Ola Ray was born on 26 August 1960, in St. Louis, Missouri USA, and is a model and actress, perhaps best known for playing the girlfriend of Michael Jackson in the music video for his hit “Thriller”.
So just how rich is Ola Ray at present? According to sources, Ray has acquired wealth of over $500,000, as of early 2017. Her net worth has been accumulated through her involvement in modeling and the film and television industry, as well as for starring in “Thriller”.
Ola Ray Net Worth $500,000
Ray grew up in Japan with her seven siblings, raised by her mother and stepfather, and where she sang in a band and pursued a modeling career. At the age of 15 she returned to the US, settling in Hollywood, California, where she continued to land various modeling stints, including for Playboy in 1980, becoming the Playmate of the Month in June that year, which greatly contributed to her popularity and to her net worth as well.
Ray made her big screen debut in 1981, with a minor part as a prostitute in the film “Body and Soul”. The following year she played Dawn in the comedy film “Night Shift”, and appeared as a dancer in the action/comedy film “48 Hrs.” the same year. She went on to appear in the police slasher crime thriller drama “10 to Midnight”, and the comedy “The Man Who Loved Women” in 1983. Her net worth was growing, and she started to get recognized in the acting world.
The year 1983 saw the young actress get a great opportunity to boost her reputation in showbiz, when she landed a starring role in the music video of the late pop-rock icon Michael Jackson, for his song “Thriller”, which had become a huge hit in 1982. In it, Ray co-starred with Jackson as his girlfriend, which enabled her to achieve a great level of fame. According to reports, she later had problems with obtaining royalties from her participation in the video, and she even sued Jackson and his production company in 2009, as they owed her a large piece of the “Thriller” earnings, reportedly $55,000. However, that same year Jackson passed away, so Ray didn’t settle her lawsuit with The Michael Jackson Family Trust until 2012. Her net worth considerably increased.
Speaking further about her acting career, Ray made her television debut in 1984, appearing in an episode of the sci-fi series “Automan”. Television opportunities continued to come her way, and she went on to appear in other series, such as “Gimme a Break”, “Cheers” and “What’s Happening Now”. Meanwhile, she landed the role of Honey in the 1984 action-thriller film “Fear City”, and appeared in minor roles in several other movies by the end of the ’80s, including “Beverly Hills Cop II”, further improving her fame and fortune.
After a long break from her career in the entertainment industry, partly because in the early ’90s, she became involved in an incident, being arrested for possession of cocaine. This resulted in nine months in rehab. Ray eventually returned in 2015, providing her voice for the short animated film “Toy Soldier”.
When it comes to her off-camera life, Ray has a child with her longtime friend Terry Clark; sources are unaware of her current relationship status. She resides in Sacramento, California.
