Kim Darby Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

Kim Darby is an American actress‑turned‑acting teacher, remembered for her memorable turn as Mattie Ross in True Grit and a career spanning film, television, and mentorship.

Introduction

Born Deborah Zerby on July 8, 1947, the actress widely known as Kim Darby has built a long and varied career in Hollywood, later transitioning to teaching and mentoring actors. Her estimated net worth stands at around US$500,000, according to multiple sources.  Her relationship history includes several marriages and the raising of a daughter. In this article, we explore Kim Darby’s journey—from early life to professional milestones, wealth sources, personal life, and legacy—all while naturally weaving in mentions of her age/birthdate and birthday.

Quick Facts

A Journey from Dance Floors to the Silver Screen

Kim Darby’s story begins in Los Angeles, born into a performing‑arts family. Her father, Jon Zerby, and mother, Inga (née Wiere), performed as a dancing duo known as the “Dancing Zerbys.”  As Deborah Zerby, she first performed under the stage name “Derby Zerby” in her teens, but changed to “Kim Darby” to better position herself for serious acting roles. 

Her early career included guest appearances on television—shows like Star Trek, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza—and a first‑screen appearance in Bye Bye Birdie (1963).  Her breakout moment arrived in 1969, when she was cast as Mattie Ross in True Grit. That role paired her with legends like John Wayne and Glen Campbell, and cemented her place in Hollywood history. 

Defining moments in Kim Darby’s journey include:

• Landing the iconic role of Mattie Ross in True Grit (1969), opening doors to major films.

• Transitioning into television work and expanding her craft through guest appearances.

• Shifting from acting into teaching, becoming an instructor in the extension program at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) between 1992 and 2009. 

• Embracing a quieter, behind‑the‑scenes role in later years, mentoring talent and reflecting on her career.

From local ambition to global recognition, Kim Darby’s rise was not just about one film but about longevity, reinvention, and the shift from being in front of the camera to enabling others to shine.

The Core Pillars of Kim Darby’s Wealth

Despite her high profile early in her career, Kim Darby’s net worth reflects a modest accumulation of wealth rather than blockbuster‑level earnings. The key sources of her financial standing include:

• Film & Television Acting Income: Earnings from roles spanning the late 1960s through the 1980s, including major and minor work.

• Teaching/Instructional Work: Compensation from her role as an acting instructor and mentor, especially at UCLA’s extension program.

• Residuals & Royalties: Ongoing income from past film and television work—though likely limited given the era and nature of the roles.

• Personal Investments/Assets: While not widely publicized, any real‑estate holdings, intellectual property rights, or other assets contribute to her net worth.

Note: The figures above reflect available public estimates. The net worth for Kim Darby is relatively small compared to many peers in the entertainment industry, indicating both modest earnings and perhaps limited commercial exploitation of her fame.

Relationships & Family Life

Kim Darby’s personal life has had its share of ups and downs, mirroring the roller‑coaster nature of life in the spotlight.

She has been married multiple times, perhaps most notably to actor James Stacy in 1968. That marriage produced her daughter Heather Elias, born the same year. The union ended in divorce in 1969.  Shortly thereafter she married actor James Westmoreland in 1970, though that marriage lasted less than two months. 

Key insights into Kim Darby’s relationships and personal life:

• Her first marriage to James Stacy coincided with one of her most pivotal career moments.

• Her daughter, Heather Elias, was born around the time she was filming True Grit, underscoring the personal and professional convergence of that period. 

• She opted to step back from certain acting opportunities to focus on motherhood, as seen in her later interviews. 

• In later decades, she chose a path out of the high‑glare celebrity world, focusing on teaching and mentoring, maintaining more privacy in her personal life.

While the romantic chapter may not be currently active (publicly at least), Kim Darby’s role as a parent and mentor remains a central part of her personal narrative.

Lifestyle, Assets & Interests

Beyond her screen presence, Kim Darby’s lifestyle reflects a mix of artistic passion, mentorship, and quiet dedication. The public record offers some insight into her interests and life outside of acting.

Beyond career success, Kim Darby leads a lifestyle that reflects both passion and purpose, including:

• A commitment to acting education and mentoring, particularly through her long tenure teaching at UCLA’s extension program.

• A history of dealing with personal challenges including stress and addiction, which she later discussed openly in interviews—reflecting a desire for authenticity and self‑improvement. 

• A tendency to step away from the limelight and focus on meaningful work rather than celebrity spectacle.

• While specific details about high‑end homes, luxury cars, or expansive collections are not prominently publicized, the modest net worth suggests a lifestyle more rooted in personal fulfillment than showy asset accumulation.

In sum, Kim Darby’s lifestyle is less about opulence and more about craft, teaching, and resilience.

Net Worth Breakdown & Analysis

Understanding Kim Darby’s net worth requires placing the available estimates in context and acknowledging both the limitations and implications of public figures in older Hollywood.

How the net worth is evaluated

Estimates for Kim Darby’s net worth mostly stem from aggregate career earnings, teaching income, and residuals from film and television roles. The primary publicly cited estimate is US$500,000 from CelebrityNetWorth.  Given the era in which much of her work was done, residuals tend to be smaller and less commercially exploitable compared to modern franchise actors or those with broad licensing deals.

Breakdown

Growth Drivers & Challenges

• Drivers: Iconic status from True Grit, extensive film/TV credits, teaching roles later in life providing a steady income stream.

• Challenges: A decline in major roles by the late 1970s, public struggles (including admissions of dependency) that affected career momentum.  The fact that her career pivoted toward teaching suggests less accumulation of wealth compared to stars who remained in blockbuster roles or developed enduring commercial franchises.

Public Image, Legacy & Influence

Kim Darby’s legacy is layered. On one hand, she is best known for a defining role—Mattie Ross in True Grit—that lives on in film history. On the other hand, her subsequent choices reflect a narrative of reinvention, humility, and dedication to craft beyond simple fame.

In her industry, she is often appreciated by cinephiles and Western‑genre enthusiasts for her authentic performance. Interviews reflect gratitude and introspection—she once noted, “I decided… I absolutely wouldn’t play a victim ever again.” Her decision to teach suggests a deeper influence: shaping future generations of actors rather than merely chasing headlines.

Today, her public image is quiet yet respected. The fact that her estimated net worth remains modest may reinforce a narrative of an artist who never lost sight of the work itself, rather than commercial self‑promotion. Her birthday—July 8—can serve as an annual moment of reflection in film circles, and her age/birthdate (July 8, 1947) remain part of the profile of classic Hollywood figures transitioning into new roles.

Conclusion

Kim Darby’s story is one of transformation: from the daughter of touring dancers to a young actress delivering a breakthrough in True Grit, to a mature professional devoted to teaching and mentorship. Her net worth—estimated at around US$500,000—mirrors a career built on quality rather than mass commercialism. Her relationships and family life reflect the complexities of an early Hollywood trajectory, with her daughter at the heart of that narrative. And her age/birthdate and birthday—July 8, 1947 and July 8—anchor her in a generation of performers whose legacies extend beyond the silver screen.

In an era where celebrity often equals spectacle, Kim Darby stands out as a figure whose legacy is crafted in humility, lasting influence, and the enduring power of one iconic performance. Her journey reminds us that an actor’s true wealth can lie as much in lives touched and students mentored as in box‑office numbers and flashy assets.