Zendaya, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage among TV's highest-paid stars

Hollywood stars including Zendaya, Selena Gomez and Nicolas Cage are continuing to command substantial salaries for television roles, despite a slowdown in original series production, according to a report published by Variety on November 12.

Although the streaming boom that once fuelled a surge in television spending has eased, leading actors remain in demand as platforms and networks compete for familiar names who can attract viewers. Industry insiders say that securing established stars to lead a series has become increasingly important, with some earning more than $2 million per episode.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon reportedly earned around $2 million per episode for Apple TV's The Morning Show. Sylvester Stallone is also believed to be receiving approximately the same amount for his role in Paramount+'s Tulsa King, produced by Taylor Sheridan.

Meanwhile, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, the leads of Only Murders in the Building, are reportedly earning more than $1 million per episode as the series heads into its sixth season. Jennifer Garner has also crossed the $1 million mark for Peacock's upcoming series The Five-Star Weekend.

“The need for stars that can anchor these television shows is bigger than it's ever been,” a talent agent told Variety, adding that earning $2 million per episode was once considered almost unheard of.

The shift towards shorter seasons has also made television more attractive to established film actors. Rather than committing to the 22-episode seasons common in traditional broadcast television, performers can now take on projects with six, eight or 10 episodes while still earning substantial fees.

An industry insider told the publication that actors securing the leading or second-leading roles in a series are in a particularly strong financial position.

However, the lucrative deals are largely concentrated among the biggest names. Mid-level actors, who once relied on moving between television pilots and recurring roles to maintain steady careers, are finding fewer opportunities than in the broadcast era.

The shorter production cycles have also changed contract arrangements. Studios and networks are increasingly allowing actors to work on multiple projects, as shorter seasons make exclusivity clauses less practical. Nicole Kidman was cited as an example of an actor whose frequent television appearances reflect this shift.

Another development has been the impact of California's decision eight years ago to prohibit the use of an actor's previous salary as the basis for negotiating a new role. The practice, known as an “actor's quote”, had often influenced pay negotiations. According to an agent quoted by Variety, salaries now depend more directly on the role, helping create greater pay parity, particularly for women and minority performers who have historically been paid less.

Among streaming platforms, Apple is regarded as one of the most competitive when it comes to actor salaries, with HBO and Amazon also offering substantial deals. Peacock has demonstrated a willingness to pay more than $1 million per episode for leading talent, while Paramount+ has attracted high-profile performers, particularly for productions involving Taylor Sheridan and 101 Studios.

Disney is considered more restrained in its spending, while FX has placed greater emphasis on the strength of a project's material rather than pursuing the most expensive stars.

Traditional broadcast networks, meanwhile, have also been attracting established performers to their scripted productions. Actors including Blair Underwood, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause and Hope Davis have returned to the small screen, with leading performers reportedly earning between $250,000 and $350,000 per episode at the start of a series, with the possibility of higher fees if it succeeds.

While the current market does not match the extraordinary spending of the streaming boom between 2016 and 2019, industry representatives say television remains a lucrative field for its biggest stars.

Variety noted that its salary figures are approximate and do not represent a complete list. Some reported per-episode amounts may also include producing fees and other bonuses.