Ok, I have always wondered this, how much do the main actors/ actresses get paid for each episode? I know it's alot, but I don't know exactly how much. Also, how much do the supporting actors and guest stars get paid? Thanks for any info!

-- Stephanie (ERGirl22@aol.com), July 08, 2000

Answers

AH HI WELL AT WHAT IV HERD. DR. GREENE, A.K.A.(A. EDWARDS) IS GETTING PAID LIKE CLOSE TO 27 MILL AN SEASON SO U CAN FIGURE OUT THE MATH. THATS ABOUT 400,000 AN EPPY. THE SAME WITH THE OTHERS.

-LATERDAYS

-- SPIRIT OF THE WEST (AVIVA_C@HOTMAIL.COM), July 08, 2000.

Actually, I think they only do about 22 episodes per season, so he's making more than a million per eppy. Wow, that's more than the "Friends" gang is making! You go, Tony! :)

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), July 08, 2000.

No. Anthony Edwards makes about $400,000 an episode. His contract was $35 million for 3 years (?). If Julianna had taken the $27 million for 2 years offered her, she would have been making well over $600,000 an episode. Suck that up Edwards.

Eriq LaSalle's contract for the next 3 years is $27 million.

I'm too lazy to dig up what Noah makes, but its about the same as LaSalle.

Everyone else in the cast makes considerably less.

Guest-stars' salary is incredibly varied, depending on the actor, the size of the role, and how good a deal their agent/manager negotiates. *Minimum* wage however is about $495 for a day's work.

-- JLS (ewwhatevr@aol.com), July 08, 2000.

Yes, I see a problem with that! I'm sure ER is a MUCH harder show to write for and act in. I know people say comedy can be hard, but criminy! The actors don't write it! Friends has started to get really dumb lately, anyhow. IMO. I heard on TV news that the execs at NBC threatened that they would cancel the show for next year if the actors didn't come back - or something like that. But the ER people should be making more money.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.

Advertising, ladies and gents. Flat out. NBC can charge more for a 30- second spot on "Friends" than "er."... I'm not kidding. That's why the "Friends" actors can ask for - and do get paid - more. Yes, "er" gets a higher rating, but "friends" gets a higher share. Advertising rates are generally based on share percentages. (Rating = number of TVs Nielson monitors watching a show, Share = number of TVs Nielson monitors "turned on" watching a show. - The numbers you hear and see are usually the ratings.) Complicated, I know, but, hey, who's gonna tell Nielsen what to do?

-- Cathy (cdomrois@qfctc.com), July 09, 2000.

Oh, My God! I got that so backwards. Exchange the two terms "Share and Rating" in my above post for each other. I still meant the same thing, you know... Sorry for the confusion.

By the way... Yes, I did major in advertising in college... Can you believe I did that? Obviously, I don't do TV.

Cat:)

-- Cathy (cdomrois@qfctc.com), July 09, 2000.

ER has both a higher rating and share than Friends. ER has the highest ad rates per thirty seconds than any other TV series( drama or comedy). This has been widly reported at numerous entertainment sites. Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle are both earning $27 million over four years. Eria La Salle got paid retroctive to the beginning of the fifth season even though he signed his contract after the season ended. Anthony Ewdards makes $35 million over the samr four year period. Comedy stars typically make more than drama stars because comedies tend to to rely on less characters than dramas do.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), July 09, 2000.

That's interesting, Brenda. So if they cut the size of the ER main cast back down to size, as many of us think they should, does that mean the main cast members could ask for more money? Friends has had the same six cast members for however long it's been on (six years?). ER has ballooned from something like six in the first season to (I think) about twelve or thirteen in the sixth season.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.

A lot of the expense at ER probably also comes from the elaborate sets (Michael Michelle said on a late night talk show interview a few months ago that ER has something like 13 different sound stages) and all the props they use, like the pig hearts, fake blood, blue babies, etc. Not to mention all the extras that come through there as patients! Actually, I'm glad that ER has a larger cast size because I have been getting really tired of seeing the SAME 6 people on Friends every week!

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), July 11, 2000.

I agree with Melanie...the cost of an epi for ER has to be so much greater than one for friends. That is part of the reason they cannot afford to pay as much to their top actors. Friends has only a few sets and hardly any guest stars or props. Personally, I think it is a little ridiculous that the cast of Friends gets 750k per epi. But, I guess they might as well get it instead of the bigwigs at NBC fattening up their wallets!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), July 11, 2000.

I think another factor in the pay issue might be: What do people want to see on TV? It seems like more and more, people are tuning in to watch something in the way of humor, some form of relief from the daily grind. I'm not talking about ratings, I'm just thinking of the prevalence of sitcoms and so-called "reality TV" out there. How many sitcoms, game shows, and other cheap-laugh shows are on every night, compared to how many quality dramatic shows? Lots of people would rather escape from reality with a good joke than watch an interesting, thought-provoking drama every week.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), July 11, 2000.

I think that it is really dumb that actors and actresss get paid millions of dollars just for putting on an act. they need to get a life.

-- Britney Spears (superchick_au2001@hotmail.com), February 07, 2001.

I am aspiring actor and I don't see why it is so hard to understand that these actors go through more stress than most people can handle. Sure they make alot of money but these guys buts their buts on the set for hours upon hours doing something for an ENTERTAINMENT business. I know that many of the people complaining about the actors salaries watch Television... Now what would they be doing without these actors entertaining them.. sure they will find something to do outside but when they are home they are not just going to sit there and stare at a blank wall. And I noticed all the attacks were actor based, what about Musicians they make alot of money and you dont complain, sure its not the same thing because they provide Audio Entertainment and not Visual, so in the end it is the same thing, and they make large amounts of money as well. I just don't like the fact that people are sitting there whining about the money, I bet if your were in their shoes you wouldn't be complaining. So i see it as nothing but pure jealosy. Actors have morals and values, they donate their money to charities, I hear of it all the time. I just think that before people go on talking about why do these ACTORS make so much money, I think they should do a check-up on their morals and values before questioning any of these actors. That is all for now. Thank you

-- Victor Romero (Ecko0104@aol.com), November 09, 2001.