Wealthiest Former Soap Opera Stars

Published on October 12, 2022.

Fun fact: many of the wealthiest soap opera stars haven’t been on daytime television in a long time! While some of these performers occasionally come back to soap operas for a victory lap, many of them have moved on to other projects. Regardless, there’s no denying that success in soaps has launched these former daytime stars into a very comfortable lifestyle!

Want soap spoilers delivered to your inbox every week? Sign up for Fame10’s weekly soap opera spoilers newsletter.

12. Tyler Christopher — $7 Million

Much like the lavish lifestyle that his General Hospital (GH) character, Nikolas Cassadine, enjoys, Tyler Christopher sits on an estimated value of $7 million. Between his decades-long career with GH and his stint at DOOL, Christopher is known for his acting talents, although his high-profile romantic exploits with the likes of Eva Longoria and Vanessa Marcil haven’t hurt. Alas, he’s also become notorious in recent years for his hard-partying lifestyle, which he says nearly ended his life. As the star focuses on his health, many daytime fans are hoping Christopher is capable of a comeback.

2

11. Justin Hartley — $7 Million

Justin Hartley had a rough start on prime time, as every series he was involved in seemed to get canceled. But those experiences clearly set the actor up for later success, as the one-time Young and the Restless (Y&R) heartthrob is now a beloved prime time television actor. While This Is Us made Hartley famous on a far greater scale than he’d ever known, he’s already lined up his next big career move with The Never Game. Between these notable roles, and the pervasive interest in his personal life, Hartley is sitting on an estimated value of $7 million.

3

10. Jack Wagner — $9.8 Million

Jack Wagner made a friendly stop on The Bold and the Beautiful (B&B) in 2022 for a standalone episode on Brooke Logan. Notwithstanding special occasions, however, Wagner doesn’t spend a lot of time on daytime television anymore. On the backs of his decades with B&B and GH, Wagner now prefers to work on Hallmark movies and the occasional prime time series (like When Calls The Heart, in which he starred opposite ex-wife, Kristina Wagner). According to Looper, he’s worth an estimated $9.8 million.

4

9. Catherine Bach — $10 Million

Catherine Bach had a wild acting career well before she came to daytime television. Between her various prime time guest appearances and her iconic role as Daisy Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard (where her legs were reportedly insured for $1 million alone), Bach already had legions of fans. So while her Y&R character, Anita Lawson, gets the occasional mention, Bach doesn’t even need to appear on-screen in order to be worth an estimated $10 million.

5

8. David Hasselhoff — $10 Million

When people nowadays hear that David Hasselhoff was on Y&R, they usually assume he made a guest appearance or two. Not the case! “The Hoff” was with the CBS soap from 1975 to 1982, playing Dr. Bill Foster Jr. The eligible bachelor was apparently quite the ladies man, too! Regardless, Hasselhoff made a greater cultural impact with Knight Rider and Baywatch, which pushed his star power to “household name” status. Like Bach, Hasselhoff’s assets are reportedly worth $10 million.

6

7. Denise Richards — $12 Million

From Hollywood blockbusters to um, an OnlyFans account, Denise Richards sure knows how to diversify her portfolio. Unlike many stars on this list, Richards’ fame happened long before she was on daytime television. Beyond her film work on Starship Troopers and The World Is Not Enough, the B&B star is well known for her modeling and prime time appearances. Add in the media attention surrounding her marriage to Charlie Sheen, and Richards is worth an estimated $12 million.

7

6. Daniel Goddard — $16.7 Million

While his role as Cane Ashby on Y&R certainly netted Daniel Goddard a lot of new fans, the Australian model and actor wasn’t exactly hurting for work. The star routinely models internationally for the likes of Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana. His striking looks and natural charisma has earned the star an estimated worth of $16.7 million, according to Looper.

8

5. Shemar Moore — $17 Million

It was instantly clear when Shemar Moore debuted as Malcolm Winters on Y&R that he was destined for big things. From that stunning smile to his impressive acting range, Moore had it all — and for a decade, Y&R viewers got to enjoy his star power almost every day. Although the actor has made sporadic visits to Genoa City in recent years, Moore is now a mainstay in prime time with Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T. Thanks to the steady work and high profile, Moore’s assets are reportedly valued at $17 million.

9

4. Josh Duhamel — $18 Million

All My Children (AMC) alum Josh Duhamel has covered a lot of ground since his days in soap opera land. The actor has kept himself busy in several prime time series (Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., The Thing About Pam) as well as voice-acting work (Blade Runner: Black Lotus). According to Looper, Duhamel has assets in the ballpark of $18 million.

10

3. Mark Consuelos — $40 Million

Another former AMC actor, Mark Consuelos has capitalized on his promising career in daytime by branching out with big roles throughout prime time. He’s landed notable appearances on TV series like Queen Of the South and The Night Shift but his presence on Riverdale has easily been the most successful of the bunch. Even though Looper reports that Consuelos has assets in the neighborhood of $40 million, he isn’t the breadwinner in his household. Keep reading if you don’t believe us!

11

2. Susan Lucci — $80 Million

Susan Lucci needs no introduction on Fame10. The soap opera icon, whose presence helped make AMC the powerhouse soap it was for decades, was a fan-favorite and frequent Daytime Emmy nominee (with 21 nominations!). In the early 90s, Lucci was the highest-paid performer in daytime drama and, thirty-odd years later, she’s still at the top of the pack. According to Looper, her assets are valued at approximately $80 million.

12

1. Kelly Ripa — $120 Million

Kelly Ripa originally wanted to be a newscaster, but boy has she outperformed those goals! The All My Children actress was already a star when she successfully got hired to replace co-host Kathie Lee Gifford on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee. She also formed a production company with her husband, Mark Consuelos, and has served as executive producer on several television shows, including Joffrey Elite, Fire Island and Live With Kelly and Ryan. She sits on assets valued at $120 million.