| Real Name: | David Wayne Spade |
| Birthday: | July 22, 1964 |
| Net Worth | $60 million |
| Height: | 170 cm |
| Occupation: | American Actor, Stand-Up Comedian, Writer, Producer, TV Host |
David Wayne Spade is an American actor, stand-up comedian, writer, producer, and television host. He started his career as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. From there, he continued with successful sitcoms. His best are Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement. Spade is one of the great examples of comedy actors making money. So, how wealthy is David Spade?
With successful movies like Police Academy 4, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Joe Dirt, Grown Ups, and Father of the Year behind him, Spade has a valuable bank account.
David Spade assets are estimated at $60 million. He earned most of his money through movie and television roles. But he also has an impressive real estate portfolio. As an actor, he was part of two long-running sitcoms, Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement. The former lasted from 1997 till 2003. And the latter started in 2007 and lasted until 2013. David also voices animation characters.
Content Compass
From Stand Up to Golden Globe Actor
David Spade graduated in 1986 with a business degree. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. His university had a sketch comedy show called Farce Side Comedy Hour. He performed regularly and did stand-up throughout his college years. He performed at Greasy Tony’s Pizza in Temple, AZ.
He then moved to Los Angeles, where he continued his stand-up career. Fellow comedian Dennis Miller helped him land a job on Saturday Night Live in 1989. David started as a writer, but quickly made his way to cast member. He had a notable sarcastic style of humor that helped him become an instant classic.
Paired with fellow cast member Chris Farley, Spade managed to make everyone laugh. These two had great chemistry together. That chemistry inspired producer Lorne Michaels to get them on the big screen. The result is “Tommy Boy” in 1995, with Farley playing the irresponsible goofball, while Spade was his straight man.
In 1996, they teamed up again for Black Sheep, with the same formula. Both movies received lukewarm critical reviews. But, they made a lot of money at the box office. They became cult classics among SNL fans. When Farley died of a drug overdose in 1997, Spade took some time off. He didn’t even attend the funeral, because it was too much for him.
Awards and Achievements
David Spade earned a few nominations thanks to his performance in movies and TV shows. He has 2 Golden Globes nominations, both for his performance in Just Shoot Me! He earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture for Television in 1999 and 2000. He also has 15 other nominations and four smaller wins.
His performance in Just Shoot Me earned him a nomination for Primetime Emmy Awards. He also has nominations for outstanding writing in a variety of music programs for Saturday Night Live, shared with his coworkers.
For Just Shoot Me, he got a nomination for Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series in 1999 by the American Comedy Awards.
Fruitful Career
Spade has had a fruitful and successful career everywhere he goes. During his early years on Saturday Night Live, he was a writer. But he quickly became part of the cast and continued to write for the show. He earned a few Emmy nominations for the exceptional writing of the SNL.
He started his career in movies. His movie debut came with Tommy Boy in 1995, and since then, appeared in a couple of great movies. The list includes Joe Dirt, Grown Ups, Black Sheep, Father of the Year, Jack and Jill, and more. For Tommy Boy, Spade earned an MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo along with Chris Farley.
Spade also voiced characters for cartoons and animated movies. For example, he lends his voice for Hotel Transylvania, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Kronk’s New Groove.
From 1997 until 2013, he was more involved in television series. He appeared in Just Shoot Me from 1997 until 2003. Then, he followed up with his show, the Showbiz Show with David Spade from 2005 until 2007. Spade had a role in 8 Simple Rules from 2002 until 2005. But his most successful TV show is Rules of Engagement, from 2007 until 2013. He earned $150,000 per episode for it.
Fun fact: David Spade also voiced Mr. Candy in Beavis and Butthead.
His most recent work includes movies along with Adam Sandler in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2.
Net Worth and Source of Income
Spade once said, “You can either look at things in a brutal, truthful way that’s depressing, or you can screw around and have fun”. Obviously, the actor chose the latter and made money thanks to his having fun. He is a great comedian. As mentioned before, David Spade wealth reaches above $60 million.
He made most of the money thanks to his television shows. He was a beginner in Just Shoot Me, so his paycheck was not fat. But for his appearance in Rules of Engagement, Spade earned $150,000 per episode. In the late 2000s, that was a lot of money for a comedy actor.
David still does stand-up comedy. In 2019, he did a show with Comedy Central. And he is a master at telling stories. He can make anything funny. That earns him a lot of money for sure.
Personal Life
Some magazines call David Spade a “bachelor-era George Clooney of the comedy world”. He definitely dated some of the best actresses and celebrities in Hollywood. His list includes Heather Locklear, Julie Bowen, Teri Hatcher, and Naya Rivera.
He has a daughter with former Playboy Playmate Jillian Grace. Harper came into the world on August 28, 2008.
But Spade’s personal life is not all milk and honey. In 2000, he was nearly killed in his own home. David Warren Malloy, a former business associate, he physically attacked him and used a stun gun on him. He broke into Spade’s home in the early morning and attacked him while sleeping.
Spade managed to get out, and defended by locking in the bathroom armed with a shotgun. Malloy pleaded guilty and avoided jail time.
In December 2005, Spade donated $100,000 to the police department. David donated to other charities. He gave $200,000 to the Oklahoma tornado relief program in 2013, and $100,000 in the ALS ice bucket challenge in 2014.
Spade lives in Beverly Hills, California.