What Is Melody Thomas Scott's Net Worth?
Melody Thomas Scott is an American actress and author who has a net worth of $7 million. Melody Thomas Scott is best known for starring as Nikki Newman on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" (1979–present), a role that has earned her two Daytime Emmy nominations and a "Soap Opera Digest" Award. Melody began acting when she was a child, and she has appeared in the films "Marnie" (1964), "The Beguiled" (1971), "Posse" (1975), "The Shootist" (1976), "The Car" (1977), "The Fury" (1978), "Piranha" (1978), and "Freezerburn" (2005) and television series such as "The Waltons" (1977), "Charlie's Angels" (1978), "The Nanny" (1997), "My Name Is Earl" (2007), and "Castle" (2011). Scott published the memoir "Always Young & Restless: My Life On and Off America's #1 Daytime Drama" in 2020.
Early Life
Melody Thomas Scott was born Melody Ann Thomas on April 18, 1956, in Los Angeles, California. Scott's mother was a teenager when she gave birth to Melody. Scott was raised by her grandmother, who was a hoarder. At the age of 4, Melody got involved with Hollywood Children's Theater, and the founder, Cosmo Morgan, began molesting her. Scott's grandmother witnessed the abuse and allegly did nothing about it. Later, Melody said of her grandmother:
"That is my biggest stumbling block in trying to learn forgiveness where she is concerned because to me, if an adult in charge of a child witnesses that and doesn't stop it, that is just evil. I don't know that I will ever be able to forgive evil."
Scott moved out of her grandmother's house when she was 20, and she majored in music at the University of Southern California.
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Career
Melody made her film debut in 1964 with an uncredited role in Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie." She then guest-starred on "Wagon Train" (1965) and "Ironside" (1969) and co-starred with Clint Eastwood in "The Beguiled" (1971), Kirk Douglas in "Posse" (1975), and John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and James Stewart in "The Shootist" (1976). Scott starred in the TV movie "Secrets" (1977), then she guest-starred on "Code R" (1977), "Fish" (1977), "The Waltons" (1977), "Charlie's Angels" (1978), "Makin' It" (1979), "Billy" (1979), and "The Rockford Files" (1979). She appeared in the 1977 horror movie "The Car" alongside James Brolin, and she reunited with Kirk Douglas in the 1978 supernatural thriller "The Fury." That year Melody also starred in the comedy-horror film "Piranha," which "Jaws" director Steven Spielberg called "the best of the 'Jaws' ripoffs."
In 1979, Scott began starring as Nikki Reed (later known as Nikki Newman) on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." Melody has been described as the "leading lady of 'Y&R'" ("On-Air On-Soaps") and "a true fan favorite and daytime royalty" ("BuzzWorthy Radio"). As of this writing, the show has earned Scott two Daytime Emmy nominations, six "Soap Opera Digest" Award nominations (with one win), two Online Film & Television Association Award nominations, a Gold Derby Award nomination, and a Telegatto Award. In 2001, Melody reprised the role of Nikki Newman in a episode of the sitcom "The King of Queens," and in February 2019, "The Young and the Restless" aired a stand-alone episode honoring Melody's four decades with the series. She was absent from the soap opera during part of 2011, and after she renewed her contract, "TV Guide's" Michael Logan wrote, "Our long national nightmare is over! Execs at 'The Young and the Restless' have finally seen the light and are bringing Melody Thomas Scott back to the show."
In 1980, Scott appeared in the TV movie "The Scarlett O'Hara War," which was part of a three-night NBC miniseries called "Moviola: A Hollywood Saga." "Moviola" received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Limited Series and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama. Melody guest-starred on "Hotel" (1985) and "The Nanny" (1997), and she played the lead role in the 2003 TV movie "The Paradise Virus." In 2005, she appeared in the film "Freezerburn," then she guest-starred on "My Name Is Earl" (2007), "Castle" (2011), and "The Crazy Ones" (2014).
Personal Life
Melody married Michael Altman in January 1979, and they divorced that July. She wed Bob Shield in 1980, and after they divorced, she married Edward Scott, an executive producer of "The Young and the Restless," on October 12, 1985. The Scotts have three daughters: Alexandra (Melody's daughter with late makeup artist Carlos Yeaggy), Jennifer (Edward's daughter from a previous marriage), and Elizabeth.
Awards and Nominations
Scott has received two Daytime Emmy nominations for "The Young and the Restless," Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1999 and America's Favorite Couple (shared with Eric Braeden) in 2002. She has earned six "Soap Opera Digest" Award nominations, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in 2001. Melody was also nominated in that category in 1995 and 2005, and her other nominations were for Outstanding Lead Actress: Daytime (1991), Hottest Female Star (1994), and Favorite Actress (2000). In 1991, she won a Telegatto Award for Best Actress, and in 2010, she received a Gold Derby Award nomination for Lead Actress – Daytime Drama. Scott earned Online Film & Television Association Award nominations for Best Actress in a Daytime Serial in 1997 and 1999.
Real Estate
In early 2022, Melody and Edward sold their 6,080 square foot Beverly Hills mansion for $6.14 million. They paid $2.3 million for the home in 2001. The home was built in the late '80s, and it includes five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a library, a gym, and a gourmet kitchen. A hot tub, infinity-edge pool, and outdoor kitchen sit on the .4-acre property.
