You know her as the formidable, tea-sipping Hetty Lange. Or maybe you remember her as the haunting voice narrating the God of War games. But for a woman who stands just 4 feet 9 inches tall, the financial footprint she’s left on Hollywood is massive. Honestly, when people search for linda hunt net worth, they usually expect a modest number for a "character actress." They’re wrong.
Linda Hunt has been a working powerhouse since the early 70s. She didn't just stumble into a CBS paycheck; she built a career on the kind of risky, high-art performances that most actors are too scared to touch. And yeah, it paid off.
The $12 Million Reality Check
Most reliable sources, including Celebrity Net Worth, peg the linda hunt net worth at approximately $12 million as we move through 2026. If that sounds high for someone who wasn't exactly a tabloid fixture, you’ve gotta look at the math of procedural television.
Network TV is where the real "forever money" is made.
During the peak of NCIS: Los Angeles, Hunt was reportedly pulling in around $80,000 per episode. Now, think about the volume. We aren't talking about a 10-episode Netflix limited series. NCIS: LA ran for 14 seasons. For a big chunk of that run, seasons were 24 episodes long.
💡 You might also like: Amy Slaton Now and Then: Why the TLC Star is Finally "Growing Up"
Do the quick math:
- $80,000 x 24 episodes = **$1.92 million per year.** That’s just the base salary. It doesn't even touch the backend residuals—those "mailbox money" checks that arrive every time an episode airs in syndication on USA Network or streams on Paramount+. Given she appeared in over 280 episodes, the compound interest on her time in the "O.P.S." center is staggering.
A Career Built on "Firsts" (And Oscar Gold)
Long before she was Hetty, Linda Hunt was making history. In 1983, she did something no other actor has done before or since: she won an Academy Award for playing a character of the opposite sex.
In The Year of Living Dangerously, she played Billy Kwan, a male Chinese-Australian photographer. It was a role that could have been a disaster in the wrong hands, but Hunt’s gravitas made it legendary. While an Oscar win in the 80s didn't come with a multi-million dollar bonus, it cemented her "A-list character actor" status. This meant she could command higher day rates for the next four decades.
She’s basically been everywhere:
📖 Related: Akon Age and Birthday: What Most People Get Wrong
- Film: Popeye (her debut!), Dune, Kindergarten Cop, and Stranger Than Fiction.
- Voiceover: She was Grandmother Willow in Disney's Pocahontas.
- Gaming: Her voice is the backbone of the God of War franchise.
Voice work is a hidden goldmine. It doesn't require hair, makeup, or 14-hour days on a soundstage, but for a voice as recognizable as Hunt’s, the fees are substantial.
Why Her Net Worth Stayed Stable
You don't see Linda Hunt buying $20 million mega-mansions in the Hollywood Hills or getting caught in expensive legal battles. She’s lived a notoriously private life with her wife, Karen Kline. They’ve been together since the late 80s and officially married in 2008.
They live in a historic 1919 bungalow in Hollywood. It’s a beautiful, restored home, but it’s not the kind of "look at me" estate that drains a bank account via property taxes and a staff of twenty. This kind of financial discipline is why her net worth hasn't fluctuated like other stars who chase trends.
There was a bit of a scare in 2018 when she was involved in a car accident, leading to a brief hiatus from NCIS: LA. Her appearances became more sporadic in later seasons—partly due to her age (she’s now 80) and partly due to COVID-19 safety protocols. However, even as a "special guest star" in the final years, she remained the heart of the show, likely maintaining a "per-appearance" fee that kept the revenue stream flowing.
👉 See also: 40 year old celebrities: Why the 1985 and 1986 Crew is Actually Winning
The "Hetty" Legacy and Actionable Financial Takeaways
So, what’s the real story behind the linda hunt net worth? It’s a lesson in longevity. She didn't retire after her Oscar; she didn't pivot to reality TV when film roles got thin in the 90s. She stayed in the game.
If you’re looking at Hunt’s career as a roadmap, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Procedurals are King: If you want wealth in Hollywood, a long-running CBS drama is more lucrative than most movie careers.
- Diversify the Voice: Voiceover and narration provide a "passive" style of income that lasts long after your physical acting days might slow down.
- Privacy Pays: Keeping your private life out of the press saves a fortune in PR crisis management and "lifestyle creep."
Linda Hunt’s $12 million isn't just a number. It’s the result of fifty years of being the most interesting person in the room—even if she’s the shortest.
To get a true sense of her value, look at her credits on IMDb or watch the NCIS: Los Angeles series finale. You'll see an actress who was never a "star" in the traditional sense, but who became indispensable to a multi-billion dollar TV franchise. That is where the real wealth lies.