The Wealthiest Soap Opera Stars Of 2020

Bonnie Byrne

November 19, 2020

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A career in soap operas can be tough and grinding and not always all that rewarding. But for stars who’ve stayed at it for the long haul, it can also be quite lucrative. Just ask the Young And The Restless’ (Y&R) Eric Braeden, the Bold And The Beautiful’s (B&B) Katherine Kelly Lang, Days Of Our Lives’ (DOOL) Deirdre Hall and General Hospital’s (GH) Finola Hughes. The following are 12 of the wealthiest soap opera stars of 2020.

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12. Susan Seaforth Hayes – DOOL

Susan Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie Williams on DOOL, has amassed a small fortune during her 56-year soap opera career. She began acting in 1954 and her first soap appearance was on the black and white sudser The Young Marrieds in 1964. Hayes landed the role of Julie in 1968 and hasn’t looked back since.

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11. Maura West – GH

Maura West’s first soap tenure was playing Carly Tenney on As The World Turns. It was a role she played for 15 years, until the soap was canceled in 2010. Then she landed a gig as Diane Jenkins on Y&R in 2010. The actress seems most at home, however, playing Ava Jerome on General Hospital, a character she has portrayed since 2013. West has turned soap acting into a lucrative career, which has also earned her three Daytime Emmy Awards.

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10. Stephen Nichols – DOOL

Stephen Nichols, aka Patch, has been portraying Steve Johnson on DOOL on and off for more than three decades. In between DOOL stints, he played Dr. Skylar Gates on Santa Barbara, Stefan Cassadine on GH and Port Charles and Tucker McCall on the Y&R. Over the years, he’s also appeared on prime-time series like Murder She Wrote, Matlock and Crash.

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9. Finola Hughes – GH

Finola Hughes, who plays Anna Devane on GH, has amassed enough of a fortune to famously take a hiatus from the show every summer. Her first soap gig was on GH in 1985 but she got her acting start playing John Travolta’s love interest in the movie Staying Alive, the 1983 sequel to the hit film Saturday Night Fever.

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8. Peter Bergman – Y&R

Well known as Jack Abbott, Peter Bergman recently celebrated his 40th anniversary playing the head of Jabot on the sudser. But Bergman got his start playing another character for a decade, Dr. Cliff Warner on the now-defunct All My Children. He has also won two Daytime Emmy Awards playing Jack and has been nominated more than 20 times.

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7. John Aniston – DOOL

Veteran actor John Aniston has been portraying mobster Victor Kiriakis on DOOL since 1985 and fans couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role. His first and only other soap role was as Martin Tourneur on Search For Tomorrow, a part he played for four years. In real life, he is the father to superstar actress Jennifer Aniston.

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6. Deidre Hall – DOOL

Another DOOL actor who has amassed a small fortune during a lucrative soap opera career is Deirdre Hall. She has played Dr. Marlena Evans, a role she originated, since 1976. She also took over the role of Marlena’s doppelganger Hattie Adams, originally portrayed by her real-life twin sister Andrea Hall. DOOL wasn’t her first soap gig, she also appeared in the debut episode of Y&R as Barbara in 1973.

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5. Joshua Morrow – Y&R

Speaking of the Y&R, Joshua Morrow, who has portrayed Nick Newman on the sudser since 1994, has also made a pretty penny for himself over the years. When he first appeared as Victor Newman’s eldest son, he was only a teenager and viewers have literally watched him grow up on the show during the last 26 years.

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4. Katherine Kelly Lang – B&B

Katherine Kelly Lang is only one of two actors who has been on the B&B since its debut in 1987. And her character, Brooke Forrester, remains one of the most popular to this day, especially when she’s canoodling with her destiny, Ridge Forrester. Not only has Lang made a lot of money acting she also owns her own high-end boutique called Benheart in Beverley Hills.

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3. Michelle Stafford – Y&R

Michelle Stafford has been playing the role of Phyllis Summers since 1994, although she did take a break from the part in 2014. Stafford left the Y&R and jumped to GH, where she played Nina Reeves for five years. When she ran into some problems renegotiating her contract, the Y&R lured her back to the fold.

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2. Eric Braeden – Y&R

Eric Braeden, who portrays the great Victor Newman on the Y&R, is one of the richest soap actors in the world. He’s appeared in movies, including the Oscar winning film Titanic, and television shows and has even written a book, all of which amount to a handsome lifestyle. When you’re as rich as Braeden, it must make playing a millionaire tycoon that much simpler.

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1. Lauralee Bell – Y&R

Lauralee Bell, who plays Christine Williams on the Y&R, hits number one on this list. She is the wealthiest soap opera star hands down, with a whopping value to her name. The child of William and Lee Philip Bell, who created Y&R and B&B, she has amassed a large fortune since she first appeared on the Y&R in 1985.

Bonnie Byrne

Bonnie is a freelance writer who has a passion for Stephen King novels, Outlander, sci-fi movies and soap operas, especially the Bold And The Beautiful and the Young And The Restless. Her favorite pastime is getting together with a good friend and having a laugh.