Salaries of TV’s Top Talent Revealed
October 4, 2016 | 08:15AM PT
The peak TV era has increased the paychecks of in-demand talent to eye-popping levels. The high fees for television’s 1% — at a time when business models, episode orders, and distribution strategies are in the midst of a massive transition — has exacerbated the earnings gap between stars and supporting players.
This story first appeared in the October 04, 2016 issue of Variety. Subscribe today. See more.
Variety conducted a wide survey of actors, executives, attorneys, agents, managers, and other representatives in an effort to offer a snapshot of the earnings power of talent at all levels in primetime, late-night, daytime, and news. The figures presented here are estimates based on extensive research to determine talent paydays in the most current seasons of specific series. In some cases, those numbers include backend fees. These numbers do not reflect income that many actors and personalities realize from other projects, licensing and merchandising, and business ventures.
⦠It is terrible that African Americans are paid less in Hollywood.
⦠African Americans, women and people of color need better business representation in contract deals and negotiation
⦠Movie and TV need improve wages to people of color like African Americans.
⦠Shows and movies with African Americans are likely to be profitable.
⦠African American, people of color need to be paid more
Toad Princess says:
Salaries for Actors and Actresses are obscene. There is no real talent involved. They even have the audacity to pat themselves on the back with awards and red carpet events. Do they not know shame?
This is a big rip off the black-americans actors/entertainers are still seen/treated as vassals in the whiteman’s plantation farm in this time and age in terms of payments.What a shame!
Toad Princess says:
Nope not any longer. watch any tv drama. a black guy will play the part of the boss. ie. chief of police,judge, etc..
Torey Crosby says:
So black people aren’t as talented as white people….
Spare us the racial crying. People are either famous for their ability or not. Has nothing to do with the color of their skin. All that racial crying does is defeat any real discrimination complaint and turn people off.
Well, hopefully getting this info works out for the good of the black actors. I am not in show biz, but have been the first/only most of my career. Twice my white counter parts (with ugly agendas, they were jealous)gave me the info of my lower than their salary. I was hurt but proactive. After all, I had fought so hard just to get a seat at the table. I was not a token, I was qualifed for my job. The result is I am one of the highest paid of the professionals who do what I do. (
That’s sad that race determines the outcome of these human beings who do the same thing for a living but still are not fairly compensated….
Those Game of Thrones actors are very much overpaid. They don’t do a lot of work considering that this show has about 1000 characters and sometimes you don’t see these people for an entire episode. Regardless of ratings or pop culture success. They’re making half of what the Big Bang cast makes who show up on every episode, 24 episodes a year and still huge ratings. (Not talking about quality, here. Just in case).
Toad Princess says:
Big bang is not in the slightest bit funny. It should be scrapped. The actors are grossly overpaid. I hope the show gets cancelled. Especially because of the most annoying one. Sheldon. always on a downer and so sarcastic… lowest form of whit…
Who died and made you god? Because you don’t think a show is funny it should be cancelled? It’s a number one rated show so clearly others are enjoying it. But because you’re not, it should be scrapped? Selfish much?
Shooting a sitcom is a piece of cake. It takes 3 days to shoot an episode and those often are not 12h days. Game Of Thrones shoots on location for months.
Also, because they shoot 24 episodes instead of 10, BBT cast makes a lot more money.
Forgot to mention: Surprised to see the Transparent cast get so much money compared to people like GIna Rodriguez, Tracee Ross and others. I guess it makes sense considering this is Amazon’s only success from about 50 shows they’ve tried to make happen. Gotta keep the Transparent cast happy.
Robin Wright gets equal pay to Kevin Spacey on House of Cards so why isn’t she included on the list?
David Ireland says:
Fire fighters and nurses want to be fire fighters and nurses. They knew what the pay was before entering the profession. Actors, newscasters, and musicians want to do what they do too. For every high paid actor, newscaster, and musician, there is several thousand actors, newscasters, and musicians struggling to get by.
You have a better chance of winning the lottery than becoming a Hollywood A-lister and very, very few people are willing to take that risk. As always, the bigger the risk, the bigger the potential reward might be. Personally, I’m very happy with my salary and my privacy. Are you?
fred flintstone says:
I can still be a tree.I want 50,000 per episode,plus royalties.I can be lude.rude,and crude,with no morals or social values.Divorce my bush ,change tree sex,and roll down the red carpet.
If everyone in the world had the same goals and credentials, someone would still have to be the fire fighters, teachers, secretaries, maids. We really need to get a grip on how we worship idols.
fred flintstone says:
After all I was a Christmas tree on time,in a play.So I don’t patronize the a-holes,that don’t seem to know where the bottom line money comes from.Free t.v. for me sometimes.
fred flintstone says:
I’m on Social Security now.Makes me feel blessed.Where did I go wrong,I act up all the time.
Wow, I can’t believe any of those in the entertainment or news business have any right to complain about the salaries of CEO’s in business. Those salaries are ridiculous and unwarranted. If they got paid what they should be paid all of our lifestyles would be far less expensive. The shows need advertising and charge companies X amount, to cover the expense of these ridiculous salaries, for that advertising. These companies then pass that on to the consumer. So when you want to complain about how expensive something is remember it’s to pay for the salaries of actors and news people. Oh, and the increase in wages for the servers now will increase the cost of going out. I don’t mind paying people more than $8 /hour or what ever but doubling is not right across the board. Fast food etc in expensive cities already pay their help more. Those in rural areas don’t because the cost of living isn’t as expensive.
Minority actors are getting chump change as pay. Viola is an Emmy winner yet her salary is way below fellow actors on the same network. That’s ridiculous.
Toad Princess says:
Nope she is paid correctly. The others are vastly over paid for doing part time unskilled jobs.
Dave crowder says:
You are just looking for racism. Check out some of the well know White folks that have been around longer and get your head out of your racist azz. (Geena Davis, Selleck, Bakula
Viola’s “How to Get Away with Murder” is doing exceptionally well in the ratings. And has been since it’s debut. She is an accomplished Television and Film actress…. a workhorse! Her recent accolades coupled with the show’s ratings is not commensurate with the estimated annual salary in this article. Instead of accusing Jem of being a racist, let’s stick with the facts. Viola Davis IS receiving chump change in comparison to other actors and actresses on network television who star on shows with lower ratings. Viola Davis is a Emmy Winner, becoming the FIRST black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama for her work on How to Get Away With Murder in 2016. I agree with Jem, the disparity in salary (if this article is remotely accurate) is ridiculous.
That’s huge for the Gilmore Girls! The original episodes must do great on Netflix for them to be willing to pay so much for a new season.