Category:
Richest Celebrities › Richest Comedians
Net Worth:
$20 Million
Birthdate:
Feb 12, 1956 (68 years old)
Birthplace:
Cleveland
Gender:
Male
Height:
5 ft 10 in (1.8 m)
Profession:
Comedian, Actor, Television producer, Screenwriter, Voice Actor, Film Producer, Presenter
Nationality:
United States of America
Arsenio Hall is a well-known comedian, talk show host, television personality, actor, writer, and producer who has a net worth of $20 million. Arsenio Hall’s breakthrough came as a co-host on “Solid Gold,” leading to various acting roles in television series and movies, notably starring alongside Eddie Murphy in “Coming to America.” However, Hall’s most defining career moment arrived in 1989 with “The Arsenio Hall Show.” As one of the first Black late-night talk show hosts, Hall’s fresh and irreverent approach redefined the late-night landscape. His show became a cultural touchstone, attracting younger audiences and notable guests, including then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton, who famously played the saxophone on the show.
Post his talk show, Hall continued his work in television, hosting shows like “Star Search” and appearing on reality programs like “The Celebrity Apprentice,” which he won in 2012. He returned to late-night briefly in 2013 with a revival of “The Arsenio Hall Show.”
Arsenio Hall was born on February 12, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio. His father Fred was a Baptist minister. His mom’s name is Annie Hall, like the movie character. Arsenio loved magic when he was a kid and performed magic shows for his parents and friends. In 1973, he graduated from Ohio’s Warrensville Heights High School. Arsenio Hall attended Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
After college, Hall moved to Chicago and then Los Angeles to pursue his career in comedy. He appeared on “Soul Train” a number of times. In 1984, he landed the job as the announcer/sidekick for Alan Thicke on his short-lived talk show “Thicke of the Night.” His big break came in 1988 when he co-starred in “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy.
Hall’s route to hosting his own talk show started when he filled in as interim host of “The Late Show,” a late-night talk show Fox created to compete with “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” The show originally featured the late comedian Joan Rivers, but the ratings were bad, so she was fired. Hall’s run as an interim host was so popular he developed a cult following. Fox canceled “The Late Show” in 1988, but “The Arsenio Hall Show” debuted on January 2, 1989, as a nationally syndicated show. The show was a hit, especially among younger people. Hall (and his show) became known for his alternative to clapping by chanting “Roo, Roo, Roo!” while pumping their fists. This isn’t something unique to Hall; it’s the Cleveland Brown’s “Dawg Pound” chant in the east end zone. Hall’s “Roo, Roo, Roo” became a nightly ritual and a pop-culture symbol. Hall’s show also became infamous as the place where then-Presidential candidate Bill Clinton played his saxophone. “The Arsenio Hall Show’s” last episode aired on May 27, 1994.
During the run of “The Arsenio Hall Show,” Hall used his fame to educate people about HIV/AIDS after Magic Johnson revealed that he was HIV positive. In the early 1990s, Hall and Magic Johnson filmed a PSA about the disease.
Over the years since the end of “The Arsenio Hall Show,” he’s been a guest on several talk shows. Hall has also worked as a voice actor. From 2003 to 2004, he hosted the revival of “Star Search.”
In 2012, Hall was a contestant on the fifth edition of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” Hall was competing for the $250,000 prize awarded to the winner of “The Celebrity Apprentice” for the charity the Magic Johnson Foundation. In the live season finale, Hall was named the winner.
“The Arsenio Hall Show” was revived for 20th-century audiences in 2013. It was canceled after one season due to low ratings.
In August 2019, it was confirmed that Arsenio and Eddie Murphy were filming a highly-anticipated sequel to “Coming to America.”
Arsenio has one son, Arsenio Jr., who was born in 1998 to his long-time girlfriend Cheryl Bonacci.
Hall had a rivalry with Jay Leno during his original run of “The Arsenio Hall Show” after Leno was named host of “The Tonight Show.” Hall said that he would “kick Jay’s ass” in ratings.
After “The Arsenio Hall Show” ended in 1994, Hall retreated from the public eye for a number of years. Then, in 1997, he went online and saw rumors that he had checked into Betty Ford for rehab. Hall made up a fake name and responded to those posts with, “I know Arsenio better than anyone else and he’s not in detox, you idiots.”
Hall filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit in 2016 against singer Sinad O’Connor after she claimed that Arsenio was responsible for Prince’s drug habit. O’Connor also alleged that Hall had spiked her drink at a party at Eddie Murphy’s house. O’Connor apologized and retracted her allegation about Hall and Prince’s drug habit, and as a result, Hall dropped his lawsuit.
For his role in 1988’s “Coming to America,” Arsenio Hall earned a salary of $900,000.
In October 2021, Arsenio paid $5.2 million for a home in Tarzana, California. The seller was actor Sean Murray. A little over a year later, Arsenio listed this home for sale for $5.3 million.
In November 2022, Arsenio paid $5.2 million for a home in Calabasas, California.
One of Arsenio’s best career moves has involved real estate. In 1990, he paid $3.5 million for a palatial mountaintop estate in Topanga, California. At one point in the late 1980s, the sprawling property was listed for $10 million. Arsenio scooped it up in a cold real estate market for what is today considered a steal.
Located in a remote area of the Santa Monica mountains, his estate covers more than 34 acres. It features a custom-built 10,000-square-foot mansion that resembles an enormous spaceship. The property has a mini-golf course, tennis courts, a pond, a basketball court that has 360-degree views of LA, and much more.
In August 2022, Arsenio quietly sold his Topanga compound/estate for $9 million. Arsenio’s former Topanga estate is pictured below:
