How Much Actors Really Earn For Popular TV Reruns

Every actor who lands a role on a popular series considers themselves lucky, but thanks to residuals, they can continue to be paid for their work long after a series has stopped airing new episodes.

Fans might be surprised that some actors can live well off of just their residuals, while others aren’t paid more than a few dollars for their former jobs.

And thanks to streaming services, many actors don’t receive any residuals at all for some of the most successful series that have ever aired.

Kelsey Grammer From “Frasier,” $13 Million Per Year

Kelsey Grammer really hit the jackpot when his beloved “Cheers” character received his own spin-off series “Frasier.”

The spin-off aired for an unbelievable 11 seasons and thanks to Grammer’s role as executive producer and director of many episodes, he receives some pretty sizable residual checks each month, which have by some estimates, surmounted $13 million since the series went off the air in 2004.

Ray Romano From “Everybody Loves Raymond,” $18 Million Per Year

“Everbody Loves Raymond” was on the air for 9 seasons and ended in 2005, but many people started watching the series long after it wrapped up. That’s why Ray Romano still gets a ton of money in residuals each year.

That and he was an executive producer on the series, so he is paid significantly more than cast members who only acted on the show.

Bob Saget From “Full House,” $2,000 Per Year

Bob Saget was everywhere in the ’90s. Not only did he star as Danny Tanner on the beloved sitcom “Full House,” but he also hosted “America’s Funniest Home Videos” at its peak and had a successful stand-up comedy career.

Thanks to all of this, Saget was paid more for his work on the series than other members of the cast, and because of that he also receives more in residuals each year.

George Clooney From “ER,” $13 Million Per Year

George Clooney was a series regular on “ER” for five years and his star power is what got many people to tune in to the show in the first place.

Clooney received two Emmy nominations for his role, which helped catapult him to major stardom and thanks to the hours he put into the hour long drama, he still receives some pretty hefty residuals.