Big Bang Theory may be in its final season, but its stars are still making millions for now. Four of the top five highest-paid TV actors have the CBS hit comedy to thank for their monumental paydays, including top-ranked Jim Parsons, who pocketed $26.5 million pretax in the 12 months preceding June 1, 2018.
Parsons claimed the top spot for the fourth year in a row, edging Johnny Galecki (No. 2, $25 million) with additional cash from endorsements and executive producing spinoff Young Sheldon. The pair’s Big Bang Theory co-stars, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg, tie at No. 3 ($23.5 million) with fewer side projects to juice their main salaries.
All four Big Bang Theory stars saw their paychecks drop from last year after t he original cast opted to take a cut from an estimated $1 million an episode to $900,000 in an effort to boost Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch’s fee. But they still snag points of the show’s back-end, which adds an estimated seven figures a year for each.
Rounding out the top five is NCIS’s Mark Harmon, who banks big bucks from the CBS police procedural. Like the Big Bang Theory cast, he has smartly negotiated a cut of the show’s profits.
The World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2018
1. Jim Parsons
Earnings: $26.5 million
Primary Show: Big Bang Theory
2. Johnny Galecki
$25 million
Big Bang Theory
3. (tie) Simon Helberg
$23.5 million
Big Bang Theory
4. (tie) Kunal Nayyar
$23.5 million
Big Bang Theory
5. Mark Harmon
$19 million
NCIS
6. Ed O’Neill
$14 million
Modern Family
7. Eric Stonestreet
$13.5 million
Modern Family
8. Jesse Tyler Ferguson
$13 million
Modern Family
9. Ty Burrell
$12 million
Modern Family
10. Andrew Lincoln
$11 million
The Walking Dead
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