The Big Bang Theory – performer salary

Everyone can guess that the series “The Big Bang Theory” is a box-office hit. The television series is broadcast frequently, in Germany on ProSieben, in Austria on ORF eins and in Switzerland on 3+. It is now broadcast on TV in more than 50 countries. This makes The Big Bang Theory the most successful comedy series among viewers between the ages of 18 and 49. Of course, success also costs money – namely salaries.

In March 2014, the television series was extended by 3 more seasons, which means that it will be seen on TV until 2019. The actors used the extension of the series The Big Bang Theory and negotiated enormous fees. This is how the main characters earn Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny $ 1 million per episode in seasons 8, 9, and 10. In seasons 11 and 12, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg tied Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, earning $ 1 million per episode of The Big Bang Theory in those seasons. There will probably not be a 13th season.

What do Sheldon, Leonard and Penny earn in The Big Bang Theory?

Dr. Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper (Jim Parsons), Dr. Leonard Leakey Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco – big boobs on the series. The three have the leading roles and an extremely high salary. They each earned 350,000 euros for an episode of Big Bang Theory. That wasn’t them yet That’s why the actors asked their producer Chuck Lorre a higher salary for the last three seasons, asking almost three times that amount, $ 1 million per series episode Fee was also granted to them. Penny, Leonard and Sheldon knew that the series wouldn’t run without them. So they could apply pressure and get the raise through.

Gage from Howard and Rajesh

The Co. Stars’ salaries were relative to Dr. Dr. Sheldon Cooper very low in the beginning. The engineer Howard Joel Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) initially cashed € 72,000 per series episode. Dr. Rajesh “Raj” Ramayan Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) earned € 45,000 for a follow-up shoot. Meanwhile, the two have become an indispensable part of the cult series and thus rose to the top salary class and earned in seasons 11 and 12, like the main actors a whopping $ 1 million per episode.

Howard and Sheldon’s partners also had the same salary: Dr. Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski-Wolowitz (Melissa Rauch) and Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) also received a fee of 45,000 euros for a series episode “The Big Bang Theory”. However, they also took advantage of the extension of the popular TV series and received the requested higher fees of 200,000 US dollars for seasons 8, 9 and 10. In seasons 11 and 12, however, the two women should not receive a raise from their producers. Allegedly, however, the other actors show solidarity and forego 100,000 US dollars each in favor of Amy and Bernadette. Both should increase to 450,000 US dollars per episode and improve their wages. The final contracts are still pending.

Higher salaries at The Big Bang Theory

The different salaries and, above all, the high imbalance have already created tensions between the actors. The actors in addition to the main actors have therefore also called for a wage increase. Amy and Bernadette then collected 100,000 euros for each subsequent shoot. In the meantime, however, they should get even more fees. Likewise Howard and Rajesh, the two are no longer satisfied with the small fee at the beginning of the series. The production total is now around 4.5 million euros per episode of The Big Bang Theory. Now one should summarize that the production company has already paid 4.5 million euros for the seven main actors for a series episode. However, the supporting actors and the general production costs and expenses are not yet covered. In conclusion, one can say that “The Big Bang Theory” is expensive filming fun, but it obviously pays off.

Image sources:
s_bukley / Bigstock.com
Howard and Rajesh: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos