 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue). He wrote an autobiography in 1996 entitled Kookie No More.

2014

Byrnes appeared during the Memphis Film Festival in June 2014, in which he was reunited with his former Yellowstone Kelly co-star Clint Walker.

2016

Byrnes' son by Asa Maynor is Logan Byrnes, a television news anchor for Fox-11 News in Los Angeles, California. Previous to 2016, he was at Fox Connecticut since 2008.

Some Edd Byrnes images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.