What Is Scott Bakula's Net Worth and Salary?
Scott Bakula is an American actor who has a net worth of $14 million. Scott Bakula is an American actor best known for his leading roles in two major science fiction television series. He first gained widespread recognition as Dr. Sam Beckett in "Quantum Leap" (1989-1993), in which he played a scientist who leaps through spacetime, temporarily taking the place of other people to "put right what once went wrong." This role earned him a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations.
After "Quantum Leap," Bakula appeared in various TV shows and films before landing another significant role as Captain Jonathan Archer in "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001-2005), making him part of the iconic "Star Trek" franchise. He led the crew of Earth's first long-range starship in this prequel series.
From 2014 to 2021, Scott starred as Special Agent Dwayne Pride in "NCIS: New Orleans," a successful spin-off of the popular "NCIS" franchise. Throughout his career, Bakula has also maintained connections to his theater roots, performing in various Broadway and off-Broadway productions. He's appeared in notable musicals like "Romance/Romance," for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
"NCIS" Salary
During his time on "NCIS: New Orleans," Scott Bakula's salary was $120,000 per episode. There were 155 episodes, which would imply initial-run earnings of $18.6 million. He would also earn more from re-runs and potentially from syndication points.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Scott Bakula was born on October 9, 1954, in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Sally and Joseph Bakula. He is of partial Czech ancestry and has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister. Bakula enrolled at Jefferson College and then at the University of Kansas but ended up leaving when he was offered a part in a national tour of the musical "Godspell."
In 1976, Scott moved to New York City, where he later made his Broadway debut in the musical "Marilyn: An American Fable," playing baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. He also appeared in the off-Broadway production "Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down," which garnered him a good deal of attention. He was next in "Nightclub Confidential," which co-starred his then-wife, Krista Neumann. When the production moved to Los Angeles, Scott and Krista went along with it.
Television and "Quantum Leap"
Following his move to L.A., Bakula was cast in a pair of short-lived television sitcoms: ABC's "Gung Ho" and CBS's "Eisenhower & Lutz." In the meantime, he also appeared in five episodes of "Designing Women" and two episodes of "Matlock." Bakula's breakthrough came in 1989 when he was cast in the lead role opposite Dean Stockwell in NBC's science-fiction series "Quantum Leap." The actor played Dr. Sam Beckett, a time traveler who takes advantage of a malfunction in his time machine to correct things in the past that have gone wrong. The show, which ran until 1993, earned Scott four Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award and made him a favorite of television audiences around the world.
Continued Success on TV
Bakula proceeded to take many roles in TV series and made-for-television movies. In 1993, he starred in the television film "Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771," based on real events surrounding the rescue of a Cessna 188 pilot. Scott later appeared in 13 episodes of the CBS sitcom "Murphy Brown," and co-starred in "Nowhere to Hide" with Rosanna Arquette. Other credits in the '90s included the alien conspiracy miniseries "The Invaders," the short-lived crime series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," and the science-fiction drama "NetForce."
In the early 2000s, following a series of television films including "In the Name of the People," "Papa's Angels," and "Late Boomers," Bakula was cast in the lead role of Captain Jonathan Archer on "Star Trek: Enterprise," which ran from 2001 to 2005. The actor later appeared in a wide range of other television productions, from "The New Adventures of Old Christine" to "Boston Legal," "Chuck," "Desperate Housewives," and Steven Soderbergh's "Behind the Candelabra." Some of his biggest later parts came with "Men of a Certain Age," costarring Ray Romano and Mike Royce, and HBO's LGBT-themed comedy/drama "Looking," in which he had a recurring role. In 2014, Scott was cast in the lead role of Special Agent Dwayne Pride on CBS's popular police procedural "NCIS: New Orleans."
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Film Career
Bakula made his big screen debut in Carl Reiner's 1990 black comedy "Sibling Rivalry." Subsequent films included "Necessary Roughness," "A Passion to Kill," "Lord of Illusions," and the comedy sequel "Major League: Back to the Minors," in which he portrayed a veteran baseball pitcher. In 1999, Scott had a small part in the Best Picture Oscar winner "American Beauty," starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. In the 2000s and 2010s, he appeared in such films as "Life as a House," the Matt Damon crime comedy "The Informant!," the psychological thriller "Enter the Dangerous Mind," the comedy/drama "Elsa & Fred" starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer, and "Basmati Blues," a romantic comedy musical with Brie Larson, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Donald Sutherland.
Further Stage Roles
While appearing in movies and on television, Bakula continued to take roles on stage. From 1987 to 1988, he starred in the original off-Broadway production "Romance/Romance," for which he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. In 2006, Scott starred in the musical "Shenandoah" at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC; the same production had launched his professional theatre career in 1976. Later, he did a one-night-only performance on January 18, 2008, to help benefit the restoration of Ford's Theater. Other theatrical credits have included the musical "Dancing in the Dark," performed at The Old Globe in San Diego, California, and the musical drama "No Strings," written by the late Richard Rodgers.
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Personal Life
In 1981, Bakula married Krista Neumann. They had two children before divorcing in 1995. In 1999, Scott married actress Chelsea Field. They have two children.
After rarely being home during the filming of "Quantum Leap," Bakula decided to prioritize his family while shooting later projects. As a result, he had it written into his "Star Trek: Enterprise" contract that filming be done by 6 PM every Wednesday so he could be home to have dinner with his family. During the production of "NCIS: New Orleans," he made sure to return home to Los Angeles every weekend to be with his wife.
Real Estate
In January 1990, Scott paid $1.8 million for a 4,000-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles. This has remained his primary home, and today it is likely worth $6-8 million. In the 1990s, Bakula constructed a 6,000-square-foot home set on four acres in Ojai, California. He listed the home for sale in August 1996 for $1.8 million.
