Hollywood Stars Command Up To $2 Million Per Episode In TV’s Biggest Pay Deals

The biggest pay packets in television are increasingly going to stars whose fame extends far beyond the small screen. According to a new survey by entertainment trade publication Variety, some of the industry's highest-paid television performers are major Hollywood film stars and internationally recognised music personalities rather than traditional TV actors.

The figures reflect the increasingly competitive streaming market, where platforms are prepared to spend heavily to secure household names. With more services competing for subscribers, attracting commercially successful celebrities has become an important part of the entertainment industry's strategy.

In an extensive investigation published on 12 November, Variety examined the salaries commanded by some of the biggest names in television. The findings show that several A-list performers are collecting hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of dollars for every episode they appear in. Selena Gomez is among the prominent examples of a star whose profile extends across both entertainment and music.

Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston And Chris Pratt Earn $2 Million Per Episode

At the top end of the salary rankings are performers receiving an extraordinary $2 million for each episode.

Tulsa King star Sylvester Stallone commands that amount for his role in the Paramount+ series, which has continued for four seasons. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon receive the same reported fee for their performances in Apple TV's The Morning Show.

Chris Pratt, another established Hollywood blockbuster star, also earns $2 million per episode for his action series The Terminal List on Prime Video.

These salaries demonstrate how established film careers can translate into substantial television deals, particularly when streaming services want recognisable names to lead their productions.

Zendaya, Nicolas Cage And Robert De Niro Among The $1 Million TV Stars

A reported $1 million per episode has become an established salary benchmark for several high-profile performers.

Zendaya commands that figure for HBO's Euphoria, while Robert De Niro received the same amount for Netflix's Zero Day. Jake Gyllenhaal also falls into this category for Apple's legal drama Presumed Innocent.

Other stars earning approximately $1 million per episode include Jennifer Garner for Weekend in Nantucket and Nicolas Cage for Prime Video's Spider-Noir.

Cage's television career is also set to continue, with the actor preparing to return for the fifth season of True Detective.

The list further includes Alan Ritchson for Reacher, as well as Andrew Garfield and Jude Law for Apple's Wild Things. Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short are also reported to earn $1 million per episode for Only Murders in the Building.

Kenneth Branagh, Harrison Ford And Other Stars Earn More Than $1 Million

Several television performers have negotiated salaries that exceed the million-dollar benchmark without reaching the $2 million bracket.

According to Variety, Kenneth Branagh earns approximately $1.4 million per episode for Laird on Paramount+. Harrison Ford and Jason Segel reportedly receive $1.3 million each for Shrinking on Apple TV.

Meanwhile, Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser earn around $1.2 million per episode for Dutton Ranch, while Elisabeth Moss receives approximately $1.1 million for Shining Girls.

These figures highlight the considerable earning potential available to established performers working on major television productions.

Nicole Kidman Has Turned Television Into A Lucrative Career

Nicole Kidman is another major film star who has embraced television in a significant way.

The actress has appeared in 11 series in less than a decade, with some of those projects also involving her as a producer. Her television commitments have not prevented her from maintaining a busy film career.

With reported earnings of between $1 million and $1.5 million per episode, her television work has become a particularly lucrative part of her professional portfolio.

The limited episode counts of many streaming productions also make the arrangement attractive to established film stars. Most of the high-profile performers featured in the report commit to miniseries consisting of between four and ten episodes, leaving room for other projects, including feature films.

Streaming Salary Competition Leaves Mid-Level Television Actors Behind

While Hollywood's biggest names benefit from the growing demand for recognisable talent, the financial rewards are not being distributed equally across the television industry.

Variety identifies established mid-level television performers as the group most affected by the changing landscape. These actors, often familiar to audiences through long-running police procedurals and medical dramas, are finding fewer opportunities to secure leading roles in new streaming productions.

Unlike major film stars, they do not necessarily carry the same cinematic recognition that streaming companies increasingly seek when developing new projects.

As platforms continue investing in internationally recognised celebrities to attract subscribers, the gap between top-billed Hollywood performers and traditional television actors remains a defining feature of the industry's changing salary structure.

Hollywood's Highest-Paid Television Actors: Salary Breakdown

$1 Million Per Episode

• Jennifer Garner – Weekend in Nantucket (Peacock)

• Nicolas Cage – Spider-Noir (Prime Video)

• Alan Ritchson – Reacher (Prime Video)

• Jake Gyllenhaal – Presumed Innocent (Apple TV)

• Robert De Niro – Zero Day (Netflix)

• Andrew Garfield and Jude Law – Wild Things (Apple TV)

• Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

• Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)

More Than $1 Million Per Episode

• Kenneth Branagh – $1.4 million, Laird (Paramount+)

• Harrison Ford and Jason Segel – $1.3 million, Shrinking (Apple TV)

• Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser – $1.2 million, Dutton Ranch (Paramount+)

• Elisabeth Moss – $1.1 million, Shining Girls (Apple TV)

$2 Million Per Episode

• Sylvester Stallone – Tulsa King (Paramount+)

• Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon – The Morning Show (Apple TV)

• Chris Pratt – The Terminal List (Prime Video)