Manuel Julian Cardona Malona, born on the 25th of April 1977, is a Colombian actor who became known for his work both on TV and in films, including in “Rosario Tijeras”, “El Cartel de los Sapos” and “Narcos”.
So how much is Cardona’s net worth? As of late 2017, authoritative sources cannot confirm his wealth, but it is reputed to be over $80 million, acquired from his years working as firstly a model and then an actor which began in the early 1990s.
Manolo Cardona Net Worth $80 Million
Born in Popayan, Cauca, Columbia, Cardona is the son of Nancy Molano, a psychologist, and Javier Enrique Cardona, a former mayor of Popayan. He was given the nickname Manolo when he was seven years old, that has stuck since then and later became his screen name when his career began.
Cardona’s career started at the age of 14, when his elder brother introduced him to a modelling agency. Soon at a relatively young age he was already appearing in TV commercials and on runways. In 1995, at the age of 18 he made his television debut, when he joined the cast of “Padres e Hijos”. He stayed with the show for three years, which helped set up his career and was the real basis of his net worth.
In 1998, Cardona gained his first lead role in the soap opera entitled “Carolina Barrantes”, that was followed by another successful show entitled “¿Por qué Diablos?” which catapulted his career to greater heights.
After his success in Colombia, Cadona soon entered the world of Mexican TV soap opera, and starred in “Ladron de Corazones” in 2003 and then “Gitanas”. In 2005, he made his film debut in “Rosario Tijeras” that gained international fame, and other notable films that he has appeared in include “La mujer de mi hermano” that was released in the United States, and “Madrid-Mexico”. His films have also helped tremendously in raising his net worth.
Cadona went into a hiatus for a couple of years, and came back in “Marina” in 2006, but it was 2008’s “El Cartel de los Sapos” that brought him much acclaim. The soap opera became the most highly-rated television show in Columbia since its premier in 2008. His return to the movie screen also gained much appreciation, in the movie “Undertow” in 2009, which received a great response when it was shown in the Sundance Film Festival, and won the Audience Award for World Cinema Drama.
Aside from acting, Cadona is also known for his hosting skills, and has hosted several shows including “La Isla de la Tentacion”, “Los 50 mas Bellos de People en Espanol”, and the “2004 Billboard Latin Music Awards”.
Today, Cadona is still performing, and recently appeared in the Netflix hit series “Narcos” in which he played Eduardo Sandoval.
In terms of his personal life, Cadona has been married to Valeria Santos, a Columbian socialite, since 2012; they have a son named Gael.
