The road to success is filled with many challenges that sometimes force us to quit as Ron Rifkin. Most of us know Ron as a successful actor, especially from his roles in “Alias” and Brothers & Sisters.” However, not many know of what he had to go through to be at the peak of his career. Currently, his net worth is estimated at $6 million, but there is a time he sold coats to put food on his table. Here is everything you need to know about how his fortune changed for the better.
1. He was interested in acting at the age of four
Although at four years old Ron did not know what acting was, he still knew that he wanted to be in front of people doing something and getting applauded for it. For him, it was a religious experience which he connected to how the Torah is taken out of the ark then everybody sings and stands as they kiss it. Therefore when he played with his cousin, he would hide behind the curtain and ask her to announce him so that he would come out singing.
2. He changed careers and began retailing
At first, Ron admits that acting was a religious experience, but later on, in his adulthood, it turned to become irreligious. For a person who was determined to be an actor at such an early age, the adult Ron hated acting and would even cry because he felt it was something that he had to do, thus no longer enjoyed it. Therefore to avoid sinking further into depression, he changed careers and began a retail business where he marketed coats that sold in high-end stores.
3. Why he had a hard time accepting defeat
When you are set on proving to everyone that they are wrong about trying to kill your dreams, you pursue your art. Woe unto you if you fail because then coming back and asking for help becomes unbearable yet that is what Ron had to do. His father could not understand why his son was interested in the artistic path; therefore, it killed Ron to have to go back and work with his father in the coat business. Consequently, every morning before going to work, he would sit on the bed and soak the front of his shirt with tears as his wife told The New York Times.
4. He returned to acting after persuasion
Ron enjoyed selling coats and even did his sales presentation using what he had learned on the set. He never thought he would ever be taken seriously, therefore, was comfortable selling coats. However, he was persuaded by Austin Pendleton to get back in acting and Ron consequently starred in “American Clock,” a theater production of Arthur Miller.
5. Jon Robin Baitz’s playwriting helped Ron regain his footing in acting
As fate would have it, getting back in the theater was how Ron would get back in acting full-time. When he was on stage, Rob caught the eye of Robin Baitz. Baitz saw his father in Ron and wanted to write plays specifically for Ron, which he did. Starring in Ron’s plays eventually landed him many productions both on and off-Broadway, and he is so grateful that he thinks of Baitz as the son he never had. Baitz also got his success through Ron and when he was asked to write an episode for “Alias” he wanted to write Ron out of the series; that would leave Ron with more time to work with Baitz on his plays in New York.
6. He had prostate cancer
Cancer is a menace that has robbed us of some of the most exceptional talents in the entertainment industry. Luckily, with the advancement in the medical field, fewer people are dying, and Ron Rifkin was spared. In April 2010, Ron was diagnosed with prostate cancer but was operated on in June. Although it was a bad experience, somehow it allowed him to connect to the Saul character in “Brothers & Sisters.”
7. He is very forgiving
Betrayal has been described as the worst thing you could ever do to someone who trusts you yet Ron has experienced it and still was ready to forgive the person who betrayed him. When Baitz wrote for Ron a part in “Dutch Experience” the director decided to produce it but only if Ron’s part was recast. To Ron’s disappointment, Baitz agreed; thus, Ron suggested that the two should not talk for some time. Later on, they put the past behind them, and Baitz wrote another play in which he had a part for Ron. Once again, Baitz was offered lots of money to turn the play into a movie, and he accepted, leaving Ron out in the cold. However, he reconsidered and turned down the offer; the film was still made, but this time with Ron in it.
8. He has a charitable heart
Ron is not one to turn down an opportunity that will help others. Therefore after gaining popularity due to his Sloane character in “Alias”, he was asked to sing at the Folksbiene Theater to raise money during the annual gala. He was hesitant at first because he felt the songs were too rich for him to handle. Besides, he is not fluent in Yiddish, but he still sang a couple of songs. Like he told Forward, he is not the greatest singer, but when he sings, he does it from his soul.
9. He felt weird in his role on “Sex and the City.”
Ron and his wife Iva have been friends with Sarah Jessica Parker for a long time. As a matter of fact, when Sarah was getting married to Matthew, they spent the eve of the wedding at Ron’s house. Still, producers included him in the cast of “Sex and The City” as someone hitting on Carrie, played by Sarah. For Ron, it was quite weird coming on to his friend, even if it was just acting.
10. He has no children
It was recently rumored by MediaMass that Ron’s wife was spotted with what looked like a baby bump. However, the rumors have since been stamped as false. Although he and Iva have been married since 1966, they are yet to have children, biological or adopted.
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