Eve Plumb is telling the story of a lovely lady’s finances.
Eve Plumb, best known as Jan Brady from the popular 1969-1974 TV show The Brady Bunch, recently shared that she receives very little money from repeat airings of the series.
Jan Brady, known for her role on The Brady Bunch, joked in her new memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond, that if she earned a dime for every time a show rerun aired, she could eliminate the national debt. She quickly added, however, that this was just a playful exaggeration.
As someone who’s followed pop culture for years, I’ve noticed a lot of people still misunderstand things about my work, even after all this time! Recently, I was talking about some of the biggest ones, like the whole ‘Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!’ thing – you wouldn’t believe how many people still think that’s how it really happened on set! It’s funny, because it became so iconic thanks to Saturday Night Live, but it’s become a bit of a legend all its own.
She explained in a recent interview with PauseRewind, as reported by KOMO News, that it’s frustrating to constantly repeat the same information. She often has to clarify that the popularity of her work didn’t come until after it was featured on Saturday Night Live, that she doesn’t receive ongoing payments for it, and that she actually liked The Brady Bunch.
Eve isn’t the only TV star talking about how little she makes from old shows. Jodie Sweetin also shared that her paychecks for playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House were surprisingly small.
You won’t believe this, but I actually received a check for one cent the other day! It really highlights how things have changed in the entertainment industry. With everything moving to streaming, the old system of syndication royalties is basically gone. And honestly? It means creators aren’t getting paid for those streams – it’s a pretty big issue, and a lot of us aren’t seeing any of that revenue anymore.
Actors once earned significant money from cable reruns, syndication, and DVD sales – stars like Jerry Seinfeld and Mark Harmon continue to benefit from these deals. However, the popularity of streaming services has dramatically reduced those earnings for most performers.
Honestly, she totally gets it. She was saying that when she was in her twenties, yeah, there was some money coming in, but it was so unpredictable! Like, one month it’d be amazing and you’d think, ‘Okay, this is good!’ and the next you’d be scraping together enough for just a decent meal out. It wasn’t a steady thing at all, which is so relatable, you know? It’s like living paycheck to paycheck, but with acting gigs instead of a regular job!
Due to her inconsistent income, the 44-year-old has become accustomed to living simply.
She emphasized it wasn’t a stable situation. “I’m driving a used 2023 Hyundai Sonata that I really like, I rent where I live, and I’m carrying balances on my credit cards,” she explained.
She said her life is pretty ordinary. Sometimes things are going great, but other times she feels like she needs to find more stable work.
Streaming services haven’t negatively impacted all actors. Lisa Kudrow has indicated that she and the other stars of Friends are earning around $20 million annually from residual payments.
When asked about the show’s huge popularity in an interview with The Times on April 23rd, she jokingly replied, “Wasn’t it just because Phoebe Buffay was such a fantastic character?”
For more stars’ shocking paychecks, read on…
Although the winner of Dancing With the Stars doesn’t receive a cash prize, all finalists are paid through the end of the show, according to season 33 champion Jenna Johnson. She also mentioned that they receive a bonus on top of that.
As a longtime fan, I’ve always been curious about what the pros and celebs actually earn! From what I’ve gathered, winning doesn’t mean instant riches – it’s more about the prestige and a nice trophy. And the dancers, while incredibly talented, start with around $1,200 to $1,600 per episode, though that can climb to around $100,000 for the whole season (though ABC hasn’t officially said so). The celebrities, though, get a pretty good starting salary of $125,000! As they progress – especially if they make it to the semifinals or finals – they can earn bonuses of up to $50,000 extra. Basically, the further you go, the more you get paid – it’s a fun incentive to keep dancing!
Jennifer Lawrence, an Academy Award winner, earned $25 million for her role in Adam McKay’s comedy film Don’t Look Up. However, her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, who also has an Oscar, received $30 million for the same film.
In an interview with Vanity Fair in December 2020/January 2021, Jennifer Lawrence acknowledged that Leonardo DiCaprio generally earns more at the box office than she does. While she’s happy with her own earnings, she’s observed a broader issue: it’s often awkward and difficult for women to ask for equal pay. And when they do point out a possible difference in pay, they’re often told it’s not due to gender, but aren’t given a clear explanation for the disparity.
Jennifer Lawrence’s optimistic outlook didn’t come easily. When the 2014 Sony email leak showed she was paid less than her male co-stars in the 2013 film American Hustle, it sparked a widespread discussion about unequal pay for women in Hollywood.
In a 2017 interview with Channel 4 News, Lawrence explained she wasn’t worried about her income. ‘I’m lucky to have the job I do,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t about the money – getting millions for a film isn’t what bothered me. I was upset by the unfairness and the lack of equality.’
Compared to Leonardo DiCaprio’s earnings, Jonah Hill received a relatively small $60,000 for his work in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street – before taxes and commissions. This is significantly less than the $10 million earned by the lead actor.
Honestly, it’s amazing! He told Howard Stern back in 2014 they basically offered him the least amount of money they could get away with. But it was a Martin Scorsese film! He was so desperate to make it happen, he just wanted to sign the deal before anyone realized how little they were paying him and backed out! It was a Scorsese movie, you understand? He couldn’t risk losing that chance!
Hill, a two-time Best Supporting Actor nominee known for playing a frantic, drug-using stockbroker, said he’d be willing to sacrifice everything to work with director Martin Scorsese. He explained that while films like 22 Jump Street help pay the bills, true fulfillment comes from pursuing passion projects. He’d happily do it all over again, emphasizing that artistic satisfaction is far more important than financial gain. He believes you should prioritize work you genuinely care about.
The actress hinted that the main cast of Friends – including Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc – each earn around $20 million annually from the show’s continued broadcast. She jokingly suggested to The Times in April 2026 that this is likely “Because Phoebe Buffay was so great!”
But in actuality, she praised the talents of her costars for their performances.
I thought my performance was decent, but Jennifer and Courteney were incredible! David and Matt were hilarious, and Matthew… he was on another level entirely.
According to Joe Giudice, he and his ex-wife, Teresa Giudice, barely made any money during the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. He revealed on his daughter Gia Giudice’s Casual Chaos podcast in August 2025 that they earned around $25,000, which he considered a very small amount, but they accepted it.
Creating the first season of the show wasn’t inexpensive. The father of four recalled, “I remember that big party we threw in my living room – I think the whole first season cost me around $150,000.”
Oprah Winfrey happily accepted only a little bit of green to star in 1985’s The Color Purple.
In a 2023 interview with Essence, the media billionaire recalled being offered just $35,000 for a film role – money they considered the best they ever earned. They explained that the experience was transformative and a valuable learning opportunity.
Jennifer Lopez made history when she played the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 movie Selena. She was the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a film role.
Looking back at the film that launched her career, Lopez explained to Variety in 2019 that she was very young and didn’t fully understand what was happening. She was thrilled by the million-dollar offer and believes everyone involved was trying to prove a point.
This success allowed her to earn hundreds of millions of dollars more, and sometimes she doesn’t even need to invest any of her own money to do so.
In a 2019 interview with GQ, Jennifer Lopez explained that she pursues projects out of passion, not just for financial gain. She revealed she wasn’t highly paid for Hustlers, and even self-funded it, because she believes in investing in herself and doing work she enjoys – similar to the spirit behind her song Jenny From the Block.
Adrien Brody wasn’t motivated by money when he made The Brutalist. He chose the role of a struggling Hungarian architect in post-World War II America, and his performance earned him a second Best Actor Oscar, despite the film only paying him $250,000.
Brody told Variety he’s ready for a big studio film, explaining he’s invested everything he has into renovating a unique property – a barn he describes as castle-like – in upstate New York.
When asked about his early spending habits, Pete Davidson joked to New York magazine, “Do you know how much we make?” He recalled that when he started at Saturday Night Live in 2014, at age 20, he earned around $3,000 per episode – just enough for dinner, he quipped.
It’s notable that pay for new cast members on Saturday Night Live has stayed consistent over the years. In 1975, the original season one stars – John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase – each reportedly earned $750 per episode. When adjusted for inflation, that’s about $3,300 in 2014, and roughly $4,428 today (in 2025).
Kenan Thompson earns considerably more than $3,000 per episode of SNL these days, especially since he’s now in his 22nd season. But he didn’t always make that much – he had to begin his career like everyone else.
In Demi Lovato’s 2024 documentary, Child Star, a former cast member of All That shared that their first paycheck was $800. They joked that, being 12 years old at the time, it felt like a million dollars.
It turns out Gilmore Girls’ status as a beloved rewatchable classic is literally priceless.
Lauren Graham, best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore for seven seasons and then again in the 2016 revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, recently shared that she doesn’t receive any ongoing payments (residuals) from Netflix. She told Jimmy Kimmel in March 2025 that she’s been ‘paid in love and appreciation’ instead.
During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Tommy Dorfman revealed details about her pay for the show 13 Reasons Why. The strike, along with the WGA strike, was partly caused by streaming services like Netflix not offering extra pay to actors and crew when a show became successful.
Dorfman revealed on Threads July 24th that she earned $29,953.24 for the first season of 13 Reasons Why before her agency, manager (combined 20%), and taxes took their share. She worked on 8 episodes over six months, doing all the promotional work and appearing in key artwork for the show. She also traveled frequently between New York City and San Francisco to film, often working for days without pay and barely qualifying for health insurance.
Dorfman also noted that the show’s first season quickly became incredibly popular, racking up 476 million hours of viewership in its first 28 days – a key reason for the strike.
Dax Shepard recently shared with Lauren Graham, a former co-star on their show Parenthood, that he was one of the lowest-paid actors during the show’s six-season run on NBC. He didn’t reveal specific salaries or names, but indicated he earned significantly less than many of his colleagues.
But, the Armchair Expert host stressed that he did not mind.
Before becoming a parent, I always made it a priority to find out how much my coworkers were earning. I’d either ask them directly or discreetly check through my agent to get the information.
He deliberately avoided finding out details about his family history at work, and this helped him appreciate the experience, even when he started to realize how low he was on the company’s hierarchy.
In 2005, George Clooney told the Los Angeles Times that he and Grant Heslov each only made one dollar from the film Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney explained that to get the movie made, he cashed his directing check and forfeited his acting salary, and Heslov did the same.
Okay, so I’ve been completely obsessed with George Clooney’s portrayal of Edward R. Murrow. It wasn’t just the movie, you guys, it was everything! He really poured his heart and soul into it, and thankfully, it wasn’t a one-time thing. He actually took it to Broadway! Can you believe it? He was playing Murrow on stage until June 2025, and it was incredible. And get this – during the previews, before the official opening night in April, the show made a whopping $3.3 million! That’s a Broadway record for a play that isn’t a musical! It’s so obvious he’s more than just a handsome face; he’s a serious actor, and he totally deserved all the success.
Christian Bale revealed in a 2022 interview with GQ that he earned very little for his role as Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho. He said he was paid the lowest amount legally permitted because the production team wasn’t initially enthusiastic about casting him, with director Mary Harron being his primary supporter.
Oh my gosh, it’s just… heartbreaking! Bale actually told me – I mean, he shared – that he was making so little on set, he remembered being in the makeup trailer and the artists were literally laughing at him! Can you believe it? He was getting paid LESS than the people doing his makeup! It’s just… I can’t even. It proves how dedicated he is, honestly. He’d do anything for a role, even take a huge pay cut. It’s just… amazing and awful all at once!
Although his uncle was Rico, Jon Heder revealed in 2010 that he originally earned just $1,000 for his role in Napoleon Dynamite.
Once the comedy unexpectedly became popular, he successfully asked for a share of the earnings. He told the New Zealand Herald that they “increased the offer.”
Despite a successful career with acclaimed films like Amistad and Blood Diamond, Djimon Hounsou believes he doesn’t earn enough money in Hollywood.
The Beninese actor told CNN’s Larry Madowo in January 2025 that despite working in film for over twenty years, and having received two Oscar nominations and appeared in many successful blockbusters, he still finds it difficult to make ends meet.
In her 2024 memoir, Rebel Rising, Rebel Wilson revealed she earned $3,500 for her work on Bridesmaids, but the entire amount went to joining the Screen Actors Guild. Essentially, she didn’t receive any payment for the film.
Still, she wrote, the experience was “everything!”
The Australian actress’s career soared, and her salary increased dramatically from $65,000 for Pitch Perfect in 2012 to $10 million for Pitch Perfect 3 in 2017. She earned a total of $20 million from Pitch Perfect 3, Isn’t It Romantic, and The Hustle. However, after paying nearly 50% in taxes, 10% to her agents, and 5% to her lawyer, along with other professional fees, she still made a substantial profit—what she considered a fortune.
In late 2017, Ellen Pompeo successfully negotiated a new contract for her role on Grey’s Anatomy. She secured $575,000 per episode, a substantial signing bonus, and a share of the show’s profits estimated to be worth between $6 and $7 million.
In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 48-year-old Pompeo explained that she’s reached a point in her career where she confidently asks for fair compensation. She attributes this to gaining experience with age. Pompeo acknowledged she isn’t considered one of the most ‘in-demand’ actresses, a perception fueled by playing the same character for 14 years. However, she argued that while many actors can perform well during a show’s first couple of seasons, maintaining that quality after 14 years demonstrates real talent.
Ellen Pompeo recently shared that she didn’t resent her “Grey’s Anatomy” costar, Patrick Dempsey, even though he consistently earned more than she did, despite being the show’s titular character.
In a March 2025 episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy, she explained that because the show was named after her, she felt she deserved equal recognition. She wasn’t upset about his success, but rather that her contributions weren’t valued as highly, and she believed that would always be the case.
Jamie Lee Curtis remembers earning $2,000 per week, totaling $8,000, for her first movie, the 1978 film Halloween. As she explained to Rotten Tomatoes in 2018, very few people involved in the film received any significant payment.
Although the actress playing Laurie Strode made a good amount of money, director John Carpenter’s friend, Nick Castle, felt like he was living large earning $25 a day to share the role of Michael Myers. (Actually, it’s Anthony Moran whose face you briefly see when the killer’s mask comes off, and editor Tommy Lee Wallace also appeared on screen as Michael.)
Looking back, it was a whirlwind,” said Castle, who went to film school with Carpenter at USC. He explained to Vanity Fair in 2018 that he was initially drawn to the project simply to learn about filmmaking firsthand. “I figured I’d be observing on set without getting paid, so $25 a day just for wearing a rubber mask was a nice bonus!”
Taraji P. Henson was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, she was frustrated that she only received $150,000 for the movie, despite initially requesting $500,000, which the producers turned down.
In a 2021 interview on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast, producer Scott Henson discussed the high salaries of the film’s stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. He noted that $20 million paychecks for actors were less common at the time, but he believed Pitt and Blanchett deserved their compensation.
Taraji P. Henson explained that she was also bringing value to the project and believed her salary request was reasonable, considering how much the film would likely earn. She said she wouldn’t have accepted less. She was very disappointed when they initially offered her only $100,000, and while she eventually negotiated a $150,000 salary, she admitted it was difficult to accept less than she felt she deserved.
Henson understands people might think $150,000 is a large sum of money, and she wants to make it clear she’s not ungrateful. However, she explained that after taxes and paying her team, the actual amount she receives is significantly less. First, the government takes about 50%, leaving $75,000. Then, she needs to pay her team 30% of the original amount before taxes are taken out. After both deductions, she estimates she might only have around $40,000 left.
Cate Blanchett has earned a substantial income throughout her career, but her role as the elf Galadriel in the hugely successful The Lord of the Rings films – which made $2.9 billion worldwide – wasn’t her sole source of income.
When Andy Cohen suggested on Watch What Happens Live in August 2024 that The Lord of the Rings was her most lucrative role, she jokingly replied, “No!” She explained that the cast didn’t actually receive substantial paychecks for the film—she mostly got free sandwiches and was allowed to keep her prosthetic ears.
Orlando Bloom, known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, revealed on The Howard Stern Show in 2023 that he earned just $175,000 for all three films.
Hopefully he also got to keep his ears.
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2026-05-13 18:54