What is Steven Bauer's Net Worth?
Steven Bauer, a Cuban-American actor, boasts a net worth of $5 million. He is widely recognized for his performances in iconic films and TV shows such as "Scarface," "Traffic," "Breaking Bad," and "Better Call Saul."
Early Life
Born on August 7, 1956, in Havana, Cuba, as Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson, Steven Bauer's early years were shaped by his family’s migration to the United States in 1960, shortly after the Cuban Revolution. His father, Esteban Echevarria, was a commercial pilot for Cubana Airlines, and his mother, Lillian Agostini, was a schoolteacher. Bauer’s maternal grandfather had migrated to Cuba from Germany to escape World War II.
Upon settling in Miami, Florida, Bauer adapted to his new environment by adopting the anglicized name Steven. He completed his high school education at Miami Dade High School in 1974 before pursuing acting at Miami Dade Community College and the University of Miami. There, he crossed paths with the future actor Ray Liotta.
Career
Bauer’s acting career began with a significant role in the PBS bilingual sitcom "Que Pasa, USA?" from 1977 to 1979, portraying a teenage son in a Cuban exile family in Miami. This was followed by his role in the 1980 miniseries “From Here to Eternity.” In his early career, some of his credits were under the name Rocky Echevarria.
In 1981, Bauer co-starred in the television film “She’s in the Army Now,” where he met his first wife, Melanie Griffith. The couple moved to New York City to further their acting careers and lived with Ray Liotta, a long-time friend since their university days. During this period, Bauer studied under the renowned acting teacher Stella Adler and participated in numerous off-Broadway productions, later adopting the stage name Steven Bauer.
Bauer’s breakout role came in 1983 when he was cast as Manny Ribera in the “Scarface” remake. Although relatively unknown at the time, his audition impressed the producers, partly due to his Cuban heritage. This performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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The success of “Scarface” led to more significant roles. In 1986, Bauer starred as Detective Frank Sigliano in the comedy “Running Scared” and portrayed an Israeli soldier in “Sword of Gideon,” a film about the aftermath of the 1972 Munich massacre, which inspired Steven Spielberg's “Munich.”
Bauer’s career continued to thrive with his role as DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1990’s “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story” and as the lead in the final season of the series “Wiseguy.” Throughout the 1990s, Bauer focused on action and crime genres, appearing in films such as “Primal Fear,” “The Blackout,” “The Versace Murder,” “King of Texas,” and “Doing Hard Time.” His TV appearances included “Law & Order,” “Cold Case,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and “V.I.P.”
In 2011, Bauer took on the recurring role of Don Eladio Vuente in the fourth season of “Breaking Bad” and continued this role in the spin-off “Better Call Saul” from 2017. He also appeared in “Ray Donovan” from 2013 to 2017, and “Queen of the South” in 2017 as El Santo.
Beyond acting, Bauer has lent his voice to video games like “Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” “Hitman: Absolution,” and “Let It Die” and appeared in music videos for Miami Sound Machine, Pitbull, Drake, and Zayn.
Personal Life
Bauer has been married four times. His first marriage was with Melanie Griffith, whom he met during the filming of “She’s in the Army Now.” They married in 1981 and had a son, Alexander, before divorcing in 1989. His second marriage to Ingrid Anderson lasted from 1989 to 1991, and they had a son named Dylan. Bauer was then married to Christiana Boney from 1992 until their divorce in 2002. His fourth marriage was with Paulette Miltimore from 2003 to 2012.
