Willie Best Net Worth
Isabella Campbell
Updated on January 13, 2026
Willie Best net worth is
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$300,000
Willie Best Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family
William "Willie" Best (May 27, 1916 – February 27, 1962), sometimes known as Sleep n' Eat, was an American television and film actor.Best was one of the first well-known African American film actors and comedians, although his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is today sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77 of them, an unusual feat for a bit player. | Net Worth | $300,000 |
| Date Of Birth | May 27, 1916 |
| Died | 1962-02-27 |
| Death Cause | Cancer |
| Place Of Birth | Sunflower, Mississippi, USA |
| Height | 6' (1.83 m) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Profession | Actor, Soundtrack |
| Nicknames | Willie Best, Best, Willie |
| Star Sign | Gemini |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I often think about these roles I have to play. Most of them are pretty broad. Sometimes I tell the director and he cuts out the real bad parts... But what's an actor going to do? Either you do it or get out." Interview, 1934. |
| 2 | Yassuh! |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | He came to Hollywood serving as a chauffeur for a Mississippi white couple on vacation, and decided to stay and seek a career in show business. |
| 2 | In his earliest film appearances, in the early 1930s, if he was given screen credit he was billed as "Sleep 'n' Eat". |
| 3 | Bob Hope referred to Best, as his comedic co-star in The Ghost Breakers (1940), as one of the finest talents he had ever worked with. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Arizonian | 1935 | Pompey | |
| The Nitwits | 1935 | Sleepy | |
| Hit and Rum | 1935 | Short | Shoe shine man (uncredited) |
| Murder on a Honeymoon | 1935 | Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | |
| West of the Pecos | 1934 | Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | |
| Kentucky Kernels | 1934 | Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | |
| Little Miss Marker | 1934 | Dizzy Memphis (uncredited) | |
| Disorderly Conduct | 1932 | Man at Police Station (uncredited) | |
| The Monster Walks | 1932 | Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat) | |
| The Guilty Generation | 1931 | Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited) | |
| Up Pops the Devil | 1931 | Laundryman (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | |
| The Virtuous Husband | 1931 | Luftus | |
| Taxi | 1931 | Short | |
| Deep South | 1930 | ||
| Feet First | 1930 | Janitor (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | |
| Ladies of Leisure | 1930 | George - the Elevator Operator (uncredited) | |
| My Little Margie | 1952-1955 | TV Series | Charlie / Willie / Elevator Boy / ... |
| The Stu Erwin Show | 1950-1955 | TV Series | Willie |
| Waterfront | 1954-1955 | TV Series | Billy Slocum |
| Meet the O'Briens | 1954 | TV Movie | Willie |
| Racket Squad | 1951-1952 | TV Series | Janitor / Cleaning Man |
| Mark Saber | 1951 | TV Series | |
| South of Caliente | 1951 | Willie, Stable Boy | |
| High and Dizzy | 1950 | Short | Wesley |
| Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters | 1949 | Willie (uncredited) | |
| Shanghai Chest | 1948 | Willie Best (uncredited) | |
| Smart Woman | 1948 | Train Porter (uncredited) | |
| Half Past Midnight | 1948 | Andy Jones, nightclub janitor | |
| The Red Stallion | 1947 | Jackson | |
| Suddenly It's Spring | 1947 | Porter on Train | |
| Dangerous Money | 1946 | Chattanooga Brown | |
| No Leave, No Love | 1946 | Piano Delivery Man (uncredited) | |
| The Bride Wore Boots | 1946 | Joe | |
| The Face of Marble | 1946 | Shadrach | |
| The Red Dragon | 1945 | Chattanooga Brown | |
| She Wouldn't Say Yes | 1945 | Porter (uncredited) | |
| Hold That Blonde! | 1945 | Willie Shelley | |
| Pillow to Post | 1945 | Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter | |
| The Monster and the Ape | 1945 | Flash | |
| Music for Millions | 1944 | Red Cap (uncredited) | |
| The Mark of the Whistler | 1944 | Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) | |
| The Girl Who Dared | 1944 | Woodrow | |
| Home in Indiana | 1944 | Mo' Rum (uncredited) | |
| The Adventures of Mark Twain | 1944 | George (uncredited) | |
| Thank Your Lucky Stars | 1943 | Soldier in 'Ice Cold Katy' Number (uncredited) | |
| The Kansan | 1943 | Bones | |
| Dixie | 1943 | Steward (uncredited) | |
| Cabin in the Sky | 1943 | Second Idea Man | |
| Cinderella Swings It | 1943 | Hipp | |
| The Powers Girl | 1943 | Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) | |
| The Hidden Hand | 1942 | Eustis the Chauffeur | |
| Scattergood Survives a Murder | 1942 | Hipp | |
| Busses Roar | 1942 | Sunshine | |
| A-Haunting We Will Go | 1942 | Waiter | |
| Maisie Gets Her Man | 1942 | Sam, Room Service Waiter (uncredited) | |
| Juke Girl | 1942 | Jo-Mo | |
| Whispering Ghosts | 1942 | Euclid Brown | |
| The Body Disappears | 1941 | Willie | |
| West of the Rockies | 1941 | Short | |
| Nothing But the Truth | 1941 | Samuel | |
| Minstrel Days | 1941 | Short | Singer |
| The Smiling Ghost | 1941 | Clarence | |
| Highway West | 1941 | Bub Wellington | |
| Kisses for Breakfast | 1941 | Arnold | |
| The Lady from Cheyenne | 1941 | George | |
| Scattergood Baines | 1941 | Hipp | |
| Road Show | 1941 | Willie | |
| Flight from Destiny | 1941 | George | |
| High Sierra | 1941 | Algernon | |
| Who Killed Aunt Maggie? | 1940 | Andrew | |
| Money and the Woman | 1940 | George Washington Jones, Dave's Servant | |
| The Ghost Breakers | 1940 | Alex | |
| Blondie on a Budget | 1940 | Newsboy (uncredited) | |
| I Take This Woman | 1940 | Sambo | |
| Slightly Honorable | 1939 | Art, the Elevator Operator | |
| Miracle on Main Street | 1939 | Duke | |
| Private Detective | 1939 | Norton's Valet | |
| The Covered Trailer | 1939 | Baltimore | |
| At the Circus | 1939 | Redcap (uncredited) | |
| Blackmail | 1939 | Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited) | |
| Way Down South | 1939 | Chimney Sweep (uncredited) | |
| Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation | 1939 | Driver (uncredited) | |
| Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter | 1939 | Apollo Johnson | |
| Mr. Moto in Danger Island | 1939 | Launch Pilot (uncredited) | |
| The Saint Strikes Back | 1939 | Algernon, Simon's Butler (uncredited) | |
| Prairie Papas | 1938 | Short | |
| Blondie | 1938 | Porter | |
| Spring Madness | 1938 | Porter on Train (uncredited) | |
| Straight Place and Show | 1938 | Hannibal (uncredited) | |
| Youth Takes a Fling | 1938 | George | |
| A Western Welcome | 1938 | Short | Sweet Pea |
| I'm from the City | 1938 | Train Porter (uncredited) | |
| Vivacious Lady | 1938 | Train Porter | |
| Goodbye Broadway | 1938 | Jughead | |
| Merrily We Live | 1938 | George | |
| Gold Is Where You Find It | 1938 | Joshua | |
| Everybody's Doing It | 1938 | Jasper - Elevator Operator (uncredited) | |
| Crashing Hollywood | 1938 | Train Porter (uncredited) | |
| Deep South | 1937 | Short | |
| Mississippi Moods | 1937 | ||
| Saturday's Heroes | 1937 | Sam | |
| The Lady Fights Back | 1937 | McTavish | |
| Super-Sleuth | 1937 | Warts | |
| Meet the Missus | 1937 | Mose, Shoe Shine Boy | |
| You Can't Buy Luck | 1937 | Airline Porter (uncredited) | |
| Breezing Home | 1937 | Speed | |
| Criminal Lawyer | 1937 | Janitor (uncredited) | |
| Racing Lady | 1937 | Brass | |
| We Who Are About to Die | 1937 | Airport Porter (uncredited) | |
| Dog Blight | 1936 | Short | Sleepy |
| Night Waitress | 1936 | Black Pedestrian (uncredited) | |
| General Spanky | 1936 | Henry (as William Best) | |
| Make Way for a Lady | 1936 | William Townley, Jackson's Chauffeur (uncredited) | |
| Thank You, Jeeves! | 1936 | Drowsy | |
| Mummy's Boys | 1936 | Catfish | |
| Down the Stretch | 1936 | Noah (as William Best) | |
| The Green Pastures | 1936 | Henry - the Angel (uncredited) | |
| The Bride Walks Out | 1936 | Smokie | |
| Murder on a Bridle Path | 1936 | 'High-Pockets' | |
| Two in Revolt | 1936 | Eph | |
| Silly Billies | 1936 | Excitement (uncredited) | |
| The Lady Consents | 1936 | Sam - Jim's Servant (uncredited) | |
| Muss 'em Up | 1936 | Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited) | |
| The Littlest Rebel | 1935 | James Henry | |
| To Beat the Band | 1935 | Elevator Operator (uncredited) | |
| Annie Oakley | 1935 | Second Cook (uncredited) | |
| Hot Tip | 1935 | Apollo | |
| Jalna | 1935 | Sam, the Janitor (uncredited) |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark | 2014 | Documentary writer: "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" - as William Best | |
| New Girl | 2011-2012 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| Cuéntame | 2012 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Private Practice | 2010 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Desperate Housewives | 2010 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Before You Say 'I Do' | 2009 | TV Movie music: "I Love You for Sentimental Reasons" - uncredited | |
| The X-Files | 2002 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Kuutamolla | 2002 | writer: "Sua lemmin kuin järjetön mä oisin I Love You for Sentimental Reasons" | |
| What's the Worst That Could Happen? | 2001 | writer: "Sentimental Reasons" | |
| The Parent Trap | 1998 | writer: "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" - as William Best | |
| As Good as It Gets | 1997 | writer: "FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS I LOVE YOU" - as William Best | |
| Baadasss TV | 1994 | TV Series documentary music - 1 episode | |
| The Cemetery Club | 1993 | writer: "For Sentimental Reasons" - as William Best | |
| Driving Miss Daisy | 1989 | writer: "I LOVE YOU FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS" 1945 - as William Best | |
| The Wonder Years | 1988 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| China Girl | 1987 | writer: "Sentimental Reasons" - as W. Best | |
| Slam Dance | 1987 | music: "For Sentimental Reasons" - as William Best | |
| Gomer Pyle: USMC | 1966 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Show Time at the Apollo | 1955 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| For Sentimental Reasons | 1951 | Short writer: "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" | |
| Movietone Melodies: Red Ingle and His Gang | 1950 | Short writer: "I Love You for Seventy Mental Reasons" | |
| Sepia Cinderella | 1947 | lyrics: "Is It Right" / music: "Is It Right" | |
| For Sentimental Reasons | 1947 | Short writer: " I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" | |
| Thank Your Lucky Stars | 1943 | performer: "Ice Cold Katy" 1943 - uncredited | |
| Maisie Gets Her Man | 1942 | performer: "Happy Days Are Here Again" 1929 - uncredited | |
| The Littlest Rebel | 1935 | performer: "Turkey In The Straw" - uncredited |
Archive Footage
Known for movies
High Sierra (1941)
as Algernon
Waterfront (1954-1955)
as Billy Slocum
The Ghost Breakers (1940)
as Alex
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
as Second Idea Man
