Ronnie Claire Edwards was an actress who was most famous for her appearance as Corabeth Walton Godsey in The Waltons.
She wrote several books and a one-woman show that she created and starred in herself. She passed away in 2016 at 83 and had a net worth of approximately $5 million when she died.
| Name | Ronnie Claire Edwards |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | February 9th, 1933 (83 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Oklahoma, Oklahoma City |
| Height: | 5 feet 3 inches (1.64 meters) |
| Profession: | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Children: | 0 |
| Parents: | Warren Hamilton (father), Pauline Caroline Mills Edwards (mother) |
| Net Worth Estimate: | $5 million |
Net Worth
It is unclear what Edwards’s exact net worth was when she died. However, it is speculated to be around $5 million.
Edwards made the majority of her money from her career as an actress. She appeared in the CBS show The Waltons and several other television shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Edwards made some money from her work as a writer, including the musical she penned titled Idols of the King, which several theatre groups across America performed.
Earnings
Edwards primarily earned money from her work as an actress. Her first credit was as Sally in the 1963 film All the Way Home. It is unclear how much Edwards was paid for this role, although the film had a budget of approximately $650,000 (1).
Edwards then appeared in several television series and movies, including Paper Moon, Future Cop, This is the West That Was, When Every Day Was the Fourth of July, and Getting Wasted. However, the budget and gross for these series are unknown, as well as Edwards’s earnings (2).
From 1975 to 1981, Edwards appeared as Corabeth Godsey in the CBS television series The Waltons. Although her exact salary during her time on the show is unknown, several other stars of the series have spoken about receiving an unfair salary. It is unclear if Edwards was one of these individuals (3).
One of Edwards’s co-stars, Ralph Waite, was paid $10,000 for each episode of the series towards the end of its run.
He was reported to be the highest-paid actor. Adjusted for inflation, this is approximately $48,896 today. So, Edwards’s earnings on the show were less than this (4). Edwards also reprised this role for several TV movies, although her salary for these is also unknown (5).
In 1978, Edwards appeared in a lead role for the film Five Days from Home. Her salary for the movie is unknown, although the film’s budget was estimated at $1 million with a worldwide gross of approximately $641,768 (6).
From 1983 to 1985, Edwards appeared in the television shows Boone, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Sara, Crazy Like a Fox, and Dynasty. Edwards’s earnings for these were unknown. However, for Dallas, the lead actor,
Larry Hagman, was paid $50,000 per episode, so Edwards’s one-off appearance would have been significantly lower than this (7). Similarly, lead actress Jane Wyman earned $1.6 million per year for taking the lead role in Falcon Crest (8).
Edwards had a minor appearance in the film 1985 Perfect.
The film had a budget of $19,000,000 and grossed $12,918,858 internationally (9). Similarly, another cast member for Dynasty was paid $15,000 per episode, so Edwards likely received something similar (10). In 1986, Edwards made a minor appearance in the film Nobody’s Fool, which had an estimated budget of $3,600,000 and made approximately $563,358 worldwide (11).
After this, Edwards appeared in Murder, She Wrote, and several other TV series, such as Murphy’s Law. Her salary for these was unknown (12). The 1989 film The Dead Pool’s budget was $31,000,000, grossing $37,903,295 worldwide (13). Edwards appeared in several other television series and movies between 1989 and 2007, but her salaries for these are unknown (14).
Outside of acting, Edwards wrote four books, including her memoir The Knife’s Thrower’s Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target. Each of Edwards’s books was published by the HAWK Publishing Group. Although the exact amount is unknown, they likely paid Edwards some advance for her books (15).
Real Estate
Edwards lived at 4900 Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, for 20 years. In 2008, she sold the house for $3,8500,000.
The property was built in 1915 and featured seven bedrooms. It also had three baths and a swimming pool. It was approximately 6,516 square feet in size (16).
Edwards then purchased a Catholic Church and school on Swiss Avenue in Dallas. The property was built in 1911, and Edwards converted the church into a school (17).
It is unknown how much Edwards paid for the property, although it did become part of the Dallas Historic Landmark. The property was approximately 20,880 square feet (18).
Companies
Edwards did not own a company or business.
Early Life
Edwards was born on February 9th, 1933, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her father, Warren, was a lawyer and had worked as an attorney in the local area for over five decades.
Her mother, Pauline, had worked as a teacher and writer. Edwards lived in Oklahoma as a child, and, in 1951, she graduated from Classen High School. She did not go to college.
Career
As a teenager, Edwards became interested in showbiz life and began performing as part of a travelling circus at 15. She became a knife thrower’s assistant in the circus, giving her the inspiration for the title of her later memo.
Unfortunately, Edwards developed allergies and continually sneezed, effectively stopping her from continuing this career. As a result, Edwards then began pursuing a career in acting by appearing in an opera house.
Before 1962, Edwards began travelling the country as an actress, appearing in various theatres across America. One of these first appearances was part of the Lyric Theatre in her hometown of Oklahoma City.
Her first lead role in theatre was in 1962 when she took part in a New York City production of Paint Your Wagon. The following year, Edwards made her first appearance on the small screen with the role of Sally in the TV show All the Way Home.
After this, Edwards made several other TV show appearances in relatively minor roles.
Most of these shows lasted only one season, such as Paper Moon and Future Cop. She also appeared in a few TV movies, like When Every Day Was the Fourth of July. However, it was not until 1975 that Edwards made her big break with the role of Corabeth Godsey in The Waltons.
The show ran until 1981, and Edwards appeared in 107 episodes of the show, out of a possible 212 shows. Edwards reprised the role of Godsey for three of the TV movies, A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain, Mother’s Day on Waltons Mountain, and A Day for Thanks on Walton’s Mountain.
Once this series ended, Edwards appeared in a lead role in other television shows, like Boone and Sara. Both of these shows lasted one season.
Edwards then appeared in minor roles in hit shows like Dynasty and Dallas. In both of these shows, Edwards appeared in roles that lasted one episode. Similarly, Edwards appeared as Sylvia McMasters in Murder, She Wrote, Lorraine Reeves in In the Heat of the Night, and Talur in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Edwards’s last television appearance was in 2007 for 12 Miles of Bad Road.
HBO cancelled the show before it completed airing.
Outside of acting, Edwards penned several books. One of these was her memoir, which she later developed into a one-woman show called The Knife Thrower’s Assistant.
She also developed another one-woman show titled The True Story of the Incarnation of Little Egypt. Edwards wrote a musical that worked as a tribute to Ellis Presley and his fans.
It was called Idols of the King and was most recently performed in 2009. Edwards also worked with other authors to create the plays Wedding Belles and The Last of the Honky Tonk Angels.
Career Highlights
- In 1962, she appeared in the lead role in Paint Your Wagon
- From 1963 to 1974, she made several minor TV appearances
- From 1975 to 1981, she appeared in The Waltons
- From 1981 to 2007, she made several minor appearances
- In 2007, retired from acting
- Published several books, including her memoir in 2000
Personal Life
In 1976, Edwards married Bill Records, a fellow actor and movie producer. However, after one year, the pair divorced. She then went on to marry Robert Sands, an Oklahoma lawyer. It is unknown when the pair got married or how they met. They did not have any children.
Edwards died on June 14th, 2016, after developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a form of lung disease.
Interesting Facts
- In 1975, Edwards won the Bronze Wrangler at the Western Heritage Awards. This was for her work in the documentary The American Parade. She shared the award with fellow actor Richard Kiley, director Robert Markowitz, and producer Joel Heller.
- In 1979, Edwards won a Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance. This was for her work in The Vienna Notes, specifically her performance in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper theatre.
- In 1994, Edwards wrote a cookbook, Sugar and Grease, which she also printed. Edwards donated this cookbook, complete with anecdotes, to the Walton’s Mountain Museum.
Summary
Ronnie Claire Edwards was a former actress and writer. She was best known for her appearance as Corabeth Godsey in The Walters.
However, she has also made several minor appearances in other television shows. She also wrote a memoir and penned many plays. She passed away in 2016 with a net worth of approximately $5 million.