Profit From Reruns: $10,000 a Year
Thanks to his role as Captain Furillo in the police drama “Hill Street Blues”, Daniel J. Travanti earned plenty of nominations, including a Golden Globe and two Emmy awards.
Thanks to seven seasons and a total of 146 episodes, “Hill Street Blues” has plenty of powerful competition from shows such as “Criminal Minds” and “Blue Bloods” as well as similar cop dramas. But Travanti still brings in a cool ten grand a year thanks to reruns and residuals. It’s nothing like the millions seen on this list, but it’s still a good bit of scratch.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Seinfeld
Profit From Reruns: $400 Million So Far
She's a comedian, singer, and producer, but she's most well-known for her role on the sitcom "Seinfeld", where she played Elaine. Julia Louis-Dreyfus now appears on "Saturday Night Live" as well as having the lead spot on the show "Veep", but it's not like she actually needs to work.
Her residuals from "Seinfeld" have brought in plenty – at least $400 million. Unlike her friend Jerry, Julia doesn't own part of the rights, but she still makes a lot. This show about nothing (The motto was “No learning, no hugging”) is still a common find when channel surfing.
Matt LeBlanc: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
Matt LeBlanc appeared as the thick-skulled actor Joey who consistently brought the laughs on "Friends". He also appeared in a "Friends" spinoff, "Joey", though this show didn't reach the high marks of the parent show.
But don't cry for Joey – LeBlanc was making a million dollars per "Friends" episode while it was still running, and reruns will drop a cool twenty mil on his doorstep every year, and his current sitcom, "Man with a Plan", is still ongoing.
Rose McIver: iZombie
Profit From Reruns: 5% of the Residuals
The CW supernatural crime series "iZombie" featured Rose McIver as the lead character, a zombie who feeds her lust for flesh by feasting on brains from the morgue, where she works as a medical examiner. While "The Walking Dead" was dramatic and tense, "iZombie" ended up being more episodic and comedic, and ended in 2019 after five seasons.
It's gotten superb ratings, and reruns are a given, which means Rose McIver will be earning up to five percent of the residuals. For such a popular show, and one that is bound to a streaming sweetie, this kind of contract is sure to be a good decision for McIver.
Dr. Phil: The Dr. Phil Show
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million So Far
Known as a hard-hitting psychologist with a talk show that tackles tough topics, Dr. Phil got his start on Oprah before beginning his own series. The show talks about the absurdities of human nature and behavior, and plenty of them are about helping people who are in dire need of help.
The show began in 2002, and thanks to the reality TV aspect, filming is easier than most scripted shows. New episodes are still showing up, and while the reruns might not be one of the most popular things on television, there are still enough of them to bring in the money. Dr. Phil has earned around ten million dollars in total residuals.
Sarah Michelle Gellar: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million So Far
For seven seasons, Gellar pretended to be high schooler Buffy Summers, the chosen one, who spent her time battling demons, vampires, and plenty of other nasty creatures. While the movie that kick-started the show starred Kristy Swanson, she wasn't picked up for the television series.
The show ended in May of 2003, and thanks to the show's popularity Gellar has received over a million dollars in total residuals. UPN reruns of the show still appear every once in a while, and for fans of Joss Whedon, who would go on to make "Firefly", the DVDs of the show are a must-watch on a regular basis.
Kelsey Grammer: Frasier
Profit From Reruns: $13 Million a Year
The hysterically-serious Frasier Crane was moved from his original setting in Boston (and the show "Cheers") to Seattle to spend time with his family. It was a risky move, but it made the show even more popular than "Cheers."
Grammer played the role for more than twenty years, and after eleven seasons the show finally went off-air in 2004. By the end of the show, Grammer was making $1.6 million *per episode*. And almost twenty years off the air, the show is still busting guts and bringing in the cash for Grammer to the tune of about thirteen million dollars a year.
Fred Savage: The Wonder Years
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
The most famous thing from "The Wonder Years" might be the theme song, “With a Little Help from My Friends” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The show starred Fred Savage as Kevin, a sweet teen living in the sixties. The show ran for six seasons, but it didn't end well.
The producers wanted more adult storylines as Kevin grew up, but execs wanted things to stay teen-focused. This led to the show being canceled. Worse for Fred Savage, the drama finished its run on ABC, which owns all the rights for the show. This means Savage and the other actors have received nothing from residuals.
Johnny Galecki: The Big Bang Theory
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
Twelves years of playing Leonard, the most down-to-earth nerd from "The Big Bang Theory" will no doubt end up being profitable for Johnny Galecki. The network made billions, while Galecki and his co-stars have all made mere millions.
Just like Jim Parsons, Galecki makes up to ten million dollars a year, since reruns always seem to be playing. If you're a fan of "The Big Bang Theory" and you're disappointed it ended too soon, take heart – "Young Sheldon" has plenty of years ahead of it.
Ricky Gervais: The Office UK
Profit From Reruns: $1 Million a Year
You're undoubtedly familiar with the US version of this show, but this one came first. It only ran for two seasons (fourteen episodes) but gave us the now-famous mockumentary style used in other shows like "Parks & Rec."
Ricky Gervais plays David Brent, the boss of the office, and earns a million dollars per year even after such a small run. The US version of the show ran for much longer, a total of nine seasons, and Ricky Gervais made a number of guest appearances on it, much to the delight of fans of the original.
Hank Azaria: The Simpsons
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
Hank Azaria has been with "The Simpsons" since the very beginning, all the way back in 1989. Now he is one of the longest-running voice actors on the show. Now he isn't be voicing fan-favorite Apu in an attempt to give the role to someone of Apu's ethnicity. However, he still has a number of smaller roles such as Chief Wiggum and Moe Szyslak, as well as plenty of bit characters.
"The Simpsons" brings in boatloads every year thanks to reruns and new episodes. He'll still earn money for episodes that he voiced Apu to the tune of ten million dollars a year. Not bad at all.
Paul Fusco: Alf
Profit From Reruns: $300 Per Episode
Dreamt up by puppeteer and voice actor Paul Fusco, Alf stood for Alien Life Form, and the show "Alf" centered around a suburban family taking in this strange creature when it crash-landed in their garage.
The show was created by Fusco and Tom Patchett, and after only four seasons NBC canceled it due to low ratings. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff has regretted the move to cancel, saying the show could have gone for a few more years. During the first year of syndication, reruns gave Fusco a cool three hundred dollars per episode that ran.
Ben McKenzie: Gotham
Profit From Reruns: $10,000 a Year
Before there was the Batman, Captain Gordon kept the streets of Gotham safe – or tried to, at least. It was never easy. With supervillains like Penguin, The Riddler, and The Joker to contend with, Ben McKenzie has his work cut out for him.
Running for five seasons and ending just recently, it ran for exactly one hundred episodes. Not only did Ben star, but he also wrote and directed a few episodes. He is earning up to ten grand a year thanks to residuals from reruns and streaming. The very last supervillain to make an appearance was the big bruiser Bane, but by the end of the series, Batman has put on his cape and is ready to work.
Jerry Seinfeld: Seinfeld
Profit From Reruns: $100 Million a Year
The impact of this noteworthy sitcom continues to this day. With quick wit, ridiculous characters, and episodes that ended up for the most part being about nothing, co-creators Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry David set the sitcom standard.
Most shows these days follow the ideas laid out by this show. Still, it's possible younger fans won't understand the pull, since plenty of shows have upped the creativity even further. With nine seasons, Seinfeld himself was earning a million per episode. And thanks to the fact that he was also a producer, he's been bringing in over a hundred million dollars per year thanks to syndication.
French Stewart: 3rd Rock From the Sun
Profit From Reruns: $1,000 a Year
"3rd Rock From the Sun" features a group of extraterrestrials trying to make sense of life on Earth. Comedian French Stewart played Harry Solomon during the show's run of six seasons. The show also featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a child star. Sitcoms had boomed during that era, so this show had tough competition, yet still enjoyed respectable ratings.
Sadly, due to contract details, the cast is only getting about a thousand dollars a year, and most of that is only thanks to DVD sales. Good ratings only get you so far.
Jon Cryer: Two and a Half Men
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million So Far
"Two and a Half Men" has been at the top of the charts for years. The three original main actors, Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen, and Angus T. still earn millions from rerun dividends. The sitcom is irreverent and goofy, and though it had its ups and downs (thanks mostly to Charlie Sheen's behavior), it has continued airing reruns even after twelve full seasons.
Cryer's peak salary was a little over six hundred thousand per episode, and at this point, he's earned around twenty million dollars in total residuals. A reboot might be in the works, but Sheen's unpredictability is a major factor in whether or not it will happen.
Jim Parsons: The Big Bang Theory
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
While Kaley Cuoco was already a star, this brainy sitcom catapulted Jim Parsons and his other co-star Johnny Galecki to stardom. Parson's character, Sheldon Cooper, despite being an eccentric and strange man-child, loves to drop zingers and smart jokes.
When the show finally ended after twelve seasons, he was making almost a million dollars per episode. With DVD sales and syndication, he can look forward to something like ten million dollars a year. While the show does get hated on in some circles, it still proved popular enough to nerds and non-nerds alike to take it to the top of the charts.
Patrick Stewart: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
As the captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard exudes charm, stature, and wit. After the first season, anyway. The cast put a ton of work into the show and still appears on the convention circuit. However, Patrick Stewart has said that he never received any residual payments from the show.
It was one of the shows that made science-fiction big again, and the whole series is still going strong. Well, going. Jean-Luc himself is the title character of "Star Trek: Picard". Stewart did make plenty from his time on the show and a few more millions from the "Star Trek" movies.
George Clooney: E.R.
Profit From Reruns: $13 Million a Year
This famous medical drama was created by Michael Crichton, the author of "Jurassic Park". Everyone's favorite smoldering lead actor starred a the main character for five seasons. The reruns make Clooney up to $13 million a year!
He loved his role as Dr. Doug Ross, the most handsome doctor on television since 1994. Clooney has, of course, gone on to make it big in Hollywood in dozens of movies, big and small, but as far as his finances go, he's really just doing it for fun.
Michael J. Fox: Family Ties
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
It was the show that made Michael J. Fox famous, and a high-earner for NBC, but it didn't make him much money. The cast got a total of zero dollars from residuals – when was the last time you saw this show as a rerun? – and Michael J. Fox had to hitchhike to work near the end of the show because it paid so badly.
Interesting fact: Fox was almost fired from the show because they didn't think he was handsome enough to sell merchandise. His time on the "Back to the Future" series would prove them quite wrong.
Morena Baccarin: Gotham
Profit From Reruns: $10,000 a Year
Morena Baccarin plays Doctor Leslie Thompkins on "Gotham", who ends up married to Jim Gordon. The chemistry didn't stop there – Baccarin and Ben McKenzie (Gordon's actor) got married in 2017.
"Gotham" proved popular with Batman and superhero fans. Baccarin is a certified geek icon, having played Inara on "Firefly", Vanessa in "Deadpool", and she's also appeared in the shows "The Mentalist" and "Homeland". From reruns of "Gotham", she earns up to ten thousand dollars a year. The show just ended, and reruns are still going strong on top of being a Netflix favorite.
Drake: Degrassi
Profit From Reruns: $8.62 So Far
Long before he was one of the biggest rappers in the world, Drake got his start as an actor. He played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star in the Canadian teen drama "Degrassi" from 2001 to 2008.
The show ran for a total of fourteen seasons, and despite playing a popular character on a popular show, Drake can barely buy a meal with what he gets each month. He recently posted a picture of a residual check online, a grand total of $8.62. He probably doesn't even bother cashing them, since he's one of the wealthiest musicians in the world with a net worth in the hundreds of millions.
Mark Harmon: NCIS
Profit From Reruns: $60 Million So Far
As another part of the CSI family, NCIS is set around Navy investigator Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon. The show first aired in 2003, and is still going! Harmon earns about an eighth of a million dollars per episode, and with hundreds of episodes bringing in that sweet rerun money.
Two more shows have spun off this long-runner, but the original NCIS is the seventh-longest primetime television series in the US. This means Harmon is set to make enough money to put all of his great-grandchildren through college. Right now the number is a mere sixty million.
David Schwimmer: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
In "Friends", Schwimmer played the archaeologist who thankfully ends up with Jennifer Aniston's character. Like Matt LeBlanc, he's getting twenty million dollars a year thanks to reruns and syndication.
His career is going strong thanks to roles in the animated "Madagascar" movies and the recent Netflix movie "The Laundromat", with Meryl Streep. His famous line “We were on a break!” is still popular online as a meme. Based on the popularity of the show on Netflix and other streaming services, all six of the principal actors will continue to earn big.
Carol Burnett: The Carol Burnett Show
Profit From Reruns: One Penny Per DVD
"The Carol Burnett Show" broke new ground when it came to television. Carol Burnett was a female comedian who ran a sketch show with thousands of small segments that still get plenty of laughs today.
With eleven seasons and plenty of reruns to show, you'd think Carol would be sitting pretty, but it wasn't to be. Reruns had to cut out music due to copyrights, which reduced the amount she got for each show. Her most recent contract grants her a single penny for each DVD sold. Thankfully, Burnett is getting a little help from her recent Netflix show, "A Little Help".
Tim Allen: Home Improvement
Profit From Reruns: $18 Million So Far
Tim the Toolman Taylor appeared in over two hundred episodes of "Home Improvement" as he helped viewers of his in-show series improve their homes and he improved his relationship with his family.
This sitcom was a big hit for the Disney channel. Allen still gets money from the show to the tune of eighteen million dollars in total, and there have even been rumblings of a reunion, which would certainly bump that number even higher. One way or the other, Tim Allen has plenty of projects to keep himself busy, such as his show "Last Man Standing", and voicing Buzz Lightyear in the "Toy Story" series.
Tracey Ullman: The Tracey Ullman Show
Profit From Reruns: $5,000 a Year
As an actress, singer, and dancer on various shows, it was no surprise when Tracey Ullman got her own show on Fox. Opening with the George Clinton song “You're Thinking Right,” the show ran for four years, ending in 1990.
Thanks to reruns on Fox, Ullman earns a maximum of $5,000 per year. And this was even only after fighting a long legal battle with the producers of "The Simpsons" after voicing a number of characters ("The Simpsons" first appeared on "The Tracey Ullman Show" as animated shorts), all for a mere five grand a year.
Charlie Sheen: Two and a Half Men
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million So Far
"Two and a Half Men" was a sitcom with a twist – two single guys try to raise a child. Charlie Sheen's erratic and dangerous behavior led to him being replaced by Ashton Kutcher – a cruel fate to be sure – but it was one of the most popular shows on television during the 2000s and 2010s.
Sheen has still earned a total of twenty million in residuals. Sheen has expressed interest in a revival, but unfortunately, his character has perished in the show.
David Caruso: CSI Miami
Profit From Reruns: $100,000 a Year
Cop and investigation shows have been long-runners for decades, and the CSI series outperformed the genre. Since the CSI extended universe has generated something like six billion dollars in total, any lead actor is going to be set for life.
After ten seasons of "CSI Miami" David Caruso decided he had been in the industry long enough. When the show called it quits, so did he, after working as an actor or director since 1975. Though a bit less than some of the other actors on this list, he still brings in about a hundred thousand dollars per year.
Ted Danson: Cheers
Profit From Reruns: $5 Million a Year
A well-remembered cast member from Cheers, Ted Danson might not have "Frasier" money, but his resume and earnings are still impressive. As the owner of the eponymous bar, Sam was a sometimes voice of reason, and sometimes a complete idiot.
Danson has also had roles on "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Bored to Death", and "The Good Place". But even if he didn't have that work to lean on, he could still take it easy and live the high life with the five million dollars a year he gets from the bar-centered show every year. Cheers, Ted!
Marg Helgenberger: CSI
Profit From Reruns: $10,000 a Year
The crime scene investigators that busted the crime drama mold wide open ran from 2000 to 2015. Despite a huge running time and a huge fanbase, Helgenberger earns a mere ten grand a year. Nothing to sneeze at, but a little surprising given the popularity of the show. Most likely this is due to contract issues or other complicated details of such nature.
Helgenberger refers to her time on CSI as a “comfortable niche,” and she also appears on the CBS legal drama "All Rise". Despite her small residuals, Helgenberger is estimated to have a net worth of eighteen million dollars.
Nancy Cartwright: The Simpsons
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
After thirty-one seasons, "The Simpsons" are still going. Cartwright plays Bart Simpson, as well as a number of smaller roles. Thanks to thirty-one seasons of the show already produced, all of the main voice actors are earning millions.
Cartwright herself is earning up to $20 million a year. Cartwright has done plenty of other voice roles, just for fun, probably, and also gets $400,000 for each new episode she adds her talents to.
John Goodman: Roseanne
Profit From Reruns: $1 Million a Year
While "Roseanne" began as a show in 1988, it was most recently seen on live television in 2018. John Goodman played Roseanne's husband, and though the show had ten seasons during that thirty-year period, the residuals are reaching toward a million dollars a year for the actor.
This sitcom featured what was seen as normal, everyday people, and thanks to this show, Goodman found a place in Hollywood in both live-action and voice-over roles. After a short revival, "Roseanne" was canceled by ABC following controversial tweets by Roseanne Barr, so we may have seen the end of this show at last.
Alex Borstein: Family Guy
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
Not familiar with the name? No big surprise. As a voice actress, Alex keeps a lower profile than most big TV stars. But don't think for a second you don't know her – she voices Lois Griffin, Peter's long-suffering wife on the animated sitcom "Family Guy".
Begun in 1999 right after the Super Bowl, this show is still on the air and still bringing in the cash – Borstein earns almost a quarter mil per episode, and since she's in pretty much every episode, residuals from reruns have put an extra ten million dollars per year into her bank. However, Borstein doesn't see all that money – due to her divorce her ex-husband gets half of that.
Edie Falco: The Sopranos
Profit From Reruns: $26 Million So Far
Edie Falco played Tony Soprano's wife in "The Sopranos", alongside the late James Gandolfini as Tony. It was one of the greatest crime dramas in television history. The dramatic storyline ran six seasons, and over that period Falco earned six Emmy nominations (and won three) as her role of Carmela.
Falco has also appeared in "Oz" and "Nurse Jackie". Even after the last episode of "The Sopranos" aired in 2007, Falco has earned something like twenty-six million dollars thanks to people coming back to watch this legendary show over and over again.
Betty White: The Golden Girls
Profit From Reruns: $3 Million a Year
During the nineties, The late Betty White, along with Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, shined as gals in their golden years. They discussed everything, from singleness and dating to marriage, motherhood, and more.
The show ended in 1992 after seven seasons, but the witty writing has kept it on television even decades after it ended. Betty White's presence was definitely one of the biggest draws to the show.
David Hasselhoff: Baywatch
Profit From Reruns: $4 Million a Year
With eleven seasons of slow-motion beach running to play and plenty of tanned bodies to show, "Baywatch" got plenty of eyes on it. "Baywatch" got Pamela Anderson into the public consciousness – and she still hasn't left, somehow – but Hasselhoff earned the most.
Thanks to syndication, David's shirtless physique, and the kind of episodes that anybody can watch without worrying about continuity or plot, Hasselhoff brought in four million dollars a month while the show was still playing, despite relatively low demand for reruns. It became the kind of show that was playing somewhere – you just had to find it.
Matt Stone: South Park
Profit From Reruns: $25-30 Million a Year
Matt Stone and Trey Parker have brought in half a billion dollars each since 1997 thanks to "South Park".
"South Park" is still going strong on Comedy Central. While the show isn't what you would call kid-friendly, it attracts plenty of teenage viewers, as well as those in their twenties and thirties. Stone and Parker are certainly doing something right if their revenue has anything to say about their success.
Jackie Gleason: "The Honeymooners"
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
One season. That's how long "The Honeymooners" ran. It totaled in thirty-nine episodes but it people these days still remember it, even if it's because of the "Back to the Future" reference.
While Jackie Gleason was the lead character, he didn't get any residuals – in fact, only Audrey Meadows got money once the show ended. Reruns weren't big yet, and though Gleason earned seventy thousand dollars per aired episode, there were no details in his contract about residuals. Meadows, on the other hand, might have been a fortune teller.
Alan Alda: M*A*S*H
Profit From Reruns: $1 Million a Year
Alan Alda has been on screens pretty much nonstop since the sixties, mostly thanks to this darkly comedic show set during the Korean War. Though always presented with a comedic slant, the show maintained an emotional connection. It was set in the Korean War but aired during periods of the Vietnam War.
Alan Alda as “Hawkeye” ended up netting the actor $235,000 per episode – a pretty penny when the show ended after eleven seasons in 1983. Alda has done plenty more to bolster his career, and though he doesn't make as much as some stars, he still gets around a million dollars a year.
Ed O'Neill: Married with Children
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
For ten years, one dom-com reigned. Ed O'Neill and Katey Sagal welcomed us into their homes and showed us the absurdities of life. O'Neill in particular gained notoriety playing the hapless Al Bundy, though these days he's probably more well-known for his role as Jay in "Modern Family".
After eleven seasons, the show ended in 1997. Plenty of shows have tried to recapture the success of the show, but all have fallen short of the glory of Al's family. He earns something like ten million dollars a year from "Married with Children", though he'll probably end up earning more from "Modern Family".
Chad Michael Murray: One Tree Hill
Profit From Reruns: $100,000 a Year
For nine seasons of "One Tree Hill", Chad Michael Murray played Lucas Scott, the good son of the family and a certified teen heartthrob. The show was big among the teen crowd, showing the unique lives of the people – especially the high school students – of this town.
Featuring Sophia Bush before she rose to fame on "Chicago PD", the drama is still found on the CW and has a 7.6 rating on IMDB. This brings CMM about a hundred thousand dollars a year. He doesn't do much acting these days, but it doesn't seem like he needs to.
Lisa Kudrow: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
Lisa Kudrow was part of the main cast of "Friends", and so she earns up to twenty million dollars a year because of it. Lisa felt a little uncomfortable playing her character, Phoebe, since she thought the character was acting dumb. However, she's happy with the residuals.
This actress has found plenty of other roles, including roles on "Cheers", "Mad About You", "BoJack Horseman", and more. She's also starred in "The Comeback".
Tim Daly, Wings
Profit From Reruns: $1,000 a Year
Daly's character in "Wings" is described as Seinfeld's stepchild. The show started in 1990 and went eight years, but unlike Seinfeld, Daly didn't have the rights to his popular show, which really reduced how much he's bringing in each year.
NBC holds the rights to the show, and despite it being one of the most popular shows of the nineties, Daly is only getting around a thousand dollars a year. And even most of that has been from the DVD sales – Daly says he's watched the series several times.
Bob Saget: Full House
Profit From Reruns: $2,000 a Year
For his role as Danny Tanner on "Full House", Saget has said that he earned anywhere from two dollars to two thousand dollars per episode. You may be surprised to find out that this show hasn't been all that profitable for Saget, earning him only about two thousand a year. To most actors, that's nothing. His role on the Netflix adaptation/sequel series "Fuller House" earned him more.
Despite the fact that "Full House" ran for eight seasons, and "Fuller House" only ran for five, the latter was a lot more profitable for Saget. Sadly, in January 2022, Bob Saget passed away, leaving the house less fuller, and more empty.
Jerry Orbach: Law & Order
Profit From Reruns: Unknown
Spinoffs of the "Law & Order" series continue to grace our screens to this day, but the original show ended more than a decade ago. Jerry Orbach took an interesting negotiating tactic when it came to residual payments: six percent of his original salary for the episode, every time the episode aired.
With twenty seasons of episodes to call upon, it might not seem like a lot. Also, apparently, it takes checks between nine and eighteen months to reach him after an episode airs. Still, he's going to have a steady cash flow until even the reruns are off the air – probably long in the future.
Maureen McCormick: The Brady Bunch
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
Who doesn't know and love "The Brady Bunch"? Even if it was off the air decades before you came into the world, you probably know this classic sitcom as the show that broke the mold and provided tons of fun. It turned pretty much every actor or actress into a star...yet as Maureen McCormick tells us, the cast doesn't get a single penny from residuals.
The clauses that deny them are airtight, and they haven't been able to renegotiate. Other than small fees if clips from the movies are used, the cast isn't entitled to anything. Make sure you read your contracts, folks.
Stephen Amell: Arrow
Profit From Reruns: $100,000 So Far
Superheroes have made big leaps in the last decade with DC and Marvel movies, as well as television shows based on the comic book entities. Stephen Amell plays Arrow, the first of the DC Comics origin story shows. It shares the “Arrowverse” with "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow".
The show is still running, and even now Stephen Amell earns thousands from reruns, as well as being paid for every episode he films. Right now totals are hard to find, but it looks like at least a hundred thousand, and that's before the show is even done!
Bob Denver: Gilligan's Island
Profit From Reruns: $100 Million in Total
When a three-hour tour turns into three years on a deserted island, audiences tuned in for every new episode, loving every minute. With surprisingly clean humor and hilarious antics, Bob Denver shined as the title character on the show, and "Gilligan's Island" is still appearing on televisions despite the run ending in the late sixties.
Thanks to these reruns, the show has earned almost a hundred million dollars in residuals. It kept all of the actors, including Bob Denver, sitting pretty for decades. Denver sadly passed away in 2005 from complications following throat cancer surgery, but until then he enjoyed his status as a high-earner.
Kristen Bell: The Good Place
Profit From Reruns: $125,000 Per Episode
"The Good Place" begins with a bad person getting into “The Good Place” after her death. The show has philosophical discussions, jokes about bureaucracy, and some strange theology theories. Alongside Ted Danson, Kristen Bell shines as the bad-girl who wants to earn her spot in "The Good Place".
With forty-three episodes in total, and all of them smart and unexpectedly funny, this show has been a hit. Due to the low episode count, the paychecks might be a bit smaller than others – but rewatching is sure to occur. Good news for Bell and the rest of the cast.
Daniel J. Travanti: Hill Street Blues
Profit From Reruns: $10,000 a Year
Thanks to his role as Captain Furillo in the police drama "Hill Street Blues", Daniel J. Travanti earned plenty of nominations, including a Golden Globe and two Emmy awards.
Thanks to seven seasons and a total of 146 episodes, "Hill Street Blues" has plenty of powerful competition from shows such as "Criminal Minds" and "Blue Bloods" as well as similar cop dramas. But Travanti still brings in a cool ten grand a year thanks to reruns and residuals. It's nothing like the millions seen on this list, but it's still a good bit of scratch.
Lea Michele: Glee
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
When Ryan Murphy began writing "Glee", he wrote the role of Rachel with Lea Michele in mind, and she was just as interested. The show about a high-school glee club ran for six seasons, and Michele and her singing, dancing, dramatic co-stars were earning a million dollars per episode.
And it's a good thing they earned that much while the show was on the air because none of them are getting residuals – the rights are owned entirely by Fox, and Michele and the rest of the actors failed to ask for residuals in their contracts. Bad move, Lea.
Henry Winkler: Happy Days
Profit From Reruns: $65,000 in Total
There's nothing as cool as the Fonz. For eleven seasons, viewers tuned in to watch this show during the seventies and eighties, starring Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, who would both go on to appear as part of the show "Arrested Development".
ABC owns the reruns, but both of these stars would go on to sue ABC for the residuals, and a settlement was reached years after the show ended. Both stars earned $65,000 in total, on top of payments from DVD sales. Sixty-five grand is nothing to sneeze at, but it's very likely the actors could have earned much more.
Sam Waterson: Law & Order
Profit From Reruns: $5,000 a Year
Sam Waterson from the "Law & Order" series has a contract that stipulates up to a mere five thousand dollars a year from the residuals. But don't feel bad for Waterson.
He has several revenue streams still funneling, including his movie career, which includes an Oscar-winning performance in The Killing Fields. He's also made his mark on the sitcom world with the Netflix show Grace & Frankie. Plus, he has a role in the Law & Order spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which brings in plenty more for him.
Courtney Cox: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
All main cast members of the Friends cast get twenty million dollars a year and lifelong fame thanks to one of the biggest sitcoms of all time. Even after the sitcom ended, Cox went on to play Jules on "Cougar Town".
She and has made plenty of other appearances in movies, including the "Scream" series as reporter Gale, despite how different the genres are. In February of 2019, Cox appeared on "The Ellen Show" where she was reunited with "Friends" co-star Lisa Kudrow.
Trey Parker: South Park
Profit From Reruns: $25-30 Million a Year
Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny have been making trouble for the people of South Park, Colorado for more than twenty years. Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been making millions for just as long.
The show is irreverent in its classic meaning – anything and everything is a target for their antics. Not only are Parker and Stone the creators, but they provide most of the voices. The two have made somewhere around half a billion dollars each, thanks in part to how easy the show is to produce. Reruns are common on Comedy Central, and new episodes are always coming out.
Shay Mitchell: Pretty Little Liars
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
After seven seasons, "Pretty Little Liars" fans had to find a new favorite show to binge. As an anonymous person threatens to expose the misdeeds of a group of high school girls, this show was part drama, part mystery, and all fun.
Shay Mitchell was one of the leads in the show, and despite having a big fanbase, her contract doesn't entitle her to any residuals from the show. But don't fret, Mitchell has been making waves in Hollywood after starring in movies such as "The Possession of Hannah Grace", "Dreamland", and "Mother's Day".
Ray Romano: Everybody Loves Raymond
Profit From Reruns: $18 Million a Year
The CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" showed us how ridiculous home life can get if your overbearing parents live right next door. Though younger readers might remember the lead actor as the leading voice from the "Ice Age" movies, Ray Romano set the standard for dom-coms until the show ended in 2005.
Romano has won an Emmy because of the show, and he continues to top Forbes's richest celebrity list. His royalty checks are immense – his name's in the title, for Pete's sake – and he gets something like approximately eighteen million dollars a year.
Claire Foy: The Crown
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
"The Crown" is based on "The Audience", a play about members of the English Royal family from the 1940s. It begins with young (pre-coronation) Queen Elizabeth and continued to show the stresses and crises that plagued the late queen as she aged.
Claire Foy plays the young Queen Elizabeth II, and as the show isn't over yet, residuals aren't in the cards just yet. In addition, since "The Crown" is a Netflix production, reruns aren't going to happen. So far, Claire Foy hasn't earned any residuals, despite how popular the show is proving to be to audiences.
Lucille Ball: I Love Lucy
Profit From Reruns: $17 Million a Year
If you want to know the history of reruns – and actors and actresses earning money from them – then we have to go back to the fifties. Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz starred in the legendary sitcom "I Love Lucy".
They not only pioneered the sitcom but even after their deaths they've been earning big. With only six seasons to draw from, their estates still earn around seventeen million dollars per year. They earned even more until 2018, since they, not any network, held the rights to their shows. In 2018, “Desilu” sold their company, which included "Star Trek", to CBS.
David Hyde Pierce: Frasier
Profit From Reruns: $40 Million So Far
Playing Frasier's brother Niles, many people thought that Pierce was Grammer's actual brother, but the similarity is just coincidental. When David Hyde Pierce appeared on the "Katie Couric Show", he praised the entire talented cast, as well as the writing. It was seen as one of the smartest shows on television (and still could be, if we're being honest).
Pierce has earned around forty million dollars total since the show went off the air, and won four Emmys for his supporting role. He also voiced Cecil Terwilliger, the brother of Kelsey Grammer's character Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons" for a little bit of fun stunt casting.
Seth MacFarlane: Family Guy
Profit From Reruns: $400,000 a Year
With eighteen seasons and still counting, "Family Guy" is an animated long-runner that is the brainchild of comedian Seth MacFarlane. It's the second-longest-running animated comedy on television, topped only by "The Simpsons".
With the obscene popularity of "Family Guy reruns", MacFarlane could be raking in the millions every year, but he actually only gets a max of four hundred thousand dollars a year. However, since he's also the show's creator and producer, MacFarlane earns a lot more. The show is rumored to be worth more than two billion dollars – all of the voice actors got a big raise in 2013.
Jennifer Aniston: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
Out of the cast of Friends, Aniston is the biggest name to come out of the show. She has found huge success in movies, other television shows, and as a paparazzi favorite. She's amassed almost a quarter of a billion dollars thanks to her roles.
Just like her friends Schwimmer and LeBlanc, she still makes plenty from "Friends" reruns and streams. Even if Aniston suddenly stops getting roles (fat chance) she can expect twenty million dollars a year from residuals. Nothing to sneeze at, even if you are on a break.
Desi Arnaz: I Love Lucy
Profit From Reruns: $17 Million a Year
Everybody loved Desi Arnaz with Lucille Ball. While this TV relationship was real, the two called it quits in 1960. They wanted to make sure lawyers didn't profit from their divorce, and decided to continue to operate their company and sitcom together.
Desi himself earned up to seven and a half million dollars per year. Their friends have said that the couple managed to rise above their “horrible divorce,” making tons and tons of money. They sold their company “Desilu” in 2018, but not after making millions for themselves and their estates in the meantime.
Tom Kenny: Spongebob Squarepants
Profit From Reruns: $10 Million a Year
The show about the yellow sponge under the sea began in 1999 and is still running, for a total of twelve seasons. Tom Kenny lent his voice to the cheerful character in every single episode, as well as numerous movies. His residuals from the reruns stretch over ten million dollars a year!
While the show's original creator and producer has passed away, the show is still going. Reruns are common on Nickelodeon, as well as other channels and streaming services, and it's no surprise that Tom Kenny has been raking in the cash ever since syndication began.