How Much is Donna Reed Worth? Donna Reed's Total Wealth in Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

Many fans are curious about Donna Reed's financial success in April 2026. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Was Donna Reed's Net Worth?

Donna Reed's career lasted over 40 years, and she also appeared in more than 50 film and television projects. Her debut film roles came in the 1941 movies "The Getaway," "Shadow of the Thin Man," and "Babes on Broadway." Reed starred on television on "The Donna Reed Show" from 1958 to 1966, and she played Miss Ellie Ewing on the primetime soap opera "Dallas" from 1984 to 1985. She starred as Mary Hatch Bailey in the 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life," and she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Lorene Burke in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity." Donna won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963. She took over forBarbara Bel Geddesas Miss Ellie Ewing on "Dallas" and then sued the production company after she was fired when Geddes decided to return to the program. Reed settled out of court and received over $1 million. In 1960, Donna received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1612 Vine Street. Sadly, Donna Reed passed away on January 14, 1986, at 64 years old from pancreatic cancer.

After she signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Reed appeared in the 1941 film "The Get-Away." The studio decided that she should start using the last name "Reed" instead of her given surname due to anti-German sentiment at the time, and Donna said of the change, "A studio publicist hung the name on me, and I never did like it. I hear 'Donna Reed' and I think of a tall, chic, austere blonde that isn't me. 'Donna Reed' – it has a cold, forbidding sound." Next, Donna appeared in the films "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941), "The Bugle Sounds" (1942), "The Courtship of Andy Hardy" (1942), "Apache Trail" (1942), "Eyes in the Night" (1942), "The Human Comedy" (1943), "Gentle Annie" (1944), "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), "They Were Expendable" (1945), "Beyond Glory" (1948), and "Chicago Deadline" (1949), and she played Mary Hatch Bailey in 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life." Reed began the '50s with roles in "Saturday's Hero" (1951), "Scandal Sheet" (1952), and "Hangman's Knot" (1952). In 1953, she starred in the films "Trouble Along the Way," "Raiders of the Seven Seas," "The Caddy," and "Gun Fury," and she played Alma "Lorene" Burke in "From Here to Eternity," which earned her an Academy Award.

Donna Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger on January 27, 1921, in Denison, Iowa. She was the daughter of William and Hazel Mullenger, and she had four younger siblings. Donna grew up in a Methodist household. During her sophomore year at Denison High School, one of her teachers gave her a copy of the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and it was reportedly a big influence in Reed's life. After reading the book, she landed the lead role in a school play and was crowned Campus Queen. Donna was one of the top ten students of the Class of 1938, and after graduation, she wanted to become a teacher but couldn't afford to go to college. At her aunt's suggestion, Reed moved to California and enrolled at Los Angeles City College, where she appeared in stage productions. Several studios asked her to take screen tests, and Donna ended up signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She insisted on completing college first, and she signed with an agent after earning her associate degree.

In 1954, Donna made her TV debut in the "Portrait of Lydia" episode of "Ford Television Theatre," then she guest-starred on "Tales of Hans Anderson" (1955) and "Suspicion" (1957). She appeared in the films "They Rode West" (1954), "Three Hours to Kill" (1954), "The Far Horizons" (1955), "The Benny Goodman Story" (1956), "Ransom!" (1956), "Backlash" (1956), "Beyond Mombasa" (1956), and "The Whole Truth" (1958), and she co-starred withElizabeth Taylor,Van Johnson, and Walter Pidgeon in 1954's "The Last Time I Saw Paris." From 1958 to 1966, she starred as Donna Stone on the ABC sitcom "The Donna Reed Show," which aired 275 episodes over eight seasons. The show earned Donna four Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. After "The Donna Reed Show" ended, she appeared in the TV movies "The Best Place to Be" (1979) and "Deadly Lessons" (1983) and guest-starred on "The Love Boat" (1984). From 1984 to 1985, Reed played Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on the CBS primetime soap opera "Dallas," replacing Barbara Bel Geddes, who had recently undergone emergency quadruple bypass surgery. When Geddes recovered, Reed was fired. She subsequently sued for breach of contract and settled out of court for a sum of over $1 million.

Donna was married to William Tuttle, a make-up artist, from January 30, 1943, until early 1945. She wed producer Tony Owen on June 15, 1945, and they welcomed four children before divorcing in 1971. They adopted Penny (born 1945) and Anthony (born 1946), and Reed gave birth to Timothy in 1949 and Mary Anne in 1957. Donna married retired U.S. Army colonel Grover Asmus on August 30, 1974, and they remained together until her death in early 1986. Reed got interested in politics during the Vietnam War due to her concern that Anthony could be drafted, and she co-chaired Another Mother for Peace, an anti-war advocacy group. Though she was a registered Republican, she supported Minnesota Democrat Eugene McCarthy, an anti-war advocate, in the 1968 presidential election.

Donna Reed was an American actress who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of her death in 1986. That's the same as around $30 million today after adjusting for inflation.

In summary, the total wealth of Donna Reed reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.