Brooke Shields Has Been Working Since She Was A Baby
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Brooke Shields started her career when she was just 11 months old, modeling for an Ivory Soap ad. By 12, the actress's was catapulted to fame thanks to her role in the controversial movie Pretty Baby, where she starred as a child prostitute. Now, the 57-year-old actress is taking back her narrative in the form of a documentary by the same title: Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, which premieres on Hulu and Disney+ on April 3.
In addition to big acting roles in films like Blue Lagoon and Endless Love, Brooke's career in modeling was extremely influential. In fact, one of her gigs probably helped launch Calvin Klein to the iconic underwear brand it is today.
With her long history in the entertainment industry, it's natural to wonder how much Brooke has raked in over the years. Below, Women's Health has all the details on the star's net worth.
She did a lot of modeling.
Brooke's mother (and manager) was pivotal in launching her modeling career. Brooke's early gigs included modeling nude for Playboy at age 10, per Women and Home.
It's unclear how much Brooke made for her earliest modeling gigs, but it was probably a significant amount. According to ZipRecruiter, child models can make around $70,000 (with inflation for 2023) per year. It's likely Brooke made much more than that, since she was such popular face.
At 15, just after she appeared in the movie Blue Lagoon, Brooke was recruited by photographer Richard Avedon for an ad that would shock the world. During the height of the designer jeans craze of the 1980s, Brooke posed for a Calvin Klein jeans ad, saying: "Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."
Brooke didn't understand the connotations of what she was saying at the time, so she also didn't understand the massive backlash. Shortly after this ad ran, Calvin Klein's underwear line really took off. It's unclear how much Brooke made from this ad campaign, but she should've made a lot considering its impact.
Brooke's earliest film credits earned a lot at the box office.
During her early acting days, Brooke starred in three films that were extremely popular. Her first film, Pretty Baby, earned $5.8 million, per IMDb. Blue Lagoon, another controversial title that Brooke starred in at just 14, earned $58 million. Finally, Brooke's film, Endless Love, earned $32 million worldwide, according to IMDb.
Her exact salary for these films isn't known, but she probably made a decent amount, given that she was a leading role in all three of the films.
Brooke also makes money from TV show appearances.
In addition to films, Brooke's acting career extends to television, too. The star has had recurring roles in several television shows including Jane The Virgin, The Middle and even Hannah Montana.
Brooke's most significant television role, however, was Suddenly Susan, a sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2000. Brooke starred in 96 episodes of the show, but it isn't clear exactly how much she made. Kathy Griffin, who was Brooke's co-star, told Variety in 2015 that her salary was under $20,000 on the show—while her male co-star, Judd Nelson, earned four times as much.
Kathy also said she made the second-lowest salary in the cast, so it's likely Brooke earned more than Kathy considering as the show's lead.
Brooke has owned several properties throughout her life.
In 2019, Brooke opened up about her mom controlling her revenue stream, specifically in the form of real estate.
"[My mom] had very romantic visions [for wealth], such as what it would be like to have a ranch in Montana," Brooke told Reuters. "At one point we had like six properties—it was insane. When I started paying closer attention to money, we had to liquidate a lot of that. Luckily I still had the potential to earn."
More recently, Brooke has owned (and sold) her fair share of real estate. In 2022, the actress sold her iconic Pacific Palisades home (a home she once rented to Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck) for a whopping $7.4 million. She owned the house for 25 years, purchasing it in 1996 for $3.25 million, per PEOPLE.
As of 2012, Brooke was living with her family in Manhattan in a home she completely renovated with decorated David Flint Wood, per Architectural Digest. It's not clear exactly how much the property is worth, but based on the photos, it's probably worth a lot!
She probably earns a fair amount with her company, Beginning Is Now.
Like any celeb, Brooke has some passive income streams in the form of partnerships and deals. Brooke has her own line for skincare brand True Botanicals, but she also does her own personal side sponsorships.
The star has her own brand/website, Beginning Is Now, on which she promotes some of her favorite products (such as a Rigaud Paris candle and a Nespresso CitiZ Machine), plus her own items and podcast (Now What?), so it's likely she earns some type of commission of those, too.
Her husband makes a decent income, too.
Brooke has been married to comedian and film director Chris Henchy since 2001. Chris is actually a very prominent film maker—with credits on popular comedies like Tammy, The Campaign, and Daddy's Home.
He also started the popular comedy brand, Funny or Die, with Adam McKay and Will Ferrell in 2007. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his total net worth at $50 million.
What is Brooke Shields' total net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Brooke's net worth is around $40 million. However, the website also says that this is combined with her husband, so it may be more or less, considering it lists Chris Henchy's net worth as $50 million.
To learn more about Brooke's career, you can stream Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields on Disney+ and Hulu on April 3.
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