Big Bang Theory Star Reveals How Streaming Ruins the Actors' Paychecks
It would appear that one actor wants a much larger paycheck for his iconic role.
Seeing how The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular sitcoms in recent decades, it's only natural for the main cast to continue making millions from their time on the show, despite it ending in 2019. After all, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, and Kaley Cuoco were instrumental in making the show a hit, and fans are perfectly happy about them getting substantial sums from reruns, syndications, and the like.
However, it seems that at least one prominent TBBT cast member wants to get a lot more money than he's currently making in residuals.
While Kevin Sussman wasn't part of TBBT's main cast, his character Stuart was undeniably a crucial part of the show's identity, appearing in nearly every season. Although Sussman reportedly made $55,000 per episode and managed to amass a net worth of $3 million over the years, he is not entirely happy with the money he receives from TBBT reruns, attributing the issue to streaming.
'For me the big issue is residuals for streaming. I've seen residuals for my own shows absolutely tank once they go to streaming. I'm lucky because I was on The Big Bang Theory, which was on a broadcast network for years. Since it moved to streaming it's night and day. I don't see how it's possible for an upcoming actor these days to actually be able to make a living,' Sussman said.
Indeed, it seems that Sussman firmly believes that large streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Max are shortchanging actors when they include older shows in their catalogues. Clearly, Sussman is supporting the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike with his take on the issue, but realistically, it's only natural that streaming services would prefer to pay more to the actors starring in their own shows or movies rather than compensating those who appeared in vintage properties.
In theory, the ongoing strike may even address this seemingly minor issue, as the actors' guild is heavily invested in improving the working conditions and pay for all performers regardless of whether they play main or supporting roles.
Source: Deadline.