The 35 Highest Paid TV Roles of All Time

Despite his cynical attitude and poor bedside manner, Dr. Gregory House is one of the most beloved characters in television. Played by Hugh Laurie, House has made lists such as the “100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years” and “30 Great TV Doctors and Nurses” by Entertainment Weekly. The series ran from 2004-2012 and by 2011, Laurie was making $892,000 per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

“Gilmore Girls” fans everywhere anxiously waited for the day when a reboot of the series would be created. This dream finally came true with the release of the mini-series “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” in 2016. The two stars of the show are Lorelai and her daughter Rory, played by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. Although the mini-series was only four episodes long, Alexis Bledel was paid $915,000 per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

No reboot of “Gilmore Girls” would be complete without the witty Lorelai Gilmore. The mini-series starts with Lorelai, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory both in crisis and questioning their current state in life. Like Bledel, Graham was paid $915,000 per episode (inflation-adjusted) for starring in this long-anticipated series.

“Two and a Half Men” star Charlie Sheen was removed from the series before the start of season 9 in 2011. Instead of canceling the show, his character was replaced with Walden Schmidt, played by Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher starred in “Two and a Half Men” for 84 episodes from 2011 to 2015. Near the end of the series, he was making $921,000 per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

“The Big Bang Theory” is a popular sitcom that aired from 2007-2019. As you can imagine, the stars of the show were paid well considering the show’s popularity. But the stars weren’t the only ones who were paid well. Kunal Nayyar, who played Raj Koothrappali on “The Big Bang Theory,” was paid $1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Simon Helberg was another actor who played a role in the secondary cast of “The Big Bang Theory.” Helberg played the role of Howard Wolowitz, who is best friends with Nayyar’s character, Raj Koothrapali. Helberg appeared in the show from the beginning of the series and by 2017, he was making $1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

The ’90s sitcom “Seinfeld” centers around the life of Jerry Seinfeld. However, the show wouldn’t be the same without the most eccentric character on the show, Cosmo Kramer. Simply known as Kramer by his friends, Michael Richards played this role throughout the series. As the popularity of “Seinfeld” grew, so did the salary of the cast. From 1997-1998, Richards was making $1.1 million per episode.

Actor Jason Alexander plays another important role in “Seinfeld” as Jerry’s friend, George Costanza. George and Jerry met in gym class when they attended public school together. Alexander’s character is often described as neurotic and living in a fantasy, which likely comes from his parents. By 1997, Alexander was making the same as Richards and was paid $1.1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays another one of the iconic roles on “Seinfeld.” Louis-Dreyfus plays Jerry’s friend, Elaine Benes, who is described as assertive and short-tempered. Although she’s the only main character who doesn’t appear in the pilot episode, the character of Elaine is introduced in the second episode. Louis-Dreyfus was paid the same as her co-stars Alexander and Richards, making $1.1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) from 1997-1998.

Jeff Bridges starred in the drama thriller known as “The Old Man.” It tells the story of a former CIA agent who goes on the run after killing an intruder in his home. Bridges plays the role of Dan Chase, the former agent who is now being hunted by the FBI. The series started in 2022 and has been renewed for a second season. Bridges made $1.1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) starting at the beginning of “The Old Man.”

“Big Little Lies” was a drama series first released in 2017 and starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman. The HBO series is based on a novel by Liane Moriarty and tells the story of a group of women who get pulled into a murder investigation. Witherspoon plays the role of Madeline Mackenzie, who is a mother of two girls and works at the local theater. For this role, Witherspoon was paid $1.1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Nicole Kidman is another one of the stars in “Big Little Lies.” Kidman plays the role of Celeste Wright, one of the main protagonists of the show and wife to the main antagonist in the first season. Celeste is friends with Madeline and mother to two boys. Like Witherspoon, Kidman was paid $1.1 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) to star in “Big Little Lies.”

Even though Dr. Frasier Crane is the star of “Frasier,” Dr. Crane’s brother is also a significant part of what makes the show humorous. In “Frasier,” David Hyde Pierce plays the role of Niles Crane, Dr. Frasier Crane’s brother. Pierce wasn’t making as much as Kelsey Grammer in his role, but he still made it out pretty well, making $1.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) by 2004.

In 1995, Drew Carey created his own show, titled “The Drew Carey Show.” Carey played a fictionalized version of himself in this sitcom that aired for nine seasons. In the series, Carey isn’t a comedian or actor. Instead, he works for a department store and runs a small business selling caffeinated alcoholic drinks. By Season 7, Carey was making $1.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Since the secondary cast of “The Big Bang Theory” was getting paid well, you can imagine that the main characters were paid even more. In the series, Jim Parsons played Sheldon Cooper, a physicist and main character in the show. Sheldon is incredibly intellectual and is described as lacking empathy and humility. Toward the end of the series in 2015, Parsons was paid $1.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

In “The Big Bang Theory,” Johnny Galecki plays the role of Leonard Hofstadter, fellow physicist and best friend of Sheldon. In the earlier seasons of the show, Leonard and Sheldon are also roomates. As one of the main characters and core cast, Galecki was also paid $1.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) from 2015-2017.

Kaley Cuoco plays Penny in “The Big Bang Theory,” the neighbor of Sheldon and Leonard in the beginning of the series. Although she doesn’t have a lot in common with the two roommates, she befriends them right off the bat and Leonard develops a crush on her. They end up starting a relationship and getting married later in the series. Cuoco was paid the same as her co-stars, making $1.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) starting in 2015.

“The Sopranos” was a crime drama that aired from 1997-2007. This series followed the story of Tony Soprano, a mob boss played by James Gandolfini. In “The Sopranos,” Tony faces many obstacles as he attempts to balance his personal life with his role as the head of the Soprano Family. This highly-acclaimed series aired for six seasons and by 2006, Gandolfini was paid $1.4 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) for his role.

“Friends” still remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. The series followed a group of young friends who dealt with struggles in their love lives and careers while living in New York City. Matthew Perry played the goofy and lovable Chandler Bing. Bing is best friends with Joey and Ross, two of the other main characters. For this role, Perry was paid $1.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

In “Friends,” David Schwimmer portrayed Ross Geller, Monica’s brother. Geller works as a paleontologist and has a clear interest in Rachel Green from the beginning of the series. Although he does end up dating Rachel later on, they end up getting married and then divorced after a night in Las Vegas. All of the main characters in “Friends” were paid the same, leading to Schwimmer making $1.5 million per episode.

Matt LeBlanc plays Joey Tribbiani on “Friends,” the ultimate ladies’ man and Chandler’s best friend. Joey is an actor trying to make it big in New York City, but often struggles to find work. His biggest role was playing Dr. Drake Ramoray on “Days of Our Lives.” Like his co-stars, LeBlanc was paid $1.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Lisa Kudrow plays the quirky, sprited Phoebe Buffay on “Friends.” Phoebe is a masseuse and an aspiring musician, often playing at the group’s favorite coffee shop, Central Perk. Phoebe is best friends with Rachel and Monica throughout the show. Kudrow was paid $1.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) to play one of the audience’s favorite characters on the show.

Courteney Cox starred in “Friends” as the controlling and competitive, yet well-meaning, Monica Geller. Monica works as a chef throughout the series, except for a short stint as a waitress at a local diner. While Monica has an exceptionally strong personality, she balances out the easy-going nature of her friends Phoebe and Rachel. Cox was paid $1.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) for her role as Monica.

Perhaps the most beloved character on “Friends,” Rachel Green was played by Jennifer Aniston. During the series, Rachel works at a variety of jobs, from a waitress at Central Perk to her role as a buyer and shopper at Bloomingdale’s. Aniston’s character is introduced at the beginning of the show as a runaway bride when she leaves her fiance Barry at the altar. Aniston was paid $1.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) for her role as Rachel.

“The Terminal List” is a thriller that was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2022. The series was based on a novel by Jack Carr and follows the story of a former Navy SEAL named James Reece, played by Chris Pratt. The first season ran for eight episodes and in 2023, the series was renewed for a second season. For the first season, Pratt was paid $1.6 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

Roseanne Barr was another actress who reaped the benefit of a high-paying TV role. The original “Roseanne” aired for nine seasons from 1988-1997. Barr played the role of Roseanne Conner, the mother of three in a working-class family living in Illinois. By the time the final season rolled around in 1996, Barr was making $1.6 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.) There was a brief reboot in 2018, but it was canceled by ABC after nine episodes.

“Mad About You” was a ’90s TV series about married couple, Paul and Jamie Buchman, living in New York. The original show aired from 1992-1999, but a reboot of “Mad About You” was released in 2019. Paul Reiser played Paul Buchman, a filmmaker and husband of Jamie Buchman. Toward the end of the original series, Reiser was making $1.8 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

“Mad About You” told the story of both Paul and Jamie as they navigated married life. In the series, Helen Hunt played Jamie Buchman, a public relations specialist and newly wed married to Paul Buchman. From 1998-1999, Hunt was also making $1.8 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

According to IMDb, “Seinfeld” ranks as #39 in top rated TV shows. This beloved sitcom follows stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld as he navigates life in New York City with his friends Elaine, Kramer, and George. Although Seinfeld wasn’t earning as much at the beginning of the show, by Season 9, he was making $1.8 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)

“Home Improvement,” starring Tim Allen, was one of the most popular sitcoms in the ’90s. This sitcom ran from 1991-1999 for a total of 9 seasons. Allen played the role of Tim Taylor, a TV show host, husband, and father. At the end of the series in 1998, Allen was making $2.2 million per episode (inflation-adjusted,) making his role one of the highest paid TV roles at the time.

“The Morning Show” was a series inspired by a book by Brian Stelter, known as “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV.” The series, which airs on Apple TV, tells the story of the cast of a morning news program. Reese Witherspoon plays the role of Bradley Jackson, a news anchor at UBA and former co-host of The Morning Show. The show is still airing, but Witherspoon’s starting salary was $2.3 million per episode (inflation-adjusted) starting in 2019.

Jennifer Anniston is another one of the stars in “The Morning Show.” Anniston plays the role of Alex Levy, the co-host of The Morning Show at UBA. The first season of the show aired in 2019 and the show has currently been renewed for a fourth season. Anniston started out with this role making $2.3 million per episode, making nearly $1 million more per episode than she made at the end of her role as Rachel Green.

In his role as Charlie Harper, Charlie Sheen was one of the highest paid actors on TV. Sheen was on the show from 2003-2011 before Ashton Kutcher took over from 2011-2015. By 2010, Sheen was making $2.3 million per episode (inflation-adjusted). With anywhere from 16-24 episodes per season, Sheen was easily making over $50 million a year from the series.

“Frasier” was another popular, long-running ’90s sitcom. This series about Dr. Frasier Crane, the psychiatrist and radio star, aired from 1993-2004. “Frasier” was a top rated sitcom and ended up with 11 seasons total. Kelsey Grammer played Dr. Frasier Crane, the star of the show, and by 2002, was making $2.5 million per episode.

Ray Romano, star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” takes first place as one of the highest paid TV roles. This series ran for a total of nine seasons and aired from 1996-2005. “Everybody Loves Raymond” follows the story of sports columnist Ray Barone as he navigates family life with his dysfunctional family. By the end of the series, Romano was making $2.5 million per episode (inflation-adjusted.)