Isaiah Mustafa Net Worth

What is Isaiah Mustafa's Net Worth and Salary?

Isaiah Mustafa is an actor and former professional football player who has a net worth of $6 million. In addition to his famous breakout role as the Man Your Man Could Smell Like in a series of Old Spice television commercials, Isaiah Mustafa has had main roles in the television series "Shadowhunters" and "Cross." Mustafa has also acted in many films, including "Madea's Big Happy Family," "Horrible Bosses," "It Chapter Two," and "Murder at Yellowstone City."

Old Spice Salary

Isaiah Mustafa became widely known for his role in the Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign, which launched in 2010 and became a massive viral success. While specific contract details and payment amounts for commercial actors like him aren't usually made public, we can estimate based on industry standards and a few contextual clues. Here's a breakdown of how it likely worked:

1. SAG-AFTRA Commercial Rates (Union Rates)

Most national commercials are governed by SAG-AFTRA union rules, which include base pay and residuals. Here's the general idea:

• Session fee (filming the commercial): Around $3,800–$4,000 per commercial (as of current SAG rates).
• Residuals (re-use and airplay): These can significantly multiply earnings, especially for a national ad that runs frequently on TV and online.

For a high-profile, widely-aired campaign like Old Spice, residuals could easily total in the six figures per year for a campaign airing across multiple platforms for months or years.

2. Isaiah Mustafa's Case (High-Profile, Viral Campaign)

Given how iconic and recurring his appearances were:

• Estimated annual earnings from the campaign at its peak could range from $500,000 to over $1 million, depending on how many commercials aired, how often, and whether he negotiated bonuses or profit-sharing due to the campaign's viral success.
• If he had a long-term or exclusive contract with Old Spice, it could have included additional fees beyond standard SAG rates.

3. Long-Term Brand Association

Even after the original campaign's peak, Isaiah Mustafa has returned in later Old Spice commercials (e.g., in 2020). This kind of long-term brand relationship might result in higher negotiated rates or endorsement-style deals.

Early Life and Education

Isaiah Mustafa was born on February 11, 1974 in Portland, Oregon as the youngest of seven children of Muslim parents Shahidah and John. When he was five years old, he moved with his family to Mission Viejo, California. As a teenager, Mustafa attended Santa Clara High School in Oxnard. He went on to attend Santa Monica College before transferring to Moorpark College. Mustafa completed his college degree at Arizona State University, graduating in 1995 with a degree in history.

In school, Mustafa played football at Moorpark College and Arizona State University. With the Arizona State Sun Devils, he played in the 1997 Rose Bowl. Although he planned to become a high school teacher after graduating from ASU, Mustafa was encouraged by a sports agent to try out for NFL teams. After being signed to the practice squad of the Tennessee Oilers, he played for the Barcelona Dragons in Europe in 1998. The following year, Mustafa spent time with the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. He finished his football career in 2000 in the training camp of the Seattle Seahawks.

Television Career

Mustafa began his career on television in the late '00s, appearing in episodes of "Ugly Betty," "Days of Our Lives," "NCIS: Los Angeles," and "Eli Stone." In 2010, he became suddenly famous for his role as the Man Your Man Could Smell Like in a series of commercials for Old Spice, which featured him delivering a rapid-fire monologue about the benefits of Old Spice while moving seamlessly through changing costumes and scenery, all done in a single take. The original commercial won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. Mustafa became more prolific in the years after that, appearing in episodes of such shows as "Chuck," "Hot in Cleveland," "Femme Fatales," "Charlie's Angels," "Nikita," "Anger Management," and "Kroll Show." He also played the father of Keke Palmer's protagonist in the Nickelodeon television film "Rags."

Mustafa landed his first main role on television in 2016, as werewolf Luke Garroway in the supernatural drama series "Shadowhunters." Based on Cassandra Clare's novel series "The Mortal Instruments," the series aired on Freeform through the spring of 2019. Others in the cast included Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, and Matthew Daddario. Mustafa went on to have guest roles on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Black-ish" in 2021 and 2022, respectively. He had his next main role in 2024, playing Washington, DC police detective John Sampson in the crime thriller series "Cross." The Amazon Prime Video series is based on the "Alex Cross" novel series by James Patterson, and stars Aldis Hodge as the titular character. Among the other cast members are Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Jennifer Wigmore, and Ryan Eggold.

Film Career

Following brief roles in "The Island" and "Even Money," Mustafa had his first substantial film role in Tyler Perry's 2011 dramedy "Madea's Big Happy Family." The same year, he had a small part in the comedy "Horrible Bosses." Mustafa had another small role in 2012, in the comedy "The Three Stooges." The next year, he appeared in the direct-to-video thriller "Crush," and in 2014 he was in the comedy "Back in the Day." In 2016, Mustafa had a supporting role in "After the Reality," starring Matthew Morrison and Sarah Chalke. At the end of the decade, he played the adult version of Mike Hanlon in the supernatural horror film "It Chapter Two," the sequel to "It." Mustafa's subsequent credits were the football comedy "Home Team" and the Western "Murder at Yellowstone City," both released in 2022. After that, he appeared in the 2023 dystopian action comedy "Boy Kills World," which reunited him with "It Chapter Two" star Bill Skarsgård.

Other Endeavors

A big fan of comic books, Mustafa won an episode of the television game show "Weakest Link" by knowing the first name of the supervillain Doctor Doom. Later, he appeared as the superhero Luke Cage in a Marvel Comics web short that sent up his Old Spice commercials. Among his other endeavors, Mustafa owned the restaurant Jo Jo's Barbecue in Los Angeles at the beginning of the 21st century.

Personal Life

Mustafa previously dated professional wrestler and actress Catherine Perry, better known by her WWE ring name Lana. In 2016, he began dating Lisa Mitchell, whom he married in 2018; they have a son together.

Real Estate

In 2021, Isaiah paid $2.5 million for an 8-acre property in Santa Ynez, California. Today, this home is likely worth around $3.5 million.