How Much is Peter Lawford Worth? Peter Lawford's Total Wealth & Career Highlights Net Worth 2026: Career Breakdown & Estimated Wealth

Many fans are curious about Peter Lawford's financial success in April 2026. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Was Peter Lawford's Net Worth?

Peter Lawford was born Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen on September 7, 1923, in London, England. He was the son of May Sommerville Bunny and Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KBE, and at the time of his birth, both of his parents were married to other people. Both couples got divorced after May told her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ernest Vaughn Aylen DSO, that Peter wasn't his child. May and Sydney married around a year after Peter's birth. Peter's uncle Ernest Lawford was married to the daughter of the Scottish 14th Earl of Eglinton, and his aunt Ethel Turner Lawford wed the son of  the 1st Baron Avebury. Peter's family traveled frequently, and he didn't receive a formal education. His early years were spent in France, and he was educated by tutors and governesses. Lawford also took ballet and tennis lessons.

In 1938, Peter was discovered by a talent scout while travelling through Hollywood. After a screen test, he was cast in the film "Lord Jeff." Lawford then appeared in films such as "Eagle Squadron" (1942), "A Yank at Eton" (1942), "Someone to Remember" (1943), "The West Side Kid" (1943), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1944), "The Canterville Ghost" (1944), "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), "Son of Lassie" (1945), "It Happened in Brooklyn" (1947), "Easter Parade" (1948), and "Little Women" (1949). He starred as Bill Hastings on "Dear Phoebe" (1954–1955) and Nick Charles on "The Thin Man" (1957–1959), which both aired on NBC.

(Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Peter Lawford was an English actor and producer who had a net worth of $1 million at the time of his death in 1984. That's the same as around $3 million in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation. A member of the "Rat Pack," Peter Lawford was married to Patricia Kennedy from 1954 to 1966, making him the brother-in-law of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy, United States attorney generalRobert F. Kennedy, and SenatorEdward Kennedy.

Peter married Patricia Kennedy on April 24, 1954, and they welcomed son Christopher (born 1955) and daughters Sydney (born 1956), Victoria (born 1958), and Robin (born 1961) before divorcing in February 1966.

According to his mother, "In the beginning, he had no homework. When he was older he had Spanish, German and music added to his studies. He read only selected books: English fairy stories, English and French classics; no crime stories. Having studied Peter for so long, I decided he was quite unfitted for any career except art, so I cut Latin, Algebra, high mathematics and substituted dramatics instead." At the age of 7, Lawford appeared in his first film, the 1931 British comedy "Poor Old Bill," and that year he also had an uncredited role in the crime drama "A Gentleman of Paris." When he was 14 years old, Peter's right arm went through a glass door and was seriously injured. Lawford suffered irreversible nerve damage that compromised the use of his hand and his forearm. His parents had hoped that he would go into the military, but the injury made him unable to follow that career trajectory, so he decided to pursue an acting career instead.

In the '50s, Peter also appeared in the films "Please Believe Me" (1950), "Royal Wedding" (1951), "Just This Once" (1952), "Rogue's March" (1953), "It Should Happen to You" (1954), and "Sincerely, Willis Wayde" (1956), followed by "Exodus" (1960), "Advise & Consent" (1962), "The Longest Day" (1962), "Dead Ringer" (1964), "Sylvia" (1965), "Harlow" (1965), "A Man Called Adam" (1966), "Skidoo" (1968), and "Hook, Line & Sinker" (1969) in the '60s. He also co-starred with fellow "Rat Pack" membersFrank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr.,Dean Martin, andJoey Bishopin 1960's "Ocean's 11." In 1971, Lawford starred in the title role in the TV movie "Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You" and began playing Dr. Peter Lawrence on the CBS sitcom "The Doris Day Show." He appeared in the films "Togetherness" (1970), "They Only Kill Their Masters" (1972), "That's Entertainment!" (1974), "Rosebud" (1975), "Angels Revenge" (1979), and "Body and Soul" (1981), and he narrated the NBC series "Highcliffe Manor" (1979). Peter's final film was the 1984 British comedy "Where Is Parsifal?"

Peter had more than 120 acting credits to his name, including the films "The Canterville Ghost" (1944), "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), "Easter Parade" (1948), "Little Women" (1949), "Ocean's 11" (1960), "Exodus" (1960), "A Man Called Adam" (1966), "Hook, Line & Sinker" (1969), and "Rosebud" (1975) and the television series "Dear Phoebe" (1954–1955), "The Thin Man" (1957–1959), "TheDoris DayShow" (1971–1973), and "Fantasy Island" (1977–1982). Lawford also served as an executive producer on the films "Johnny Cool" (1963), "Billie" (1965), and "One More Time" (1970). Peter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 1960. Lawford died of cardiac arrest on Christmas Eve 1984 at the age of 61.

Ultimately, Peter Lawford's financial journey is a testament to their success.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.