Sam Rockwell is known for many films and has over 100 credits to his name. Read more about this multi-awarded actor’s career and Sam Rockwell net worth.
Sam Rockwell is a famous American Hollywood actor who has been in the business for over three decades. He has over 100 credits to his name, and he has received awards and numerous nominations from award-giving bodies like Golden Globe, BAFTA, and PrimeTime Emmy.
Sam Rockwell’s latest win was for Best Supporting Actor in 2018 from the Academy Awards for the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and a nomination for the same category in 2019 for the film Vice.
Rockwell has the prestige as one of the greatest actors in Hollywood, yet there is no secret to his fame. Just like Larry the Cable Guy, Rockwell simply loves his craft. He said that he couldn’t imagine doing anything other than being an actor since he was ten years old. With his success, Sam Rockwell net worth is estimated at $30 million.
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Sam Rockwell – Short Bio
Born on November 5, 1963, Samuel Rockwell was an only child. His parents were both actors. His father, Pete Rockwell, is known for movies like Frost/Nixon. His mother, Penny Hess, was a stage actress. She introduced Rockwell to the world of acting.
At the age of ten, he played a small part as Humphry Bogart in an East Village improv comedy sketch with his mother.
Rockwell’s parents divorced in 1968. He spent his high school years with his father in San Francisco, where he attended Ruth Asawa’s School of the Arts. And as a teenager of the 70s, he was a free-spirit who always took the easiest and most interesting route to achieve a goal.
Though the school was known for being very lenient to misfits like Rockwell, the place managed to pique his interest enough to continue on his path to becoming an actor. They did so by giving him a role in an indie film during his senior year.
Sam Rockwell – Career
Rockwell took his dream more seriously during his early 20s. He later moved to New York, where he enrolled in the Professional Actor Training Program at the William Esper Studio.
While trying to break into show business, Rockwell supported himself by working more than one day job. He managed to land small and short roles such the ABC Afterschool Specials, Over the Limit (TV) and HBO’s Life Stories: Families in Crisis, a guest appearance on Season 1 Episode 7 of Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story, the head thug in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990.
Rockwell’s most notable role as a newbie actor appeared on the Emmy Award winning drama series Law & Order. At that time, Sam worked as a bicycle delivery boy for a restaurant that sells burritos.
Sam Rockwell – Films
From 1988 to 1998, Sam Rockwell’s career rose slowly with no less than 31 movie and television roles to his name, which included the feature film The Search for One-Eye Jimmy.
But after a decade, Rockwell was becoming known for his willingness to accept any role. His versatility opened opportunities and opened bigger doors for him in the film industry, starting in 1999.
Galaxy Quest and The Green Mile
In 1999, Sam Rockwell played significant roles in the movies The Green Mile with Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. He also played in Galaxy Quest with the late Alan Rickman, Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, and Daryl Mitchell. Both were two of the biggest movies of the year.
The Green Mile was one of the highlights of 1999. The film was named for 32 nominations from different award-giving bodies, and won ten which included the following categories:
- Critics Choice Awards (2000)
- Best Supporting Actor – Michael Clarke Duncan
- Best Adapted Screenplay – Frank Darabont
- Blockbuster Entertainment Award (2000)
- Favorite Actor – Drama – Tom Hanks
- People’s Choice Awards (2001)
- Favorite Movie – The Green Mile
- Favorite Dramatic Movie – The Green Mile
Despite not being named for any nominations, Rockwell’s name was added into the A-list of Hollywood actors for pulling off the role of a cringe-worthy criminal and a cowardly goof on the separately memorable movies.
Mainstream and Indie Films
Sam Rockwell was landing more mainstream roles like Eric Knox in the Charlie’s Angels movie and the odd but hilarious Zaphod Beeblebrox in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Indie films are also a staple in Sam Rockwell’s career. In 2002, he starred in George Clooney’s directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, then Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan in 2008.
Rockwell’s notable performances were followed by Nathan Parker’s Moon in 2009 and Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths with Colin Farrel and Christopher Walken in 2012.
In 2017, Sam Rockwell reunited with Martin McDonagh for a film. Donagh wrote the character of Jason Dixon, the antagonistic police officer, for Sam Rockwell. The film was released under Fox Searchlight Pictures. It grossed $160 million worldwide from a budget of just $15 million.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri received a total of 198 nominations and won 81 awards. The film put Sam Rockwell on another exclusive list, being one of only 13 actors to win the Academy, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for the same performance.
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Sam Rockwell Net Worth – Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Sam Rockwell Net Worth?
Sam Rockwell net worth is estimated at $30 million for the current year. His career spans over three decades, and he has played many unforgettable roles. His latest and greatest achievement so far is winning multiple significant awards for a single performance with the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.
Is Sam Rockwell Married?
Sam Rockwell was never married, but he is in a relationship with actress Leslie Bibb. He also expressed that actress and former girlfriend Sarita Choudhury is “the one that got away.“
Is Sam Rockwell a Trained Dancer?
It’s a fair question since he always found a way to adlib a dance move into many of his movies. And if he was just having fun back then, Rockwell received a sole-cracking crash course on how to play the legendary musical-theater choreographer Bob Fosse for the 2019 Fosse/Verdon TV miniseries.
Sam Rockwell Net Worth – Final Thoughts
Amazingly, Sam Rockwell net worth is bound to waltz to better heights with eight film and television projects scheduled for this coming year. It is a positive thing that even if the titles have already been revealed, it’s hard to guess on how Rockwell will portray his role.
His versatility and endurance to take on morally exhausting roles have earned the respect of seasoned actors and many influential people in Hollywood. We’ve also seen how some actors cannot separate themselves from a character they played, but Sam Rockwell displayed that a true actor should be able to put on a character and then take it off when it’s over.
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Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Spark Nomad, a travel platform, and Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.
