Lyle Trachtenberg became famous for being Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband. He is a unionist whose acting career never took off after he appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn(1996), Full Tilt Boogie(1997), and Beach Movie(1998).
While his marriage to the actress in 1994 was a first for the 68-year-old California native, it was a third for Whoopi. The marriage did not last long leading to a divorce.
Did You Know These Fascinating Details About Lyle Trachtenberg?
1. A Look Into The Early Life of Lyle Trachtenberg
He was born on January 1, 1956, in Los Angeles. His father worked in the theatre while his mother taught English. Aside from his parents, the actor never revealed the details about his siblings.
Also, his parents likely divorced when he was young leading to his father raising him single-handedly. Furthermore, Lyle was an active athlete in his childhood. He actively participated in his school’s football and soccer teams which he played for.
Furthermore, the Los Angeles-born had a keen interest in performing. As a result, the younger Lyle often went to the theatre to watch his father perform.
2. He is an Alumnus of The University of California, Los Angeles
Lyle is a college graduate. He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1976. Though his course of study is still unclear, it is likely that he studied a course that has to do with performance. Having enrolled four years earlier on, he graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor’s degree from the school.
Upon the completion of his program, he joined the ranks of other notable alumni of the school. These include John Franco, Jackie Robinson(athlete), Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Taylor Wang, and the Youtube CEO, Susan Wojcicki to name a few.
3. Lyle Trachtenberg is an Active Unionist
Lyle has always been enthusiastic about his work. Apart from taking roles in front of the screen, the UCLA graduate also became an active union organizer under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees(IATSE)-the union overseeing the entertainment industry. Ever since he joined the union, it has also helped to give him a reputation likely due to some of the methods used by unionists.
Purportedly, he caused major changes in the course of his work as an organizer. One such instance occurred on the set of Grace of My Heart(1996)- a movie budgeted for $5 million and directed by Allison Anders. He caused trouble for the movie’s director and producer after they had rehired many non-union crew used in the director’s previous work leading to more problems.
Moving forward, Lyle appeared at lunchtime in the movie’s second week of filming and confronted the filmmakers to be allowed to participate. His action led to 25 crew members joining him in making demands.
It was in the midst of the hassle that a strike was threatened and this forced the producers to reach an agreement with the union.
4. He Launched an Unsuccessful Acting Career
Despite Lyle’s active participation as a unionist, he has not been able to pursue a successful acting career. He made his performance debut in 1995 in The 21st Annual People Choice Award.
Shortly after, he landed a role in the 1996 action-crime horror movie, From Dusk Till Dawn. The movie garnered recognition and effectively introduced his acting.
His next role was in the 1997 documentary series Full Tilt Boogie in which he appeared as a unionist based on the making of Dusk Till Dawn. Following these earlier roles, he appeared in his last acting role in Beach Movie(1998). Looking at the number of movies he appeared in, none pitched him for a long-time career as an actor. His inability to last long is mainly attributed to his union activities which brought him to loggerheads with movie makers as mentioned earlier.
Subsequently, his name has only appeared in the acknowledgement of movies following his last acting role. He was appreciated in House of the Dead(2007), Keeping up with the Steins(2006), and Girl Fever(2002) among many other mentions.
5. How The Dusk Till Dawn Actor Met and Married Whoopi Goldberg
The exact moment the couple met is not clear. Yet, it is likely that they met in the line of their career in the entertainment industry. They dated for nine months before deciding to take the next big step.
Lyle and Whoopi Goldberg got married in 1994 and divorced in 1995 barely a year after.
6. Why did Lyle Tractenberg and Whoopi Goldberg Divorce?
As revealed by the award-winning actress, she is the cause of all her divorces as she never gave her all into all her marriages. Also, she revealed that she was never in love with her ex-husbands. Drawing from this, Lyle’s marriage to the multiple award-winning actress, being the third among Whoopi Goldberg’s three marriages also failed like the first two. She was married to;
- Alvin Martin: Whoopi married her first husband, Alvin Martin in 1973 and got divorced in 1979.
- David Claessen: She moved on to her second husband, David Claessen in 1986. The actress divorced him in 1988. Looking at the duration of her marriage, it is not surprising that their marriage was short-lived.
Aside from that, Lyle who is not like his ex-wife in terms of popularity and fame may never say his side of things.
7. Lyle Trachtenberg is Married to Adrianna Belan
The Dusk Till Dawn actor is married to Adrianna Belan, an actress known for Alpha Dog(2006), Room 6(2006), and Mostly Ghostly(2007). His marriage to his current partner, Belan is a move away from his previously publicized marriage. He and Belan tied the knot just three years after he and the Sisters Act actress, Goldberg, parted ways.
Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband’s second marriage took place on August 9, 1998. He is said to have hosted his wedding with Adrianna.
8. His Wife is No Longer An Actress
Going by Adrianna’s LinkedIn profile, the Canadian-born invested many years into acting before she later switched to marketing. Prior to her acting, career, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1992. She later moved to McGill University and obtained a degree in public relations management in 1998.
Moving on, she used her educational experiences to build another career outside of acting. She started working as a writer before she landed the position of marketing director at Timothy Cline Insurance Brokers.
9. Lyle Trachtenberg Shares Two Children With His Wife, Adrianna
The unionist’s second marriage proved to be more successful than the first as it lasted longer and produced children. Lyle has two children with Adrianna. Their daughters, Gabriella Trachtenberg and Natasha Trachtenberg have accompanied him and his wife to events.
One such notable appearance was when the Tractenbergs attended the IATSE-hosted event in 2018. For now, his children’s private lives are still kept under wrap.
In the past, Lyle was a part of the life of Whoopi Goldberg’s child, Alexandrea Martin with her first husband, Alvin Martin. It is not known if he maintains any relationship with the now-grown-up Alexandrea who is an actress and movie producer.
See Also: Sara Calaway Is Undertaker’s Ex-Wife: 10 Shocking Facts About Her
10. Lyle Trachtenberg’s Net Worth
Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband, Lyle Trachtenberg has a net worth of up to $1 million. The 5’7” tall former actor made his earnings from his short-lived movie career as well as through union activities.
He is said to have been paid the sum of $166.891 in compensation by the union in 2019. Details about why he was compensated still remain unclear even though he is still a part of the union. Despite his accumulated his earnings, his ex-wife is said to have pooled a net worth of $60 million which is more than he has. She made this amount from her career of over three decades.
Lyle Trachtenberg is Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband from a marriage that lasted barely a year. Despite this and a failed acting career, he is thriving as a unionist in the IATSE making him a force to reckon with.
Looking at the 4% divorce rate among American celebrities within the first year of marriage, it is not surprising that his first marriage ended thence. His career as an actor was not successful and at his age, his comeback as an actor is highly unlikely.
