It took one bold collective action to prevent the series from suffering negative consequences.
Five years after its conclusion, much is still being said about The Big Bang Theory. With several awards over 12 seasons, this is one of the TV series that has had the most impact and success. The cast soon became huge, making it easier for them to begin discussing and renegotiating their contracts with Warner Bros.
In this case, however, it’s not always easy to reach an agreement. Negotiations usually involve many complex details that are difficult to change easily. However, sometimes, a bet on trying something daring might be a good idea.
The Millionaire Salaries Of The Protagonists Of The Big Bang Theory
It’s been 10 years since Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco joined forces to change their salaries. It was the end of the seventh season when the trio decided that they would not return for another season without being paid more than they were already earning — $325,000 per episode each.
At the time, Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny were already some of Warner Bros.’ most established characters, which made it quite impossible to continue with more episodes without the presence of the three. The problem was that, according to sources, there wasn’t even really a contingency plan in case the cast didn’t renew (via The Hollywood Reporter).
With its great success, and with the episodes’ repeats often outnumbering the original schedule of the main broadcast networks, everything was too risky. Also, CBS had The Big Bang Theory as its top priority. So in the end, the actors chose to take a bold step by joining forces to try to achieve the result together. Otherwise, delays in the production and even the possibility of the actors considering other work opportunities could easily occur.
As a result, the agreements were designed to bring the three of them up to the level of the Friends cast. The co-creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre also commented on the case:
There are people at Warner Brothers Television and people representing the actors who have done this before. This will work itself out. I think it’s great; I want them all to be crazy wealthy because nobody deserves it more than this cast. It’ll work out.
Parsons, Galecki, and Cuoco were guaranteed $1 million per episode, as well as a greater share of the show’s profits, from 0.25% to 1.25%. In the contracts, other general terms also became more favorable along with additional benefits.
The Supporting Cast Wasn’t Left Out Either
The lead actors were not the only ones to have their contracts changed. The supporting cast also played important roles during the renegotiations to increase the salary, which until then was $100,000 per episode. In the end, the results have certainly been positive.
The appreciation of Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar also helped the evolution of their characters, who soon had more central roles throughout the seasons. Both actors were justifying their salary increase requests because they believed Howard and Raj had moved from mere supporting roles. Over time, they also became protagonists.
There were rumors about whether the series would continue with them, and whether there was an alternative for Warner Bros. The studio was exploring this possibility, however, insiders emphasize that this was more of a negotiating tactic than a realistic possibility (via Deadline).
Later on, it was officially established that both actors would receive 75% of the compensation secured by their colleagues. According to Deadline, each also managed to earn over $70 million over the following three seasons. They also reached parity with the main trio in terms of rate per-episode by the tenth season. Everything turned out well.
