Elizabeth MacRae Net Worth: The Actress, Artist, and Philanthropist Behind Lou-Ann Poovie

Elizabeth MacRae is an American actress who has appeared in dozens of television series and movies from the 1950s to the 1980s. She is best known for her role as Lou-Ann Poovie, the girlfriend of Gomer Pyle, on the sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. She has also played recurring characters on Gunsmoke, General Hospital, and Days of Our Lives. MacRae has also starred in films such as The Conversation, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and For Love or Money. She is also an artist and a philanthropist who has supported various causes and charities. In this article, we will explore her biography, career, achievements, and net worth.

Biography

Elizabeth MacRae was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on February 22, 1936. She is the middle child of three children of Dorothy (née Hendon) and James C. MacRae. Her father was a lawyer and a judge, and her mother was a homemaker who encouraged her artistic talents. She grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she attended elementary school. She then went to Washington, D.C., to finish her secondary education at Holton-Arms, a prestigious school for girls.

She decided to pursue an acting career after graduating from Holton-Arms. She auditioned for a part in Otto Preminger’s film Saint Joan in Atlanta, Georgia, but did not get the role. However, Preminger advised her to go to New York and study acting because he saw potential in her. She followed his advice and moved to New York in 1956. There, she studied with Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio and gained stage experience in off-Broadway and summer-stock productions. She also continued her artistic training at the Art Students League in Manhattan.

Career

Elizabeth MacRae made her television debut in 1958 in an episode of The Verdict Is Yours. She then appeared in various TV shows such as Rendezvous, Harrigan and Son, The Asphalt Jungle, Surfside 6, Route 66, The Fugitive, Dr. Kildare, The Andy Griffith Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Mannix, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, Rhoda, and Petrocelli.

She became famous for her role as Lou-Ann Poovie on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which she played from 1966 to 1969. She was the girlfriend of Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), a naive and good-hearted Marine from North Carolina. She also played April Clomely on Gunsmoke from 1962 to 1965. She was the girlfriend of Festus Haggen (Ken Curtis), a scruffy and loyal deputy of Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness). She also had recurring roles on soap operas such as General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.

She also appeared in several movies throughout her career. Some of her notable films are:

Net Worth

Elizabeth MacRae has an estimated net worth of $7 million as of 2021. She has earned most of her wealth from her acting career. She has also made money from her artwork commissions and her philanthropic activities.

Achievements

Elizabeth MacRae has received several awards and honors for her work as an actress and an artist. Some of them are:

Education and Marital Status

Elizabeth MacRae received her primary education in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She then attended Holton-Arms, a college-preparatory school for girls in Washington, D.C. She graduated from there in 1954. She then studied acting with Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio and art at the Art Students League in New York City.

Elizabeth MacRae has been married three times. Her first husband was Amos Morehead Stack Jr., a businessman whom she married in 1955. They divorced sometime in the early 1960s. Her second husband was Nedrick Young, an actor and screenwriter whom she married in 1965. He died of a heart attack in 1968. Her third and current husband is Charles Day Halsey Jr., a retired Air Force colonel whom she married in 1969. They live in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Height and Weight

Elizabeth MacRae is 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) tall and weighs 121 pounds (55 kg). She has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Likes and Dislikes

Family