Eric Monte Net Worth
The net worth of Eric Monte is estimated at $20 million. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Monte is a celebrity screenwriter and an accomplished author. Aside from writing, he has appeared in many notable television shows. He is also a musician, songwriter, and producer. His most notable role was in the television series “House, M.D.” which earned him a salary of $100,000 per episode.
As a young boy, Eric Monte lived in the Cabrini-Green Housing project in Chicago. This neighbourhood was filled with drugs, gangs, and economic instability. In the mid-1960s, Eric hitchhiked to Los Angeles. While in the city, he signed up for a playwriting class at the city college. There, he wrote a short play titled If They Come Back.
After learning how to write, Eric Monte began a career in the entertainment industry. In 1974, he wrote a motion picture called Cooley High. The film portrayed the antics of African American teenagers living in a Chicago neighbourhood. At its heart, it was a comedy that tackled social issues in the black community.
Monte also became involved with Norman Lear’s production company. Initially, Lear had no idea who Eric Monte was. Later, he pitched the character of George Jefferson to Norman. It turns out that Eric had written a play titled “If They Come Back” that was the first of its kind.
Norman Lear’s “Good Times” was a huge hit, and Monte had his share of success. However, the success of the show was short-lived. By the time the show was over, Norman had been sued by the producers. For this reason, Monte did not receive credit for the production. Although, he received a small percentage of the residuals from the show.
After Good Times, Eric Monte was paired up with Mike Evans and the duo wrote several television episodes. One of the most popular was a sitcom starring Jimmie Walker. Another was What’s Happening! which ran for three seasons.
Other noteworthy works of Monte’s include a spin-off from All in the Family entitled The Jeffersons. Interestingly, he only received 1% of the royalties from this show. During this time, Monte was suffering from addiction to cocaine and crack, and was living in a homeless shelter. Eventually, he left his home and moved to a Salvation Army centre in East L.A. and later to Portland, Oregon.
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The Jeffersons was considered to be the “best of the best” among sitcoms geared towards the African American demographic. It lasted for eleven seasons and featured George and Louise Jefferson as the star couple. Monte wrote an episode starring Brandy.
Another acclaimed work is Don’t Be a Menace to South Central, a 1996 film starring Michael Douglas. This film is a box office winner. But a recent NPR report says that the most successful television show of all was Eric Monte’s own “What’s Happening?” During the five-year run of the show, Monte suffered from multiple strokes. Even so, he managed to pull himself together and make a comeback.