Matthew Morrison is Paid the Same as Snooki, and 5 Other Devastating TV Paycheck Comparisons

You think that your paycheck is unfair? Imagine being an Emmy-winning actress who's being out-earned by a 16-year-old. Or even worse, put yourself in the shoes of an accomplished Broadway and television star who pulls in just as much as a spray-tanned Jersey Shore personality who's best known for eating pickles drunk. TV Guide has put out a new list of TV's highest (and lowest) paid stars, and with that in mind, here are some of the worst paycheck injustices littering the airwaves.

· You've surely heard of potential EGOT candidate Matthew Morrison, who sings, dances, white-raps, and acts on the Emmy-nominated series Glee? His $30,000 per-episode paycheck is the same as Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, who drinks, dances and smooshes on Jersey Shore.

· Kevin Dillon, a supporting actor on Entourage, has an episode fee of $200,000 -- twice what Mad Men's Emmy-winning lead Jon Hamm makes. Hamm also pulls in just as much as the virtually unknown Cole Hauser ($100,000), who is headlining NBC's freshman drama Chase this fall.

· Two and a Half Men star Angus T. Jones, 16, makes $250,000 per half-hour episode. Compare that to Emmy-winning Good Wife actress Julianna Margulies, who pulls down $175,000 per hourlong episode.

· Award magnet (and future Saturday Night Live host) Jane Lynch cashes a check for $50,000 per episode, exactly a quarter of what her fellow Fox star David Boreanaz takes home each installment.

· 30 Rock's absolutely essential Tina Fey ($350,000) makes less than any of the four stars left on Desperate Housewives (Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria), who each earn a healthy $400,000 per episode.

· Kate Gosselin ($250,000) makes more than Edie Falco ($175,000), Ed O'Neill ($100,000), Betty White ($75,000) or Jim Parsons ($40,000) per episode.

Go ahead and weep already.

· Who Are TV's Top Earners? [TV Guide]



Comments

  • Chanda says:

    The sad part about Jim Parsons' paycheck on Big Bang Theory is not comparing it to Kate Gosselin (who I avoid at all costs), but that he makes $40k per episode compared to his costars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, who each make $60k. I hope that when negotiations are up, he is able to get on par with (or, preferably more than) those guys, since he makes the show much more bearable than the other 'stars.'

  • Anonymous says:

    How about Anna Paquin making 75.000.00 per episode on the number 1 show on cable and the most popular show in about 20 years TRUEBLOOD!! Outrages!

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