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Some famous authors are celebrities in their own right. Those that have brought us classics like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and John Green have had their work the source of movie scripts, theatre productions and book clubs across the country. They’re raking in millions with their talent and skill.
However, in recent years, Hollywood’s celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon, producing memoirs, children’s books and adult fiction, adding to their success and their bank accounts too.
Check out the top celebrity authors of today and their net worth, including those books they have put on the shelf in recent years.
Elliot Page – $8 Million
This June, fans can get an intimate look at the story behind Page’s transformation from Ellen to Elliot: the experiences, dreams and journey of the Juno star in the memoir, “Pageboy”. According to Goodreader, along with massive success with films like Hard Candy and Inception with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, came the pressure to play a part that Page just simply wasn’t comfortable with, eventually serving as an icon for the LGBTQ community.
Lauren Graham – $15 Million
Graham has found success on television with classics like Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, but her talent doesn’t stop there. She released her debut novel in 2013, “Someday, Someday, Maybe”, a fictionalization of her own experiences of becoming an actress in New York City. It was such a success, Graham continued with 2016’s “Talking as Fast as I Can” and 2018’s “In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It”, a novel aimed at recent graduates as they embark on a new life.
Viola Davis – $25 Million
The actress that starred in The Help and televisions How to Get Away with Murder shares a detailed account of her childhood in extreme poverty in “Finding Me”. She was chosen as one of 2022’s Oprah’s Book Club selections and according to Jezebel, spent the better part of a year talking about rising to the top after decades of defeat.
Seth Meyers – $26 Million
The comedian and late-night talk show host and wife welcomed their third child in late 2021 and after spending a lot of time reading to them, it prompted Meyers to create a picture book entitled, “I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared”. According to People, Meyers wanted to give kids a space to talk about fears and the best way to deal with them.
Jamie Lee Curtis – $60 Million
The True Lies actress has penned a dozen children’s books, with her first being released over two decades ago. Her latest addition was added to the shelf in 2018, “Me, Myselfie & I, A Cautionary Tale” encouraging parents to put down the cell phone and to live in the moment. Curtis has said her goal in every book is to add a line for children and another line for adults.
Prince Harry – $60 Million
“Spare” has taken the nation by storm just since its Jan. 10 release date this year. Though Harry isn’t exactly a Hollywood star, he’s a celebrity for sure and finally sharing his experience as a member of the British monarchy certainly has people talking. The landmark novel details the death of his mother, his marriage to Megan Markle and everything that has happened in between. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Harry and Markle have signed an estimated $120 million worth of production deals with companies like Netflix and Spotify as well as a series for Apple TV+ with Oprah Winfrey about mental health.
Channing Tatum – $80 Million
Following the success of Tatum’s first children’s book, “The One and Only Sparkella”, fans will be thrilled to learn the second book will be released in May. “The One and Only Sparkella Makes a Plan” will follow father and daughter in a new role of navigating school, unexpected changes and managing expectations. Not all plans go the way you hope they would. The former model turned actor has impressed fans with a wide range of films and the popularity of the Sparkella series is only expected to increase.
Matthew Perry – $120 Million
He’s starred in The Whole Nine Yards and Fools Rush in, but Perry has been on the front page of numerous news feeds throughout 2022, with his New York Times Bestseller, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing”. The new author details his addiction, celebrity relationships and the decade he spent on a little show called Friends.
Reese Witherspoon – $300 Million
Just last fall, Witherspoon treated fans to her inaugural children’s picture book, “Busy Betty”, based on her own adventures in childhood. The book follows a little girl who realizes she needs to give her smelly dog Frank a bath before her friend comes over but this is going to take some perseverance, teamwork and a great idea. The Academy Award winner has been an advocate of reading for years, creating Reese’s Book Club for those interested in grabbing a good read, featuring strong women.
Tom Hanks – $400 Million
This spring, the actor that stars in Elvis and A Man Called Otto will release “The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece”. Each character in the book describes a situations Hanks himself has experienced while making a movie and the important lesson he learned in the process. It won’t be the first novel for Hanks. Back in 2017, he published his first book about his love and collection of typewriters, “Uncommon Type: Some Stories”.
Sources: Goodreader, Jezebel, People, Celebrity Net Worth