Celebrities do some pretty dumb things with money. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn more about the almighty dollar from them.
Here are 25 quotes from Hollywood celebrities over the decades. Some will inspire you, others will make you laugh — and the rest are just flat out ridiculous.
Fresh Prince Will Smith went from rapping to acting his way into America’s heart. Newsweek once called him “the most powerful actor in Hollywood." He now has a net worth of $260 million.
Even with all that money, he reportedly still has a humble outlook on spending...
"Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like."
(Note: Some attribute this quote not to Smith but to humorist Robert Quillen.)
This stand-up comic and actor was once a rabbi.
In fact, he came from a long line of rabbis. A few years after his father’s death, he went into comedy, and has been quoted saying: “Somebody in the family had to make a living.”
That he did. Mason has a net worth of $9 million, that he truly loves...
"Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money."
He directed and starred in two of his most successful films Annie Hall and Manhattan. This comedian has a net worth of $80 million. His sarcastic sense of humor shines through in his financial philosophy...
"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."
He did it all. He wrote and acted on stage, film, radio, and TV. This comedy legend died with a net worth of $12 million, after adjusting for inflation. It's a good thing he earned as much as he did, with the way he felt about money...
"Money frees you from things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money comes in handy."
He was a comedian, singer, actor, and even a dancer. He died with a net worth of $150 million. He thought of money with the same wit and humor as his comedy style...
"A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it."
This former child star, actress, and model has a net worth of $25 million.
The younger in life you start earning and burning cash, the younger you can become disillusioned about the value of a dollar. At least, so says Shields...
"I’m so naive about finances. Once my mother mentioned an amount and I realized I didn’t understand, she had to explain, ‘That’s like three Mercedes.’ Then I understood."
Learn some of the best ways to teach kids about money.
Clooney has acted in at least 49 films. He is worth $500 million, but not all of that money is from acting.
Last year, the actor sold the tequila company Casamigos. He and two friends founded the company in 2013, and cashed out big time. Let's just say money is no longer an issue...
"Acting used to be how I paid the rent, but I sold a tequila company for a billion f***ing dollars. I don’t need money."
The American Film Institute ranked her as No. 7 of the 25 greatest female actors of all time. She died with a reported net worth of $600 million.
Taylor thought money protected her from showing nerves...
"Money is the best deodorant."
That explains her perfume line, White Diamonds.
It's tough keeping up with what this New Orleans rapper dubs himself from day to day. He's repeatedly called himself "the best rapper alive." Don't know about that, but he's doing OK.
He started rapping at 15 years old. He founded Young Money Records, and has released 12 studio albums. Mr. Carter has a net worth of $150 million, but according to him — that's not enough...
"Too much money ain’t enough money."
He played bass in one of the most influential rock and roll bands in history. Today he's worth $1.2 billion, and it didn't happen by accident. According to McCartney, being filthy rich was always his goal...
"Somebody said to me: ‘But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.’ That’s a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say ‘Now, let’s write a swimming pool.’"
He was the original front man of the band Van Halen. His wild on- and off-stage antics — along with the musicianship of the band — brought them to the big time.
After fronting the group for 11 years, he left to pursue a successful solo career. Roth has a net worth of $60 million. With all the money he's earned, Roth can afford to live close to bliss...
"Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it."
She managed to pull herself out of $37 million worth of debt, following her late husband's suicide in 1987. When she herself passed away 27 years later, Rivers was worth $150 million.
Money really meant something to the former TV host...
"People say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made."
He's one of the highest paid actors on the planet. His net worth is $200 million, and with that kind of fame and fortune comes a lot of paparazzi. Maybe that's why Depp feels this way about his finances...
"Use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren’t allowed to be normal."
He has a point — a lot has been written about Depp's spending habits.
This former West Coast gangster rapper now hosts a cooking show with Martha Stewart. Seem unusual? Well, they have a lot in common — like serving jail time and being millionaires.
Snoop is worth $135 million, and it looks like he attributes that to his mathematics courses at Compton College...
"If you stop at general math, you're only going to make general math money."
De Niro ditched school at age 16 to pursue acting — and it turned out to be a smart financial move.
He has since acted in at least 104 films, and is now worth a reported $300 million. But obviously De Niro's career track won't work out for most, and he admits a lot of his success has been sheer luck...
"Money makes your life easier. If you’re lucky to have it, you’re lucky."
(Note: Some attribute this quote not to De Niro but to fellow actor Al Pacino.)
He was one of America's most beloved actors and comedians. He sadly passed away in 2014 with a net worth of $50 million.
Williams struggled with alcohol and drug abuse for decades prior to his death. He often joked about his addictions, and how they correlated with his finances...
"Cocaine is God’s way of saying you’re making too much money."
Chris Tucker's went from doing stand-up to acting in the 90s. After landing parts in films like House Party 3, The Fifth Element and Friday, Tucker's acting career started to take off.
He then landed a leading role in the Rush Hour trilogy, which brought him to the big time.
At one point, he was the highest paid actor in world. But after some financial mistakes, he wound up $11 million in debt to the IRS. Tucker seems to have some ironic observations of friends who are in debt to him...
"You loan your friend money. You see them again, they don't say nothin' 'bout the money. 'Hi, how ya doin'? How's ya mama doing?' Man, how's my money doin'?"
The Godfather star acted for 50 years. He was married three times, and had at least 11 children, only five of which are from his marriages. And aside from women, he also had a weakness for food.
By the mid-90s, Brando reportedly weighed more than 300 pounds. His weight never seemed to bother him, though. He was worth $100 million, after all...
"I don't mind that I'm fat. You still get the same money."
He starred in Casablanca: What else do you need to say?
When he died, he had a net worth of $5 million. And it looks like that money gave Bogart a sense of power...
"The only point in making money is, you can tell some big shot where to go."
Here's looking at you, Mr. Bogart.
This A-list actor's career took off while he was coming of age. His starring roles in the films Risky Business and Top Gun propelled him to being a household name.
By now, the Scientologist has acted in at least 51 films. He is worth $570 million. But he says he's never acted for the money...
"I've never done work for money, ever. If your choices are based on grosses and the film doesn't do well, what does that mean? It leaves you with nothing."
Far before he was the "Priceline Negotiator," he was Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the TV show Star Trek.
The original 60s sci-fi series only lasted three seasons, but was heavily syndicated after it was cancelled and managed to grow in popularity. So much so, that a live-action film was created in 1979.
Through the ups and downs of his career, Shatner must've learned to hold on to his money for the downturns. He's now worth $100 million, and this attitude decades later shows why...
"If saving money is wrong, I don't want to be right!"
Read about TV and movie characters who know how to save money.
Who would've thought the "chopping broccoli" guy was so wise about fame and fortune? This former Saturday Night Live funny man, and "Master of Disguise," is worth $20 million.
Here is his insightful outlook on being a celebrity...
"The two things that can hurt you are if you need money or if you need fame. Those are the things that can be your Achilles' heel. But if you don't need money and you don't need fame, then you're free."
Kevin Bacon got his acting start in 1978. He landed a part in the comedy hit National Lampoon's Animal House. But it wasn't until the mid-80s that the whole world would know his name.
In 1984, Bacon landed the leading part of Ren McCormack in the film Footloose. Bacon has since acted in at least 61 films, which has led fans to create a game out of his Hollywood career.
The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a game where you try to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon in six steps or less by naming films with mutual cast members.
The actor is worth $30 million, but says he still doesn't understand acquiring too much wealth...
"I think one of the most pervasive evils in this world is greed and acquiring money for money's sake. Once you have six houses and a plane, it's just about a number. It's never been anything I understood."
Queen Latifah has worn many hats over her career. She's a rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and producer.
Her first album All Hail to the Queen was released in 1989 by Tommy Boy Records, and sold 1 million copies.
Then in the 90s, Queen Latifah branched into acting. She landed parts in the films Jungle Fever and Juice, then moved on to the sitcom In Living Color. By the 2000s, she landed her largest role in the film Chicago, which earned her an Academy Award nomination.
Queen Latifah has a net worth of $60 million, but she's always remained humble about her finances...
"My mom has always been my champion. She was very smart and grounded. She said, 'Save your money. Pay your taxes. Don't put everything in one basket,' but she let me explore and be creative."
Jerry Seinfeld worked as a stand-up comedian for 15 years before he landed a deal for a sitcom with NBC. The networks' initial rejection couldn't stop the sitcom from airing for nine years. And Seinfeld was the highest-rated show in the U.S. in 1998, when the series finale aired.
Seinfeld is worth $920 million, and even when he's talking about money, it's an observational joke...
"Dogs have no money. Isn't that amazing? They're broke their entire lives. But they get through. You know why dogs have no money? ... No pockets."
This article originally appeared on Debt.com.
Published by Debt.com, LLC Mobile users may also access the AMP Version: 25 Inspirational and Funny Money Quotes From Some of Hollywood’s Most Famous - AMP.
