Lee Thomson Young was an American actor whose net worth was $250 thousand. Lee Thompson Young was most famous for his starring role as the eponymous title character on the Disney Channel show “The Famous Jett Jackson.”

How much was Lee Thompson Young’s Net Worth?

Blessed with natural charm and maturity ahead of his years, Young became one of the most familiar teen stars of the early 2000s before making the jump to more grown-up roles on network television. His work on shows like “Friday Night Lights” and “Rizzoli & Isles” showed a reflective, introspective style of acting that gained him critical acclaim and a devoted fan base. While his life and career were senselessly abbreviated, Young left the world with a legacy of talent, dedication, and subtle power that continues to speak to audiences that grew up viewing him.

Early Life

Lee Thompson Young was born on February 1, 1984, in Columbia, South Carolina. He was divorced by his parents as a child and raised mostly by his mother, Velma Love, who was a professor and writer. As a child, Young was interested in performance, writing, and storytelling and acted in local plays. He went to the prestigious South Carolina Governor’s School for Math and Science before switching to a high school that had an arts emphasis in order to major in acting.

At age 10, he played Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a community production, an activity which created his interest in performing. Upon graduating from high school, Young relocated to New York City to become an actor full time, and his career started thriving almost overnight.

The Famous Jett Jackson

Lee Thompson Young got the starring role in Disney Channel’s “The Famous Jett Jackson” in 1998, a role that made him a household name among young viewers. The show chronicled a young teen who played an action hero on television but struggled to be ordinary in his life in his small hometown. The series was pioneering for having a young Black actor in a main role with a positive, multifaceted character—something not commonly found on children’s television at the time.

Young’s own natural charm and presence made him the perfect role model for the network’s viewer. Not only did he appear in the show, but he co-wrote one of the episodes, demonstrating his passion for storytelling off camera as well. The series lasted for three years, between 1998 and 2001, and ended with a Disney Channel Original Movie, “Jett Jackson: The Movie” (2001). The part brought Young critical acclaim and positioned him as one of Disney’s most respected young performers.

Cinema and Television Career

After his Disney fame, Young endeavored to diversify with a series of roles on television and film. He was cast in the 2004 film “Friday Night Lights,” as running back Chris Comer, a part that introduced him to a broader audience and showed his capability to perform more adult material. That same year, he starred in the science-fiction action film “Johnny Tsunami 2” and made guest appearances on several network shows, including “Smallville,” “South Beach,” and “Scrubs.”

Between 2010 and 2013, Young played perhaps his most critically praised adult part as Detective Barry Frost on the popular TNT crime drama “Rizzoli & Isles.” His work added warmth and wit to the show and made him popular with both fans and crew. He also penned a number of screenplays between these years, demonstrating his long-standing love of storytelling and imagination.

Personal Life and Death

Though he was successful on screen, Young was humble, disciplined, and intellectually curious. Friends and co-stars have characterized him as reflective and very spiritual. He had studied film writing at the University of Southern California and had an abiding interest in history, philosophy, and African culture.

Sadly, on August 19, 2013, Lee Thompson Young was discovered dead in his Los Angeles residence at age 29 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death stunned fans and the entertainment community as a whole. Subsequent to his death, his family announced he had been struggling in silence with bipolar disorder following which there were wider conversations in Hollywood regarding mental health awareness and young actors’ support.

Legacy

Lee Thompson Young’s legacy reaches far beyond the brief span of his own career. As one of the original young Black stars to lead a Disney Channel show, he paved the way for generations of diverse faces in family television. His performance as Jett Jackson is still a cultural touchstone for late-1990s, early-2000s children who remember it fondly for its realism and positive portrayal.

During the years since his death, his family has set up the Lee Thompson Young Foundation to further education and advocacy for mental health. Through that work, he lives on, as does his reputation with the fans and colleagues who knew him and admired his intellect, integrity, and compassion.

Although his Hollywood career was short-lived, Lee Thompson Young’s body of work and the quiet dignity he imparted to each performance remain a source of inspiration for those who seek to create meaningful art—and live with empathy and purpose.