• Richard Karn is an actor and host of "Family Feud" and "Bingo America".
• He is best known for his role as Al Borland in the series "Home Improvement" (1991-1999).
• He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in Drama in 1978.
• He has a net worth estimated at over $10 million.
• He is married to Tudi Roche and they have one son together.
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Richard Karn Wiki
Although many people know him as the host of the television show “Family Feud”, Richard Karn is also a renowned actor, with nearly 60 acting credits to his name. He’s probably still known best for his portrayal of Al Borland in the series “Home Improvement”, which aired between 1991 and 1999.
Besides “Family Feud”, Richard also hosted “Bingo America”, and an annual celebrity golf tournament held in Seattle, Washington USA. To learn more interesting facts about him, keep on reading.
Early life, family, and education
Born Richard Karn Wilson, on 17 February 1956, his zodiac sign is Aquarius, and he will soon celebrate his 67th birthday. Richard hails from Seattle, Washington State, holds American nationality, and comes from a family of Caucasian descent. He was raised by his parents Gene and Louise Wilson, alongside his sister Sue, who all prefer to keep their lives away from the spotlight. It’s known that their father served in World War II in a United States Naval Construction Battalions, known as the Navy Seabees.
Richard dreamed of an acting career from an early age, and was determined to fulfill his dream.
When it comes to his education, Richard attended Roosevelt High School, and upon matriculating in 1974, enrolled at the University of Washington, where he attended the Professional Actor Training Program, from which he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Drama in 1978.
A year later, he moved to New York City, and landed his first gig, making an appearance in a commercial for Michelob beer. When Richard joined the Screen Actors Guild, an American labor union that represents actors and performers worldwide, they informed him that there was already an actor named ‘Richard Wilson’, so he decided to use ‘Richard Karn’ as his stage name.
Roles in series
Richard made his acting debut as Edgar in an episode of the series “One Life to Live” in 1989, and later that year, he made an appearance in “ABC TGIF”. Two years later, he was cast to play his most notable role to date, as Al Borland in the family comedy “Home Improvement”, also starring Tim Allen, Earl Hindman and Taran Noah Smit.
Richard was seen in 202 episodes of this series that followed the story of Tim Taylor, a TV show host, and his daily trials and tribulations, alongside his wife, three mischievous sons, an eccentric neighbor, and his loyal co-host, Al Borland. The series had 63 award nominations and won 43, including seven Primetime Emmys.
As mentioned, “Home Improvement” aired until 1999, and Richard was next seen guest-starring in “Recess” (2000), “The Chronicle” (2001), and “Watching Ellie” (2003).
His next notable television series role came in 2009 when he was cast to play Arthur Piller in “Ctrl”. Richard was seen in 10 episodes of this comedy-drama which was well-rated by the audience (7.8/10).
In the following years, Richard made appearances in “True Jackson, VP” (2010), “In Gayle We Trust” (2011), “Last Man Standing” (2013), and “The Bold and the Beautiful” (2017).
Most recently, he was seen as Fred Peters in 11 episodes of the series “PEN15”, which aired from 2019 through 2021. This comedy followed the story of two seventh-grade girls and their struggles in a middle school – it had 41 award nominations, including four for Primetime Emmys, and won three.
Roles in movies
Richard made his first movie appearance as George Thomas in the 1995 TV comedy “Picture Perfect”, opposite Dave Thomas and Mary Page Keller. He made his big-screen debut as Brice Renard in the 1998 thriller “Legend of the Mummy”.
The early 2000s saw him in the TV movie “The Pooch and the Pauper” (2000), followed by his role in the 2001 sports comedy “MVP 2: Most Vertical Primate”, in which the main stars were monkeys Bob, Bernie and Louie.
In the following year, Richard portrayed Stanley in “Sex and the Teenage Mind”, a comedy written and directed by Donald L. Gold. His next movie role came in 2007 when he was cast to play John Adams in “Mr. Blue Sky”, and starred opposite Chaney Kley and Mary Kate Schellhartd, in this drama involving three childhood friends, a boy and two girls, one of whom was born with Downs syndrome. The movie had no nominations, but the audience rated it 7.2/10.
In 2011, Richard was seen in “The Back-up Bride” and “Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury”, followed by his role in the 2013 drama “Gordon Family Tree”, in which he starred opposite Corbin Bernsen and Laura Shatkus; the movie won three awards.
Richard was seen as Santa in the 2015 family movie “A Dog for Christmas”, followed by his roles in “Stars Are Already Dead” (2016) and “The Horse Dancer” (2017). Most recently, Richard co-starred in “The Christmas Dance” (2021) and “Carrie and Jess Save the Universe!” in 2022.
“Family Feud”
The American game show “Family Feud”, created by Mark Goodson, is one of the most favorite among the audience. The show features two families who compete to identify the most popular responses to survey questions, win cash and prizes. Richard Karn was the fourth host of this show, replacing Louie Anderson in 2002; four years later, Richard was replaced by John O’Hurley.
Love life and relationships
Richard isn’t one of those Hollywood actors whose love life is full of rumors, affairs and controversies. Since 19 October 1985, he’s been married to Tudi Roche, an actress and director, but who is perhaps known best for her voice roles in “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants” and “Love, Death & Robots”.
The two met back in the early ‘80s, while they were both struggling actors and playing in off-Broadway stage productions. They began dating in 1984, and after they married, Richard worked as an apartment building manager to provide for them while auditioning.
Richard and Tudi have one son together, Cooper born in 1992, who is also an actor. He studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and besides acting, he enjoys writing, singing, and composing music.
What is he doing now?
Richard has finished the filming of his two upcoming movies “Once a Mormon” and “Eastern Market”, which are currently in development.
His fans can keep track of his work and career through his official Instagram page, which has been followed by over 13,000 people. Richard is also active on Twitter, and his account has amassed over 20,000 followers.
How rich is Richard Karn? Net worth
Throughout his more than 40-year career, Richard has appeared in numerous films and television shows, but his role in “Home Improvement” has earned him the most money – his salary was approximately $150,000 per episode or nearly $3.5 million per season. Certainly, he earned a decent amount of money as a “Family Feud” host.
According to sources, as of early 2023, Richard Kern has a net worth estimated at over $10 million.
