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Late “Arrested Development” actress Jessica Walter left behind an estate worth at least $2 million, court papers show.
Walter, an Emmy winner who played the role of boozy mom Lucille Bluth in the cult classic sitcom, died in her sleep in March at age 80.
Papers filed in Walter’s estate case in Manhattan Surrogate’s Court indicated that she had “tangible personal property” worth $1,999,000.
The papers did not give any further details about the property.
Walter left behind her entire estate to a trust and did not indicate who will inherit the trust or how much it was worth, according to a will she signed in February.
“I bequeath my estate, real and personal, tangible and intangible, and wherever located to the trustee(s) then acting under the Jessica Walter Revocable Trust,” read the will.
One New York trusts and estates lawyer said tangible property can include things like art, antiques, jewelry and furniture.
“If her tangibles are $2 million, then I think it’s safe to say she has substantial other assets,” the lawyer said.
“It is likely that the revocable trust was funded with other assets such as marketable securities and maybe a home or closely held business,” the lawyer said, adding there could also be cash in the trust.
Walter designated her only daughter, Brooke Bowman — who is senior vice president of drama programming at Fox Entertainment, according to Deadline — to be the executor of her estate, the will says.
Walter’s second husband, Emmy-winning actor Ron Leibman, died in 2019 at age 82. And she only had one surviving sibling, according to the court papers.
“The bottom line is that the probate estate and will don’t tell the whole story of her wealth,” the lawyer said. “But we can safely assume that she had some other assets in the revocable trust before she died since such trusts are typically funded during life.”
“Since she was survived by one daughter, it’s likely her daughter will receive nearly all of her mother’s wealth. On the surface, the estate plan seems fairly typical,” the attorney said.
The Brooklyn-born actress won an Emmy in 1975 for her role in the NBC drama “Amy Prentiss.” She was also nominated for an Emmy three other times, including for roles in “Arrested Development,” “Trapper John, M.D.” and “The Streets of San Francisco.”
She voiced Malory Archer in the FXX animated show “Archer” and acted in movies including Clint Eastwood’s “Play Misty for Me” and the 1964 film “Lilith,” which also starred Warren Beatty and Gene Hackman.
“A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off,” Bowman told Deadline after her mother passed. “While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
A lawyer for the estate did not immediately return a request for comment. Bowman did not immediately respond to a message left at her home.
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