‘The Big Bang Theory’: How Their Salaries Compare To ‘Friends’ And ‘Frasier’
The Big Bang Theory’s series finale is right around the corner and the cast of the popular sitcom is having a hard time saying farewell, but maybe their final paychecks can help them rest easier. It is no secret that the TBBT cast rakes in the dough every year, but their earnings for Season 12 are out of this world.
How much did ‘TBBT’ cast members make for their final season?
The cast salaries for the final season of TBBT were just released and the numbers are about as exorbitant as they get. According to Yahoo, all members of the principal cast earned $1 million for every episode.
With 24 installments in the final season, that makes upwards of $24 million for each of the main cast members, including Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar.
Outside of the main cast, Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik pulled down around $425,000 for every episode. In total, the two will make a little over $10 million for the final season. The series may have its critics, but there is no denying that it pays well. It also explains why each of the cast members has stuck with the show for all these years, though they are admittedly a close-knit group.
How does ‘The Big Bang Theory’ stack up to the competition?
For comparison, the cast of TBBT makes around double that of the competition. The leading stars of Game of Thrones — including Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Lena Headey — made around $500,000 per episode in Season 7 and were paid around the same in Season 8.
For a historical comparison, the cast of Friends made upwards of $700,000 per episode and $1 million in the last two seasons. But the highest earners were Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men), Tim Allen (Home Improvement), Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), and Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), each of whom pulled down over $2 million per episode of their respective shows.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ cast films final episode
At the end of April, the cast of the TBBT filmed the final episode of Season 12. Fans lined up outside of the studio in Burbank, California, for a chance to purchase tickets for the final filming.
After the last scene, Galecki reportedly talked with the audience and gave a tearful farewell on behalf of the rest of the cast. Several cast members shared photos from their final day on set on social media, including Bialik, who captioned her image of the series’ logo, “Goodnight from stage 25.”
Parsons, meanwhile, shared a photo of the outside of Sheldon Cooper’s apartment door, where a good portion of the show took place. The actor added a lengthy note with the photo, expressing gratitude for all of the good times he has had.
Kunal Nayyar, who portrayed Rajesh Koothrappali on the show, meanwhile shared a heartfelt note on Instagram for fans, thanking them for their loyalty over the years. Fans can watch the final episode of The Big Bang Theory May 16 on CBS.
Galecki and Cuoco host ‘TBBT’ special
Right after the series finale of The Big Bang Theory, Galecki and Cuoco are set to host a special that will take fans behind the scenes of the final season. The special, titled Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell, will be half an hour in length and feature some personal memories from cast members.
The special also promises to reveal some of the show’s best held secrets while revisiting some of the most memorial scenes in the series.
In addition to the special, fans can also catch the entire cast of TBBT theory on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The stars are expected to appear in full force on the late-night talk show to discuss the final season.
The Big Bang Theory called it quits after 270 episodes, largely because Parsons did not want to return for another season. Parsons released a statement about how he felt it was time to leave the series behind and pursue other projects. The actor assured fans that he was not leaving because of anything negative about the show and that he feels as if he gave it everything.
