What is Wayne Brady's Net Worth and Salary?
Wayne Brady is an American actor, comedian, singer, and television personality with a net worth of $12 million. Known for his charming persona, Wayne gained fame as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998–2007, 2013–present), which he also produces. He also wrote, produced, and starred in The Wayne Brady Show on ABC, a variety then talk show from 2001 to 2004.
Brady has made numerous guest appearances, including on Chappelle's Show (2004), Sesame Street (2004), Stargate SG-1 (2005), Everybody Hates Chris (2006–2008), 30 Rock (2007), and Psych (2012). Notably, he played James Stinson, brother of Neil Patrick Harris's character Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother (2006–2014). Wayne hosted Don't Forget the Lyrics! (2007-2009) and the CBS revival of Let's Make a Deal since 2009. He released two albums: A Long Time Coming (2008) and Radio Wayne (2011).
Early Life
Wayne Alphonso Brady was born on June 2, 1972, in Columbus, Georgia. His mother, Linda, worked at a hospital, while his father, Wayne, served as an Army drill sergeant. Raised by his paternal grandmother, Valerie, in Orlando, Florida, Brady struggled with bullying and developed a stutter from anxiety. He attended Dr. Phillips High School, graduating in 1989, where he befriended future *NSYNC member Joey Fatone. Initially planning to join the military, Brady took up local theater and honed his improv skills at SAK Comedy Lab. He later attended the University of Miami and moved to Los Angeles in 1996.
Career
Wayne's television debut came in 1990 with Superboy; three years later, he appeared on I'll Fly Away and In the Heat of the Night. From 1996 to 1999, he was part of the series Kwik Witz. Brady joined the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1998, earning three Emmy nominations and winning in 2003. In the original run of Whose Line, he starred in films like Going to the Mat (2004), Roll Bounce (2005), and Crossover (2006), and voiced characters in several animated films.
His hosting career began with The Wayne Brady Show in 2001; after its cancellation, it returned as a successful daytime talk show, earning him two Daytime Emmys. He also held roles on Broadway in Chicago (2004), Kinky Boots (2015–2016, 2018), Freestyle Love Supreme (2019–2020), and regional theater in productions like Rent and Hamilton.
Since 2009, Brady has hosted Let's Make a Deal, earning numerous Daytime Emmy nominations. He co-hosted the NAACP Image Awards with Holly Robinson Peete in 2011. His other roles include voice work on Sofia the First (2013–2018), appearances on Colony (2018), and a role in The Bold and the Beautiful (2018). He won The Masked Singer in 2019 and played Tyson Sykes/Gravedigger on Black Lightning (2020).
(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Personal Life
Wayne was married to Diana Lasso from 1993 to 1995, then to dancer Mandie Taketa from 1999 to 2008, with whom he has a daughter, Maile Masako (born 2003). Brady has openly discussed his battle with clinical depression, including a mental breakdown on his 42nd birthday. He's actively supported Ronald McDonald House Charities for over a decade and is a member of the Friends of RMHC, the organization's celebrity board. In 2020, he was made an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, alongside Bill Duke.
Awards and Nominations
Wayne Brady won a Primetime Emmy in 2003 for Whose Line Is It Anyway? and has earned 19 Daytime Emmy nominations, winning four times for The Wayne Brady Show and Let's Make a Deal. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2009 for “A Change is Gonna Come” and has been honored by Behind the Voice Actors Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and NAMIC Vision Awards.
Real Estate
Brady listed his 4,200 square foot Sherman Oaks home for $3 million in 2017, which he sold in 2018 for $2.65 million. Earlier, in 2013, he sold another Sherman Oaks home for $1.8 million and purchased a condo in Pacific Palisades for $1.75 million, selling it two years later for $1.8 million.
