Conchata Ferrell’s net worth, weight loss, husband, Wiki Bio

Known for movies

Two and a Half Men (2003-2015)
as Berta

Edward Scissorhands (1990)
as Helen

Erin Brockovich (2000)
as Brenda

True Romance (1993)
as Mary Louise Ravencroft

• Conchata Ferrell was celebrated for her role as Berta, the housekeeper, in the popular TV series “Two and a Half Men”.
• Born on 28 March 1943, in Loudendale, West Virginia, Ferrell’s acting career spanned theater, film, and television, showcasing her versatile talent.
• She passed away at the age of 77 on 12 October 2020, due to complications following a cardiac arrest.
• Ferrell’s remarkable performance on “Two and a Half Men” earned her two Primetime Emmy Nominations in 2005 and 2007, cementing her legacy in the entertainment industry.
• Beyond “Two and a Half Men”, her career included notable roles in “L.A. Law”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Edward Scissorhands”, and “Erin Brockovich”, highlighting her significant contribution to both film and television.

Who is Conchata Ferrell?

Born on 28 March 1943, in Loudendale, West Virginia, Conchata Galen Ferrell was a theater, film and television actress. She made a name for herself by playing the now-legendary housekeeper Berta in the TV series “Two and a Half Men”.

She sadly passed away at 77 on 12 October 2020 from complications after cardiac arrest.

While her role was mainly created to support Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen, she became a fan-favorite, and went on to shape the show for all 12 years of its existence, which resulted in two Primetime Emmy Nominations, in 2005 and 2007. However, her acting resume includes appearances in shows and films such as “L.A. Law”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Edward Scissorhands” and “Erin Bronkovich”.

Using her initial experience from acting on stage, Conchata became one of the most renowned supporting actresses in the last few decades.

Early Life and Education: Growing Up in West Virginia and Ohio

Conchata Ferrell was born to Luther Martin and Mescal Loraine Ferrell in the small town of Loudendale, but she spent most of her childhood in Charleston, which is located in the same state. There is no available information about her parents, other than their names. Regardless, we do know that young Conchata was a brilliant student. She completed her high school education in Circleville, Ohio, upon moving there during middle school.

Subsequently, she enrolled at West Virginia University and excelled during her time there, however, after her second year, she suddenly dropped out because she didn’t have the motivation to study anymore. After abandoning her studies, Conchata worked several jobs to support herself, until some years later when she determined to make a return to the world of higher education, and enrolled at Marshall University. This time, she successfully graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in social studies and education.

During her time at Marshall, Ferrell also decided to try something that was completely foreign to her – in 1969, she joined Bardenon Review, a comedy and music group, which gave her a taste of acting.

Category	Information
Full Name	Conchata Galen Ferrell
Known For	Playing Berta in the TV series “Two and a Half Men”
Profession/Occupation	Theater, Film, and Television Actress
Education	Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies and Education from Marshall University
Net Worth	Approximately $10 million at the time of her death in 2020
Salary	$150,000 per episode in “Two and a Half Men”
Spouse	Arnie Anderson (m. 1986-2020)
Children	One daughter named Samantha, two stepdaughters
Parents	Luther Martin and Mescal Loraine Ferrell
Date of Birth	28 March 1943
Zodiac Sign	Aries
Place of Birth	Loudendale, West Virginia, United States
Nationality	American
Hair Color	Light Brown
Eye Color	Brown
Gender	Female
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
Awards	Received two Primetime Emmy Nominations in 2005 and 2007; Won an Obie, Drama Desk, and Theater World Award for “The Sea Horse”
Notable Works/Awards	“Two and a Half Men”, “L.A. Law”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Erin Brockovich”

Career Beginnings: Making the Stage Her Second Home

Using her experience from college, Conchata was ready to become a professional actress. Her first and greatest love was, of course, theater, so she opted to become a stage actress and devote herself to perfecting her craft. During the nascent period of her career, Ferrell joined the Circle Repertory Company, which was a renowned acting troupe in the 1970s.

Her breakthrough came in 1974 when she was given a role in “The Sea Horse”, an off-Broadway play which took critics and theater aficionados off-guard. Without much promotion or promise, the production ended up being a major success.

Conchata won a total of three awards for her performance – an Obie, Drama Desk and Theater World Award. That same year, Ferrell made her TV debut as Rita Valdez in “Maude”, and a few months later was cast as April Green in “Hot L Baltimore”. Interestingly, she reprised the same role from a few months earlier, as the show was based on a stage production. The rest of the 1970s featured her mostly in TV movies and shows, such as “Good Times”, “The Rockford Files” and “The Love Boat”. 1975’s “Deadly Hero” was her silver screen debut.

Making a Name for Herself: Heartland, Faerie Tale Theatre and More

For her role as an essayist in the 1979 blockbuster hit “Heartland”, Conchata added another trophy to her cabinet – the Bronze Wrangler Western Heritage Award. The movie was based on “Letters of a Woman Homesteader”, written in 1914 by Elinore Pruitt Stewart; almost every major media outlet praised the film for its accurate portrayal of homesteaders in the western part of the US.

Afterwards, we could see Ferrell in “Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice”, which is a film about Beatrice O’Reilly, who founded the first recovery center for female alcoholics in all of Los Angeles. In the hit TV series “Faerie Tale Theatre”, she assumed the part of Thumbelina’s Mother, which was met with rave reviews. In the TV series “E/R”, she played Nurse Joan Thor, which was her first regular role for a total of 22 episodes, which showed everyone that she was sufficiently skilled to stay in character and showcase her character’s emotional development through the plot.

In the 1980s, her other notable credits include “Cagney and Lacey”, “Nadia” and “Hooperman”. In 1989, she played Kate Galindo in “A Peaceable Kingdom” for a total of 10 episodes.

The 1990s: LA Law, Hearts Afire, Townies and More

Even though she was an experienced actress at this point, Ferrell still wasn’t satisfied with the amount of recognition she had, so she started working even harder to gain the respect she deserved. In the ‘90s, her most significant role was that of Susan Bloom in “L.A. Law”, which she assumed for a total of 20 episodes, and so effectively as a supporting actress that she received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Despite the fact that she didn’t win, Conchata was happy and more motivated than ever. Afterwards, she went on a rampage, appearing in “A Worn Path”, “Sirens”, “Cobra” and many other movies and shows during the decade. In 1992, she landed the role of Dr. Madeline Stoessinger in “Hearts Afire”, a hit sitcom which eventually became a cult classic.

Her other two significant TV show parts of the decade were “Teen Angel” and “Townies”, with smaller roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Erin Bronkovich” and “The Naked Truth”. During the 1990s era, she gained a lot of fans despite being overweight, showing a distinct charm that no other actor or actress had.

Happy birthday Conchata Ferrell from #TwoAndAHalfMen! Here's a great Berta moment! http://t.co/p0XifLQD

— Two and a Half Men (@TwoAndAHalfMen) March 28, 2012

The Crown Jewel of Her Career: Two and a Half Men

When the new millennium reared its head, Conchata continued in the same fashion as before. With a no-nonsense approach, she managed to land roles in “Going to California”, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and “Push, Nevada”, however, in 2003 she made the biggest breakthrough in her career, landing the role of Housekeeper Berta in the hilarious sitcom “Two and a Half Men”.

Immediately during the first season, she displayed excellent chemistry alongside John Cryer and Charlie Sheen, thus becoming an integral part of the show. With tongue-in-cheek humor and a healthy dose of sarcasm, Ferrell became a real star overnight. She assumed her role for a total of 211 episodes, more than anyone else, aside from the three main actors.

While the show was still being filmed, Ferrell was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for the second and third time in her career, which is an incredible achievement for a supporting actress. Despite failing to win both times, she was proud of the achievement.

In recent years, she hasn’t been all that active, with sporadic credits such as “Postal Jerks”, “Krampus” and “A Very Nutty Christmas”.

Personal Life: Is Conchata Ferrell Married? Does She Have Children?

In 1986, Conchata married Arnie Anderson and the two have been together ever since. She has one daughter named Samantha, who was born in 1982. Upon marrying Anderson, she adopted his two daughters from a previous relationship and had her own biological daughter. Despite her charming attitude and impeccable charisma, Ferrell has always been a private person, so we don’t know a lot about her marriage to Arnie.

How Did Conchata Farrell Manage to Lose So Much Weight?

Ever since her youth, Conchata has been a compulsive overeater, which caused her to gain a significant amount of weight. No one could dispute her talents, which allowed her to land roles on almost a monthly basis However, her problem was two-fold – while she was able to get a lot of roles, the ones she truly yearned for eluded her because of her weight. On one occasion, a producer told her she gave ‘the best audition he had seen in years’, but that she didn’t get the role because she was ‘as big as a house’.

The other side of the problem was that her health was rapidly deteriorating. Never the one to give up, Conchata worked harder than ever and also started using her platform to battle the discrimination against overweight people. At the same time, she became focused on losing weight and becoming healthier. In 2009, she was visibly slimmer, claiming that she had lost over 60 pounds.

As the years went on, she began exercising and eating more fruits and vegetables, which ended up being the right decision. Despite being semi-retired nowadays, Ferrell is still adamant when it comes to fighting for her health and well-being.

Net Worth: How Rich is Conchata Ferrell?

Have you ever wondered how affluent Conchata really is? Well, according to several authoritative sources, she has a net worth of approximately $7 million, as of 2024, accumulated by working incessantly for more than 40 years now, with little time to rest.

The bulk of her wealth comes from her time in “Two and a Half Men”, where she would end up receiving $150,000 per episode as her character became more prominent. During the final season, she received a total of $2.5 million, which was unheard of for a supporting actress. Nevertheless, she is set for life and able to enjoy her retirement.

Social Media Presence

Conchata didn’t have a Facebook account, while her Twitter account had only a few tweets from 13 January 2012. On Instagram, she has just over 2,000 followers and her latest post was in 2022.