How Much Did Kaley Cuoco Make for Each ‘Big Bang Theory’ Episode?

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As a longtime fan of Kaley Cuoco and her captivating performances, I must say that her journey through the world of television is nothing short of extraordinary. From her humble beginnings to becoming one of the highest-paid actresses on television, she has truly come a long way.

One of the top and widely-watched sitcoms on today’s television is ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ This show can be compared to a more academic, Pasadena-set version of ‘Friends’ or ‘Seinfeld.’ The series focuses on a group of intellectually gifted, socially awkward friends and colleagues, including the attractive woman living across the hall, who is played by Kaley Cuoco as Penny, an aspiring actress and waitress. Spanning over 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ broke the mold in TV longevity – making one wonder what Sheldon, a character known for his rigidity, would have thought about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The massive popularity of the show spawned a full-fledged franchise, comprising a prequel series titled “Young Sheldon” and another spin-off focusing on Sheldon’s older brother, tentatively named “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage“. Additionally, there are rumors of a new series featuring the character Stuart, where he takes center stage. This upcoming series, titled “Max”, will delve into Stuart’s life with his girlfriend Denise and geologist Bert Kibbler.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the remarkable journey of Kaley Cuoco, who skyrocketed to stardom and wealth with the success of The Big Bang Theory. Her total earnings from the show are reportedly an astounding $150 million, not even counting residuals. Yet, it was a far cry from her current status when she initially joined the cast, back then just an aspiring actress trying to make it big in Hollywood.

Let’s jump into Sheldon’s time capsule, travel back through the 12 seasons of “The Big Bang Theory,” apply some astrophysics calculations, and discover the amount Kaley Cuoco earned per episode.

Seasons 1 – 3: $60,000 Per Episode

Prior to the debut of “The Big Bang Theory”, Kaley Cuoco had already appeared as the lead actress in various television series such as “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter”, “Charmed”, and the animated show “Bratz”, among others. However, she and her fellow cast members were relatively unknown when “The Big Bang Theory” premiered in 2007.

Despite Chuck Lorre being associated with the project, having successfully produced the sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, there was uncertainty about this new show’s success. Consequently, it’s not surprising that Kaley Cuoco and her co-stars received relatively low salaries for the early seasons of the show, compared to TV industry standards.

Back when I was just starting out on The Big Bang Theory, alongside my fantastic co-stars Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons, we each earned $60,000 per episode during the first three seasons. With 17 episodes in season one and 23 episodes each for seasons two and three, that added up to around $3.8 million just from those initial seasons. Not too shabby for a rising actress!

Season 4: $200,000 Per Episode

Initially, the popularity of The Big Bang Theory got off to a bumpy start, with its early seasons receiving mixed feedback from both critics and viewers. However, by the third season, the show’s audience began to grow significantly. Eventually, The Big Bang Theory became an enormous success, providing actors Cuoco, Galecki, and Parsons the opportunity to renegotiate their salaries for season 4. They ultimately agreed on earning $200,000 per episode.

The 24-episode season of “The Big Bang Theory” amounts to $4,800,000, surpassing what Cuoco earned during her first three seasons altogether. However, it was an investment well made since Season 4 marked the series’ significant rise in popularity. During this period, “The Big Bang Theory” outranked other comedies and just barely edged out the long-dominant sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” as TV’s top-rated comedy.

Seasons 5 – 7: $200,000, Plus $50,000 Increase Per Season

In the negotiations for season 4, Cuoco, Galecki, and Parsons didn’t just secure a $200,000 per episode pay rate; they also strategically arranged a $50,000 bump in salary for each subsequent season. This means that Cuoco was earning $250,000 per episode in season 5, $300,000 per episode in season 6, and an impressive $350,000 per episode in season 7. In total, they each made $6 million for season 5, $7.2 million for season 6, and a substantial $8.4 million for season 7.

Just as the universe never seems to run out of space, so too did Cuoco’s salary appear to have no limits. This trend persisted even during the eighth season.

Seasons 8 – 10: $1 Million Per Episode

In its eighth season, The Big Bang Theory had become one of the most popular sitcoms on television, leading actress Kaley Cuoco and her fellow cast members to seize the moment and renegotiate their salaries. Cuoco, Jim Parsons, and Johnny Galecki agreed to a three-year contract worth $1 million per episode, in addition to back-end earnings. Over seasons 8, 9, and 10, Cuoco alone pocketed an astounding $24 million – that’s $72 million for those three seasons, without accounting for any back-end earnings. This figure is truly colossal, even by the standards of astrophysics. By season 10, even Simon Helberg (Howard) and Kunal Nayyar (Raj), who had previously been paid less than their counterparts, were earning $1 million per episode each.

This deal made Cuoco and her castmates some of the highest-paid actors on television. Fun fact: the highest-paid TV actor of all time is — drumroll, please — Sarah Jessica Parker for her role in HBO’s beloved series, Sex and the City. Parker was paid a whopping $3.2 million per episode back in 2001, which comes out to $5.6 million today.

Season 11 – 12: $900,000 Per Episode

By season 11, “The Big Bang Theory” had become the uncontested leader among television shows. In its last two seasons, Kaley Cuoco was earning approximately $900,000 per episode. However, you might be wondering why her salary decreased from the previous million dollars she was making. There is a valid and commendable reason for this decrease in Cuoco’s earnings.

Prior to Season 11, the female co-stars of Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Mayim Bialik (Amy) and Melissa Rauch (Bernadette), were earning substantially less than their male counterparts despite having leading roles. Their pay ranged from $175,000 to $200,000 per episode. In a show of solidarity, Cuoco and her wealthy co-stars – Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar – agreed to reduce their salaries by $100,000 each, thereby increasing Bialik and Rauch’s pay to $500,000 per episode. This marked a significant boost in their earnings compared to what they were earning previously.

During seasons 11 and 12, Kaley Cuoco’s earnings per episode dropped to $900,000, resulting in a total of approximately $43.2 million for both seasons. Despite the cancellation of her show, The Flight Attendant, earlier this year, it seems that Kaley Cuoco will continue to thrive financially.

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2024-12-14 03:02