Quick Facts

Lincoln Monroe, Theodore Andrew Perry, widely known by his stage name Stepin Fetchit, is one of Hollywood’s most controversial actors. He is often regarded as the first African-American actor to have a successful film career.

The actor is also the first black actor in Hollywood to make a fortune playing stereotypical racist characters. The Ghost Talks, Big Timers, Hearts in Dixie, and 36 Hours to Kill are just a few of his films.

The actor amassed a sizable wealth over his career, with a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into Stepin Fetchit’s brief biography.

What is the Net Worth of Stepin Fetchit?

The net worth of Stepin Fetchit appeared to be substantial because he was the first black actor to make millions of dollars through his performing career. Stepin Fetchit’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He amassed such a fortune just via his profession.

Family And Early Years of Stepin Fetchit

Perry was Josephy Perry’s second child with Dora Monroe, born on May 30, 1902 in Key West, Florida. Stepin’s mother was a seamstress from Nassau, Bahamas, and his father was a cigar maker from Jamaica.

Stepin’ Fetchit’s parents immigrated to the United States in the 1890s and married. In 1910, the family relocated to Tampa, Florida. According to some stories, he was adopted by a quack dentist since his other wanted him to be a dentist.

Stepin Fetchit used to blacken boots before fleeing to join a carnival when he was twelve years old. For a few years, he also got money as a vocalist and tap dancer.

Career

Perry began his career as a comedy character actor while he was in his teens. By the age of twenty, he had established himself as a vaudeville performer and the manager of a traveling carnival act.

Stepin Fetchit made a profit by betting on the racehorse ‘Step and Fetch It.’ For their acts, he and his vaudeville companion took the identities ‘Step’ and ‘Fetchit.’ Perry blended two identities after he became a solo artist and later became his professional and stage name.

Film Career

Stepin Fetchit was dubbed “The World’s Laziest Man.” He appeared in multiple films as comic relief, all of them were based on his character. Following his performance in the film In Old Kentucky, he signed a five-year studio contract.

He also starred in Hearts in Dixie, one of the first studio productions with a predominantly black cast. He performed in films such as David Harum, Judge Priest, The County Chairman, and Steamboat ‘Round the Bend with fellow comedy actor Will Rogers, as they were good friends.

In the mid-1930s, Stepin Fetchit became the first black actor to become a billionaire after a successful film career. He must have made a fortune from the movies, as he appeared to have a large salary at the time.

Unfortunately, in 1940, he had temporarily quit acting in films. It was because he was fed up with his inability to equalize salary and billing with his white co-stars. By 1947, the actor had squandered his money by extravagant squandering and was bankrupt.

Perry, on the other hand, had cameo appearances in films such as Cutter, Amazing Grace, and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood. He accomplished it again, this time amassing a total net worth of $10 million.

Personal Life of Stepin Fetchit

Looking into the actor’s personal life, it was discovered that he had married three different women, none of whom stayed indefinitely. In 1929, Stepin Fetchit married Dorothy Stevenson, who was only 17 years old at the time. On September 12, 1930, the couple gave birth to their son, Jemajo Perry.

Dorothy filed for divorce from him in 1931. With his fists and broomstick, he fractured her nose, mouth, and arm, she claimed. After a few weeks of marriage, the two divorced. Dorothy died in September 1934, sadly.

Winifred Johnson was his second wife, whom he married in 1937. On May 21, 1938, Winifred gave birth to her son Donald Martin Perry. After Donald’s birth, the couple’s relationship came to an end. Perry had knocked her down the steps, breaking her nose in the process.

Stepin Fetchit was arrested in 1941 after filing a child support lawsuit. Perry was ordered to pay $12 per week in child support after the court found in her favor. Donald afterwards adopted his stepfather’s surname, becoming Donald Lambright.

Perry’s third marriage to Bernice Sims, which ended on October 15, 1951, was similarly a flop. They were married for the rest of their lives, despite their separation in the mid-1950s. Bernice passed away on January 9, 1985.

Death

Stepin Fetchit had a stroke in 1976, which halted his acting career. After that, he went to the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital.

Stepin Fetchit died of pneumonia and heart failure on November 19, 1985, just months after Bernice. Calvary Cemetary in East Los Angeles held a Catholic burial mass for him.

Famous Quotes

“Like [Charles Chaplin], I played the part of a simple, true, honest, and charming figure who garnered sympathy from an audience by being tolerant of people who injured him, so that he might be good to those he loved,” Perry said, according to IMDb.

Trivia

• Stepin Fetchit was friends with the late heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in the 1960s.
• He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Perry was awarded a Special NAACP Image Award. Two years later, he was also inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
• His nickname was Gayboi.

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