Forbes just released their annual list of highest-paid actors on television for 2015. The primary takeaways are as follows:
- It is good to work for CBS, as the network’s stars made up eight of the top 10, and nine of 10 if you count former star Everybody Loves Raymond star Ray Romano, who came in tied for seventh at $15 million.
- It is REALLY good to work for Big Bang Theory, as the show was responsible for four of the top six spots on the list, including the top spot, which went to Jim Parsons and his $29 million. Checking in behind him were Johnny Galecki in second at $27 million and Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar tied for third with NCIS star Mark Harmon at $20 million.
- If you can’t work for Big Bang Theory, or even just regular old CBS (and again, you should definitely try those first), your next best bet is Modern Family, as the cast’s four male leads — Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O’Neill, and Eric Stonestreet — fell just outside the top 10, at figures ranging from $12 million to $10.5 million.
That’s right, 13 of the 15 highest-paid actors on television are on either CBS or Modern Family. The only two stragglers, you ask? Patrick Dempsey tied for ninth at $12 million and Kevin Spacey in 15th at $9.5 million. Which is interesting because (a) spoilers and so on, but Dempsey’s character on Grey’s Anatomy died last season; and (b) the two highest-paid actresses this year will almost certainly be the 2014 champ Sofia Vergara ($37 million) and Kaley Cuoco (whose new raise gives her the same salary as Parsons).
My point is that if Forbes makes a unisex list next year and someone at CBS swoops onto the ABC lot in the middle of the night this week and makes off with the cast and crew of Modern Family before the new season starts airing, the takeover could be complete.
(Via Forbes)
