The famously frugal 1960s sitcom dad who brought his own lunch to set — and quietly became one of the wealthiest actors of his era

Fred MacMurray found sitcom fame as widowed engineer Steve Douglas in My Three Sons. The show ran from 1960 to 1972 for a total of 12 seasons and featured Fred alongside Tim Considine, Don Grady and Stanley Livingston as his titular three sons.

William Frawley and William Demarest also joined the cast as Bub and Uncle Charley respectively. Later in the series, Stanley's real-world brother joined the cast as Ernie Thompson and was adopted into the family fold.

Despite spending more than a decade as a household name, Fred MacMurray kept his tastes simple and opted for money-saving tricks behind the scenes.

He brought his own lunch to the studio every day, namely, hard-boiled eggs and didn't spend his money on a lavish life of partying, despite earning a six-figure salary decades before for his 1944 feature Double Indemnity.

Fred might have been living a frugal life on set, but away from the cameras he was building a fortune in real estate. In 1941, he reportedly purchased land in California and built a cattle ranch as well as a successful vineyard.

A smart business deal allowed him to shoot all of his scenes for each season of My Three Sons within 65 days, allowing Fred plenty of time to spend with his family as well as on business investments and real estate. At the time of his death in 1991, Fred's estimated net worth sat at $150 million.

Fred got his start with a few uncredited roles in the late '20s and early '30s. By the 1940s, he was a regular movie star.

This leading man reputation brought him star status with hits like Double Indemnity (1944), The Caine Mutiny (1954) and The Apartment (1960).

Fred MacMurray tied the knot twice, first marrying dancer Lillian Lamon in 1936. The couple adopted two children together. They were married until Lillian passed away from a heart attack in 1953.

The actor then remarried, saying 'I do' to actress June Haver in 1954. They adopted twins Kathryn and Laurie in 1956. June and Fred remained happily married until his death in 1991.