Montgomery Clift's net worth is estimated at about $4 million at the time of his death in 1966, with a realistic range of $2 million to $8 million. No estate figure was ever made public, but that range fits an 18-year film career built on studio contracts for a relatively small number of major pictures -- 17 films in total -- rather than long-running franchises, producer credits, or business ventures. Some online trackers cite figures up to $10 million; this estimate treats that as an outer bound rather than a confirmed number, since Clift's screen career was comparatively short and he waived his fee entirely for at least one late role.
Clift died on July 23, 1966, exactly 60 years before this article was published. Alongside Marlon Brando and James Dean, he helped define a new, more vulnerable style of American film acting, earning four Academy Award nominations across a career permanently altered by a near-fatal 1956 car accident.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Edward Montgomery Clift |
| Born | October 17, 1920, Omaha, Nebraska |
| Died | July 23, 1966 (age 45), New York City; heart attack (occlusive coronary artery disease) |
| Known For | Red River, A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity, The Misfits |
| Oscar Nominations | 4 (Best Actor/Supporting Actor); never won |
| Personal Life | Never married; longtime close friend of Elizabeth Taylor |
| Defining Event | Near-fatal May 1956 car accident during filming of Raintree County |
| Estimated Net Worth | About $4 million at death; realistic range $2 million to $8 million (not publicly verified) |
Why Montgomery Clift Is Trending in 2026
July 23, 2026 marks 60 years since Clift's death, a round-number anniversary that tends to bring renewed attention to major mid-century stars. His reputation has grown steadily since his death -- partly through critical reappraisal of his Method-influenced performances, and partly through ongoing interest in his 2018 documentary Making Montgomery Clift, which pushed back on decades of biographical narratives about his health and sexuality.
How Montgomery Clift Made His Money
Clift's income came almost entirely from studio acting contracts across a relatively brief film career: 17 films between 1948 and his death in 1966, following an earlier decade performing on Broadway from age 14. His most significant paydays came from major studio pictures including Red River (1948) opposite John Wayne, A Place in the Sun (1951), and From Here to Eternity (1953), for which he trained intensively in boxing and bugle playing. Unlike some contemporaries, Clift did not build a production company, direct, or hold significant equity stakes in his projects, and he notably waived his entire fee for his 12-minute, Oscar-nominated role in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). His income declined along with his health after 1956, though he continued working steadily through 1966.
Career: From Broadway to Hollywood's First Method Stars
Clift made his Broadway debut at age 14 in 1935 and worked steadily in New York theater for a decade, including creating a role in Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. He received 4-F draft status during World War II due to chronic dysentery and did not serve in the military. His film debut came in Howard Hawks' Red River (1948), followed quickly by The Search (1948), which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
Clift earned three more Oscar nominations across his career -- for A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) -- without ever winning. His other major films include I Confess (1953) for Alfred Hitchcock, Raintree County (1957), The Young Lions (1958, his only film alongside Marlon Brando), Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), and The Misfits (1961) with Marilyn Monroe.
The 1956 Car Accident That Changed Everything
On May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift left a dinner party at the Beverly Hills home of Elizabeth Taylor and drove into a telephone pole after losing control on a hairpin turn. Taylor reached him first, climbing into the wrecked car and removing two broken teeth from his throat to stop him from choking. Clift suffered a concussion, a broken jaw and nose, fractured sinuses and cheekbones, and severe facial lacerations that required plastic surgery and left the left side of his face partially paralyzed. Chronic pain afterward led to a dependence on alcohol and prescription drugs that shaped the rest of his career and life.
Personal Life
Clift never married and had no children. He had long-term relationships with men, including actor William LeMassena and, according to his brother, was bisexual; his mother knew of his orientation early on. He was also romantically linked to actresses Libby Holman and Phyllis Thaxter. His closest and most enduring relationship was his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, who publicly confirmed he was gay for the first time at the 2000 GLAAD Media Awards, describing him as her closest friend and confidant.
Death in 1966
Clift died in his Manhattan townhouse on July 23, 1966, at age 45. His private nurse found him in bed that morning; the autopsy listed the cause as occlusive coronary artery disease, a heart attack, with no evidence of foul play or suicide. Chronic drug and alcohol use, along with lingering effects of his earlier dysentery and colitis, contributed to his decline in the decade after his 1956 accident. He was buried at Friends Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Montgomery Clift die?
He died of a heart attack (occlusive coronary artery disease) at his New York City home on July 23, 1966, at age 45.
Did Montgomery Clift win an Oscar?
No. He received four Academy Award nominations -- for The Search, A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity, and Judgment at Nuremberg -- but never won.
Was Montgomery Clift married?
No, he never married. His closest personal relationship was his decades-long friendship with actress Elizabeth Taylor.
How did the 1956 car accident affect Montgomery Clift?
It left the left side of his face partially paralyzed and led to a dependence on painkillers and alcohol that shaped the rest of his life and career.