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SON Community Back Online

Highest Paid Television Stars

  • Member

Via Rueters/AOL/Variety/FutonCritic

$1,000,000 per episode

James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)

$550,000 per episode

Kiefer Sutherland (24)

$500,000 Per Episode

William Peterson (CSI)

$440,000 Per Episode (http://television.aol.com/photos/tv-star-salaries)

Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives)

Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives)

Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives)

Terri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives)

6/18/2006

Forbes/Variety

ABC’s Sunday night anchor suffered a slight ratings hit during its sophomore year. That didn’t hamper the ladies of Wisteria Lane from snagging handsome new contracts, guaranteeing the stars an estimated $440,000 per episode.

$350,000 Per Episode

Chris Meloni (Law & Order: SVU)

Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU)

David Caruso (CSI: MiamI)

Charlie Sheen (2.5 Men)

Zach Braff (Scrubs) *If he returns for season 7

$300,000 Per Episode

Hugh Laurie (House)

Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

$250,000 Per Episode

Gary Sinise (CSI New York)

Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos)

Marg Helgenberger (CSI)

Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace)

$200,000 Per Episode

Elen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy)

Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy)

Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck)

Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck)

  • Replies 15
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Featured Replies

  • Member

You could probably add Steve Carrell to that list. I know that this season he is making $175,000 per eppy at The Office right now but I am sure that he will jump to over $200,000 per eppy next season.

  • Member

Interesting that the greys cast isn't getting paid more than the dh stars or even the same amount when they are the #1 show in the country.

  • Author
  • Member
Interesting that the greys cast isn't getting paid more than the dh stars or even the same amount when they are the #1 show in the country.

It's a shame isn't it? Grey's even has a smaller cast than Housewives. Plus GA is televisions #1 Drama and pulls about 8 million more viewers than DH

Grey's Anatomy -

Contract: 13

Ellen Pompeo

Sandra Oh

Katherine Heigl

Justin Chambers

T. R. Knight

Chandra Wilson

Sara Ramírez

Actor Role

James Pickens

Kate Walsh

Isaiah Washington

Patrick Dempsey

Eric Dane

Recurring: 4

Sarah Utterback

Steven W. Bailey

Kali Rocha

Loretta Devine

Desperate Housewives

Contract: 17

Teri Hatcher

Felicity Huffman

Marcia Cross

Eva Longoria

Nicollette Sheridan

Ricardo Antonio Chavira

Doug Savant

Dougray Scott

Andrea Bowen

Kyle MacLachlan

Brenda Strong

James Denton

Shawn Pyfrom

Joy Lauren

Josh Henderson

Brent Kinsman

Shane Kinsman

Zane Huett

Recurring: 4

Kathryn Joosten

Richard Burgi

Pat Crawford Brown

Currie Graham

  • Member

I read that Mariska Hargitay got an increase in her new contract and it seems to me it is more than that. I think it was more than $400,000 per episode, but don't remember the facts exactly.

  • Member
Interesting that the greys cast isn't getting paid more than the dh stars or even the same amount when they are the #1 show in the country.

DH has a smaller cast. Those four ladies are the show. It's the same reason why the stars of Lost doesn't get paid the same. Like Grey's, it has a larger cast.

  • Member
It's a shame isn't it? Grey's even has a smaller cast than Housewives. Plus GA is televisions #1 Drama and pulls about 8 million more viewers than DH

Grey's Anatomy -

Contract: 13

Ellen Pompeo

Sandra Oh

Katherine Heigl

Justin Chambers

T. R. Knight

Chandra Wilson

Sara Ramírez

Actor Role

James Pickens

Kate Walsh

Isaiah Washington

Patrick Dempsey

Eric Dane

Recurring: 4

Sarah Utterback

Steven W. Bailey

Kali Rocha

Loretta Devine

Desperate Housewives

Contract: 17

Teri Hatcher

Felicity Huffman

Marcia Cross

Eva Longoria

Nicollette Sheridan

Ricardo Antonio Chavira

Doug Savant

Dougray Scott

Andrea Bowen

Kyle MacLachlan

Brenda Strong

James Denton

Shawn Pyfrom

Joy Lauren

Josh Henderson

Brent Kinsman

Shane Kinsman

Zane Huett

Recurring: 4

Kathryn Joosten

Richard Burgi

Pat Crawford Brown

Currie Graham

No. DH has the smaller cast. Marcia, Eva, Felicity, and Terri are THE SHOW. They are the main cast members. That is why those four got bonuses when the show was a big hit and the rest of the cast didn't.

Edited by dawn9476

  • Member
DH has a smaller cast. Those four ladies are the show. It's the same reason why the stars of Lost doesn't get paid the same. Like Grey's, it has a larger cast.

The cast should be getting paid more than $200,000 though, although only patrick and ellen are only getting paid that amount. It seems insulting.imo

  • Author
  • Member
No. DH has the smaller cast.

Umm No my dear,

Desperate Housewives has 17 contract actors while Anatomy has 12.

Take into account that Sheridan, Denton, Savant, Chivara, McLachlan, and Scott are each pulling in 150k each

Not factoring in the teens and the Scavo brats, ABC is shelling out 2.6 million in salaries for the cast of Housewives, while the WHOLE cast of Grey's Anatomy combined is getting 1.8 million per eppy.

  • Member
Umm No my dear,

Desperate Housewives has 17 contract actors while Anatomy has 12.

Take into account that Sheridan, Denton, Savant, Chivara, McLachlan, and Scott are each pulling in 150k each

Not factoring in the teens and the Scavo brats, ABC is shelling out 2.6 million in salaries for the cast of Housewives, while the WHOLE cast of Grey's Anatomy combined is getting 1.8 million per eppy.

DH may have 17 actors on contract but we all know that only four of them really count and that is Felicity, Marcia, Eva, and Terri.

And please don't call me dear.

  • Member
The cast should be getting paid more than $200,000 though, although only patrick and ellen are only getting paid that amount. It seems insulting.imo

Now more insulting than William Peterson getting paid $500,000 per eppy while Marg Helgenberger gets $250,000 or how Lorraine Bracco gets paid $250,000 while James Gandolfini gets paid $1 million. It's how the business works. Grey's is no different than any other show.

Edited by dawn9476

  • Member

For some reason, Shonda Rhimes strikes me as someone who is very cheap and stingy when it comes to money.

Edited by HoganStays

  • Member
For some reason, Shonda Rhimes strikes me as someone who is very cheap and stingy when it comes to money.

Shonda doesn't pay them, abc does.

  • Member
Shonda doesn't pay them, abc does.

Oh, well even so, I still imagine she'd be that way, anyway.

  • Member
For some reason, Shonda Rhimes strikes me as someone who is very cheap and stingy when it comes to money.

If that were the case, then the Grey's cast all have bad agents and lawyers because they are the ones who negioate the contracts.

Edited by dawn9476

  • Author
  • Member
DH may have 17 actors on contract but we all know that only four of them really count and that is Felicity, Marcia, Eva, and Terri.

Like I said in the previous post; the four ladies salaries combined is more than the WHOLE cast of Grey's Anatomy combined. And I simply do not think that's fair, considering Anatomy's success.

Now more insulting than William Peterson getting paid $500,000 per eppy while Marg Helgenberger gets $250,000

Well he is one of the Producers, so it's plausible that he would get double pay.

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