Leslie Jones’ Net Worth: How Much Is the Former ‘SNL’ Star Worth?
Leslie Jones is about to embark on a new showbiz journey after finding success on Saturday Night Live and leaving the show after five seasons. Thanks to one year as a writer, then a performer, we’ve seen her carve her own unique comedic style based on a recognizable look and voice. If some might suggest she’s a late bloomer in the world of showbiz, it’s proof you can always find your biggest break when in your 40s.
While SNL helped shape her new career horizons, many of Jones’s fans wonder how much her net worth is. It’s clearly spiked recently, but just how much is she really worth at the moment?
One thing for sure is the salary she and most other five-year SNL cast members make probably pales in comparison to her current wealth.
Leslie Jones’ career history
Jones initially went into standup comedy over 32 years ago and eventually found popularity as a comedian in comedy clubs not long after. A lot of fans probably haven’t seen what her performing style was like back in those days. Go on YouTube, and you’ll find various clips of her performing standup from 20 years ago.
After Katt Williams hired her to perform with him on the road, she did become well-known in standup circles. You could even find her appearing on standup comedy shows like BET’s ComicView during the early 2000s.
As you can see in those comedy clips, her style she’s known for today was already fully formed. It’s a shame a casting director didn’t catch her act and ask her to go on SNL already back then. Maybe it was because she’d initially criticized the show for their lack of diversity. At least she did find other work acting in TV shows and small movies starting in the late ’90s through the 2000s.
Not until 2013 did she manage to land a job as a writer on SNL and evolve to performer a year later. Now, she’s off on a new journey already brimming with a million comedic possibilities.
The incredibly low amounts ‘SNL’ cast members make
According to official reports, Leslie Jones is currently worth $5 million, though it obviously took a while to get there considering the pay on SNL is very low compared to the profits the show pulls in. Pay statistics from Celebrity Net Worth show first-year cast members only make $7000 per episode. It explains why performers often do other things during the summer (or in-between) to make a better living.
Even if $7000 per episode sounds like a lot for some, it seems very low working on one of the most popular late-night shows in history. After five seasons, cast members can make $15,000 per episode, a figure still seeming low when you put into perspective how much the show relies on the performers.
There really isn’t any wonder Jones wanted to leave, outside of recently tweeting how much she loved working on SNL. She’s been able to land some exciting new projects likely to take her to the next level of TV or movie stardom.
Being in a 2016 Ghostbusters reboot helped, yet it’s only just the beginning of seeing and hearing her everywhere.
From a standup special to hosting a game show
Reports are that Jones will film her first solo standup special for Netflix soon. She’s already lending her voice to commercials and animated projects like Angry Birds 2.
Also look out for her hosting a reality game show called Supermarket Sweep, which is a revival of a show that once aired on Lifetime almost 30 years ago. Plus, she’s acting in the sequel Coming 2 America with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.
All of this is just the beginning. We even contend she should have a recurring TV show where she does commentary on TV/movies like she famously did on Twitter with the Olympics/Game of Thrones.
