Supernatural: Was Jensen Ackles Really Paid More Than Jared Padalecki?
Apparently, Ackles got an extra $50,000. But did he, though?
Supernatural had been on our screens for a crazy 15 years, and in that time it gained an incredibly loyal fan base (despite the anticlimactic finale, which already saying something), and the cast became world-famous celebrities. Especially Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who played the show's eternal protagonists, the Winchester brothers, and appeared in all 327 episodes of the show.
Not only have the actors managed to remain close friends, but they have also amassed a huge fortune, with the two worth a whopping $14 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
But did you know that according to various reports, their salaries on Supernatural varied? Let's find out if that's true and what the reason might be.
Differing Salaries
Apparently, Jensen's paycheck on the show was much higher than Jared's. According to a 2016 report from Variety, Ackles' salary was $175,000 per episode. Of course, that's not at all comparable to the salaries of the cast of The Big Bang Theory or Friends, but considering the 20-23 episodes per season of Supernatural, the actor's paycheck could be around $4 million for the year.
In contrast, various other reports have Padalecki's salary as low as $125,000 per episode. While that's not insignificant either, coming in at $3 million per year, the difference is quite noticeable.
Possible Cause
Of course, this is rather odd considering that both roles were equally important and both Dean and Sam were central characters in every episode. However, if we give these reports the benefit of the doubt, we can assume that this difference was due to Ackles occasionally directing episodes of the show.
In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that a large portion of the show's profits came from merchandising. Therefore, it is possible that Padalecki agreed to a larger percentage of royalties, while Ackles focused on a fixed amount. Oh, and not to be overlooked is Jensen's possible hotness bonus. Just kidding!
Maybe the Paychecks Weren't Different After All
However, we shouldn't blindly trust these figures, as the salaries of TV (and film) actors are not often disclosed. Such information about Jared's salary started appearing in the early 2010s, while Variety did not mention his salary in 2016. It's possible that the two actors' salaries never differed from the very beginning, as they may have negotiated together as close friends.
Source: Celebrity Net Worth, Variety.