Basic Information About Jeff Conaway
| Category | Celebrities › Actors |
|---|---|
| Professions | Actor, Model, Singer, Teacher |
| Net worth | $250,000 |
| Date of birth | 1950-10-05 |
| Place of birth | Manhattan |
| Date of death | 2011-05-27 (aged 60) |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Curiosities and Trademarks | New York Accent Frequently playing emotional, quiet, still and nervous characters when offered a role. Bright Blonde Surfer Thick Hair Blonde Hair and Blue eyes |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.87 m) |
| Social Media | ↗︎ Wikipedia ↗︎ IMDb |
Famous Network of Actors with Similar Net Worth
What Movie Awards did Jeff Conaway win?
 Oscar |
 Golden Globe |
 Golder Raspberry |
 BAFTA |
 Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jeff Conaway awards
| Award Name | State | Movie / Series Name | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medallion Award - | Winner | Taxi | 2007 |
Jeff Conaway roles
| Movie / Series | Role |
|---|---|
| Grease | Kenickie |
| Jawbreaker | Marcie's Father |
| Man on the Moon | Jeff Conaway - 'Taxi' Actor (uncredited) |
| Pete's Dragon | Willie |
| Elvira: Mistress of the Dark | Travis |
| The Eagle Has Landed | Frazier |
| Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Jeff Conaway |
| Mary Tyler Moore | Kenny Stevens 1 episode, 1976 |
| She Spies | Zachary Mason 1 episode, 2004 |
| Happy Days | Rocko 2 episodes, 1975-1976 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Howard Griffin / ... 4 episodes, 1984-1994 |
| Taxi | Bobby Wheeler 69 episodes, 1978-1982 |
| Movin' On | Mike / ... 2 episodes, 1975 |
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Rich Edwards 1 episode, 1996 |
| The Doctors | Lenny Miller 1 episode, 1963 |
| Freddy's Nightmares | Buddy Powers 1 episode, 1989 |
| The Love Boat | Randy Jackson 1 episode, 1985 |
| Burke's Law | Dr. Alex Kenyon 1 episode, 1995 |
| Tales from the Darkside | Peter Prentice 1 episode, 1987 |
| The Bold and the Beautiful | Mick Savage 79 episodes, 1989-1990 |
| Kojak | Bert Gaines 1 episode, 1978 |
| Barnaby Jones | Jeff Saunders / ... 2 episodes, 1976-1977 |
| Matlock | Daniel Ward / ... 2 episodes, 1986-1993 |
| Who's the Boss? | Jeff 1 episode, 1985 |
| Stingray | Ty Gardner 1 episode, 1987 |
Jeff Conaway's Quotes
- [on his suicide attempts]: I've tried to commit suicide 21 times. Mostly, it's been with pills.
- [on leaving Taxi (1978)]: In 'Taxi,' I kept doing the same scene for three years. I was underused.
- [on Mickey Rourke's comeback]: Hollywood can be a very stinging town. They say it's a forgiving business. It's not that forgiving.
- [A 1981 interview, on Jesus Christ being the role that he would most like to play and why he felt that it did little for other actors' careers] That's because Jesus has never been played right. They always leave out that he was a man. I'm a Christian. I was brought up a Catholic. Then I began wondering and wandering. But I'm still a Christian.
Jeff Conaway's photos
Jeff Conaway’s Life and Career
Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway was born on October 5, 195, in New York City. A remarkable American actor, he was widely popular for his performance in various film and TV series productions.
Net Worth Details
At the time of his death in May 2011, Jeff Conaway’s net worth was estimated to be around $250 thousand. Throughout his career in the entertainment industry, Jeff earned handsomely through his roles in films and TV series, advertisements, and other sources of income.
What is Jeff Conaway Known For?
Jeff Conaway’s name etched the entertainment industry with various exceptional performances on both big and small screens. With talent and experience under his belt, Jeff underwent an extensive acting career in which he appeared in numerous high-profile TV series and films.
Early Life and Education
Jeff Conaway received acting training during his student years at NYU- Tisch School of the Arts. During his student life, he associated himself with TV commercials and participated actively in many stage productions.
Career
Jeff’s career started with his debut in the 1971 film “Jennifer on My Mind.” From there, Jeff Conaway went on to make a significant impact on the world of acting through his impressive performances in TV drama series.
In the original Broadway production of Grease, he worked as an understudy, receiving multiple other roles from Barry Bostwick. Later, he took up the lead role following Barry’s departure from the production, providing noteworthy performance and cementing himself as a reputable actor.
With appearances on high-profile shows such as “Happy Days,” Jeff Conaway gained massive attention and critical acclaim. He then received his signature role on the famous TV hit “Taxi,” starring in the series for its initial three seasons.
However, drug addiction and creative differences resulted in him retreating from that demanding role. His career continued to prosper with different roles, but his addiction resurfaced and ultimately led to him partaking in VH1’s TV show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2008.
Death
Jeff’s addiction and downfall proved challenging for both his personal and professional life, contributing to difficulty in his employment. In May 2011, negative headlines surfaced when he was reported dead as a result of a drug-related seizure. The entertainment industry mourned Jeff immensely and paid tribute to him, recognizing his contributions to television and film.
Achievements
The exceptional talent Jeff Conaway had didn’t go unnoticed, and he received several awards and nominations. Throughout his career, he starred in over 50 different productions, showcasing his remarkable adaptability as an actor.
In addition, Jeff won the prestigious Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy for his role in the critically-acclaimed television series “Taxi.”
Conclusion
Jeff Conaway made a significant contribution to the entertainment industry through various high-profile roles throughout his career. He built an incredible legacy of work that will continue to charm audiences for years to come despite an untimely lost caused by drug-related seizure.
Although his life was overshadowed with negative publicity in relation to drugs, his legacy impressively exhibits the talent he had as an actor and lover of entertainment.
Interesting Facts about Jeff Conaway
- He is a middle child and is survived by two sisters, Carla Shreve and his younger sister, Michele Conaway.
- Stepfather of Emerson Newton-John, a professional race car driver born in 1974. Emerson's mother is Rona Newton-John, sister of singer Olivia Newton-John.
- Is a (step)grandfather (grandson Brin born January 1997). (Admitted this on NBC's Later with Greg Kinnear (1994), July 6/98, with guest host Rita Sever). Also has a granddaughter, Valerie.
- While filming Grease (1978), had to walk slightly stooped so John Travolta would appear taller.
- Though he played Kenickie in the movie version of Grease (1978), he appeared in the Broadway production as Danny Zuko.
- Appeared in an episode of Murder, She Wrote (1984) ("Birds of a Feather") as an Off-Broadway actor from New York who had been "mostly a cab driver" - a reference to his role in the TV series, Taxi (1978).
- Saw an episode of Babylon 5 (1993) on TV and liked it so much he went down to the production studio to see the show being filmed. He was spotted and used for a bit part, which grew into a recurring character and, eventually, a full-time role in the series.
- Was an acting teacher and coach, with his students including James Evans , Joey Sylvester and Najarra Townsend.
- Having struggled with addiction for many years, Jeff had been trying to treat himself with pain killers and cold medicine in May, 2011. He was found unconscious in his home on May 11, 2011. He remained in a coma until his family terminated life support on May 27, 2011.
- Played guitar and sang lead as a teenager for a rock band called "The 3 1/2". The band released four singles for Cameo Records in 1966 and 1967, one of which was produced and written by Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits.
- He studied for a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts and transferred to New York University in New York City.
- He is survived by his girlfriend of seven years, Victoria Spinoza; his two sisters, Michele Conaway and Carla Conaway; a stepson, Emerson Newton-John and two step-grandchildren.
- Although he struggled with addiction problems throughout most of his adult life, many of Conaway's coworkers said he was always the consummate professional on the job. After Conaway's death, fellow Babylon 5 (1993) star, Bruce Boxleitner, stated publicly that he had never seen Conaway in any state but sober at work, and always arrived on-time and prepared.
- Ex-stepfather of Tottie Goldsmith.
- Took place in the documentary, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008), alongside Mary Carey, Chyna, Jaimee Foxworth, Brigitte Nielsen, Jessica Sierra, Daniel Baldwin and Ricco Rodriguez. [January 2008]
- Grease was the film on which actor Jeff Conaway became addicted to drugs. While playing Kenickie, he was shooting the "Greased Lightning" musical number, and he was accidentally dropped, hurting his back. He started taking pain killers, eventually then abusing prescription drugs, starting Conaway on the downward spiral into drug addiction until he died in 2011 at age 60.
- He personally despised "Taxi" co-star Andy Kaufman more than anyone. At the Golden Globes, he punched Kaufman in the face believing Andy thought he was better than the rest of his co-stars. After that, Kaufman never participated in any of the other cast-and-crew get-togethers ever again.
