With the start of the new network television season just around the corner, I have often been curious as to how much coin some of your favorite celebrities get to take home per episode. TV Guide has broken down a list drawn from conversations with agents, network executives and studio heads. And if people think Mariah Carey bringing home an alleged $18 million for one season of The X Factor is too much money, what's shocking is that most actors don't bring home a third of that. It makes perfect sense why the cast of Friends held out and got more money from NBC and even the cast of Jersey Shore held out just about every season from MTV because they knew their shenenigans brought the network a shitload of money, but what would they have to show for their wallets after the dust settled? And let's not forget the cast of Modern Family, who just renegotiated their contracts after suing their network ABC. They got their salary bumps and now everyone's happy and back to work. The only ones who see a salary increase based on ratings spikes are shows produced by HBO and Showtime, since it's not a problem increasing an actor's salary since the networks only produce 10-13 episodes a season.
TV Guide breaks it down on how TV actors are being paid less every season, while reality stars are being paid more:
The television industry can thank the feature-film business for creating the current buyers' market. Movie studios are now driven by big-budget action thrillers that play well internationally, leaving little work for actors who made their living in genre movies, romantic comedies and family films. "Theatrical talent is coming into television, and that's pushing the price of television people down," says one network president. A tough economic climate — and smaller ratings — has also given TV executives the courage to say no. "They say we have no money and they hold firm," according to one talent manager.
So how can the stars of Modern Family be getting raises that more than double their salaries? "When you've got a hit show, all bets are off," says one network entertainment president. The cast was united in seeking a share of the fortune the show's studio, 20th Century Fox Television, stands to make from syndicated reruns of the hit ABC comedy (USA Network is already committed to $1.5 million per episode). But executives believe the recent brief standoff was a standard renegotiation for a successful series and will have no effect on actor pay scales for new shows going forward.
Networks are paying more on the reality side, where major names are being sought to create buzz and ratings. Howard Stern picked up $15 million to join America's Got Talent. Mariah Carey will get around $17 million to join American Idol. Compared to the challenges of the music business, a seat at the judges' table seems a lucrative way for recording artists looking to keep up their public profiles. "You have to do a lot of touring and sell a lot of downloads to make the money you used to make," says Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly. Stars like Carey don't come cheap, but reality competition shows are among the most profitable in prime time. Says Reilly, "If bringing some of the biggest names in the business generates a new dynamic and some viewing interest, that's a smart investment."
Reality shows are also much cheaper to produce than a 22-episode scripted series, which is also why networks are willing to pay top dollar for a celebrity name rather than someone who can actually bring an actual opinion. If Mariah can give constructive criticism without worrying about how her image plays across America, then she will be a good fit for AI. The problem I have with these singing shows is that everyone wants the applause from the audience which is why J Lo never gave an actual opinion on the two seasons she was on. Not only that, but Howard's not doing to well on America's Got Talent since rating have dropped quite rapidly since he started early this summer. Only time will tell if celebs like Britney Spears and Mariah are worth their salaries.
It was quite interesting to learn how much some of daytime's talking heads make, but I'm curious to learn just exactly how much all the ladies of The View bring home not just Sherry Shepherd. Even though Joy Behar should be making the most money since she's been on the show since it's debut 16 years ago, I'm pretty sure Whoopi Goldberg is bringing home the most since she's the bigger celebrity name.
Check out the full list below:
Drama (per episode)
Mark Harmon (NCIS): $500,000
Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy): $350,000
Kevin Bacon (The Following): $175,000
Lucy Liu (Elementary): $125,000
Stephen Amell (Arrow): $30,000
Comedy (per episode)
Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men): $700,000
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory): $300,000
Modern Family Adult Cast: $175,000 each
Lea Michele (Glee): $75,000
Crystal the Monkey (Animal Practice): $12,000
Late Night (per year)
David Letterman: $28 million
Jay Leno: $25 million
Jon Stewart: $16 million
Craig Ferguson: $8 million
Chelsea Handler: $8 million
Daytime/Syndication (per year)
Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy): $45 million
Joe Brown (Judge Joe Brown): $20 million
Kelly Ripa (Live! With Kelly): $20 million
Sherri Shepherd (The View): $1.5 million
Mario Batali (The Chew): $6,000 per episode
Reality
Mariah Carey (American Idol): $17 million per season
Howard Stern (America's Got Talent): $15 million per season
Pauly DelVecchio (Jersey Shore): $175,000 per episode
Betty White (Off Their Rockers): $50,000 per episode
Landry Family (Swamp People): $25,000 per episode
News (per year)
Matt Lauer (Today): $21.5 million
Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor): $15 million
Diane Sawyer (ABC World News): $12 million
Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360 and Anderson Live): $11 million
Robin Meade (HLN anchor): $750,000
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