So once again, it’s time for the list of the highest-paid actors and actresses on TV. And while the good news is that Charlie Sheen is blessedly no longer earning over $1 million per episode of a terrible TV show no one will ever actually admit to watching, the bad news is that his replacement, Ashton Kutcher, has usurped his throne. Oh, and Simon Cowell makes $75 MILLION for being on the X Factor. How does that taste?
Gone this year, of course, is Charlie Sheen and his mammoth $1.2 million an episode salary for “Two and a Half Men”; Kutcher takes his place as the top earner with a $700,000 an episode paycheck. At 22 installments per year, still not too shabby. Hugh Laurie, of “House,” will earn the same, which should cheer even his grumpy MD character up at least a little bit.
Mariska Hargitay, in perhaps her last year on “Law & Order: SVU,” will command $350,000; her partner on the show, Christopher Meloni, split after he couldn’t come to an agreement over his paycheck. Another CBS hit is saving some cash, too, as Ted Danson will make $225,000 per to join “CSI,” a significant cut below Laurence Fishburne’s salary.
As for reality shows, well, as the mogul behind “The X Factor,” Simon Cowell will make $75 million per season. Rumor has it that he was offered up to $144 million to stay with “American Idol,” though that’s hard to nail down; two seasons ago, he supposedly made $36 million. He should undoubtedly make a pretty penny from his ownership of “The X Factor,” in any case. SOURCE
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m just going to go play Batman: Arkham Asylum while quietly reflecting on what I did to actually earn the money to buy the game. YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. (Hint: Murder.)
