A SG pay check.

[tenaya]

I've always wondered what the actors on SG get paid. UTA is sueing Joe Flanigan:

"The agency claims Flanigan entered into an oral contract with it in 1998, agreeing to pay 10% commissions on projects, including his deal to play Lt. Col. John Sheppard on the Sci Fi Channel series.

Flanigan paid the agency for Seasons 1-3 of the series but has not paid commissions on his $992,250 salary for Season 4, UTA claims.

The agency alleges it also is entitled to commissions for upcoming Seasons 5-6."

So, Flanigan is the lead so his pay is highest. And this is year four. Is that speculation on Season 5-6 just hopeful or do they know something? Hopeful, I'd guess. I bet the SG1 actors were over a million by season ten. Probably. Sure is a lot less than series actor in the US make. I did the math and this is almost $50,000 per episode. Huh.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib429a97580f60ae2e0d25379a7b16bd1

Comments

[gateruner.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's quite a cut. I think you are probably correct in the speculation of SG-1 members. I think those salaries border on absurd myself, and movies in general. But that's just my opinion, so...

Wonder what's up with the not paying part.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's actually loads more than I thought they made. But, yeah, compare them to the cast of Friends and it's still peanuts, I guess...

[margec01.livejournal.com]

They did a listing in TV Guide a month or two ago, and $50,000 per episode for a series lead is actually pretty low. But that is why the studios get unknonwns and then get them to sign a five year contract up front--so they get them cheap at the start.

I hope SGA can manage to make one more year, through Season 5. But after that, I doubt that Sci-Fi and the studios will be able to afford to pay many of the actors, and it will be kaput unless the ratings take off into the stratosphere (doubtful).

At least with the strengthening Canadian dollar, the US actors have had a bit of an additional pay raise each year. However, this is also bad for the studios. Vancouver is no longer REALLY cheap, just relatively cheap compared to LA.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Oh for sure. Nurses save lives but make what Flanigan does in two weeks. How is that fair? Sports figures are even worse in my mind.

The agreement was verbal. That can cause problems. That's a sizable chunk of change, plus whatever he'll have to pay the lawyer. Interesting to think that whoever was the agent for MS/CJ/AT got 10% for 10 years. I wonder about when Shanks left. He probably didn't need an agent to get hired in season 7; does that mean he was off the hook for the 10% for season 7-10?

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I'd heard they got paid less than American actors but I always wondered how much less. This is from Jan of 2006:

"Touchstone Television has promised the likes of Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan between $20,000 and $40,000 more per episode if they sign for a third series, pushing some salaries into the six figure bracket. Fox, who plays lead character Dr. Jack Sheppard, has reportedly earned a minimum $250,000 bonus on top of the salary hike. The raise puts Lost cast members in line with the stars of Desperate Housewives."

If they're six figure, that's $50,000 per ep (if it's 20 eps.) So, they were at $10,000-30,000?

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see why studios do what they do. The TV Guide, was it just American rates? I would have found that interesting.

With how things are going, it'll be very hard for studios to come up with money now that revenues are down.

I would love if SGA lasted another year. Sounds like they'd bring Daniel over for a bit. Would that bother you to have another SG1 actor diluting the SGA goodness?

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

I am SO in the wrong industry...

[joolz01.livejournal.com]

I had been wondering, doesn't Amanda Tapping want to do something else with her life beyond Stargate? But this would be a *very* good reason to stick around.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

One more year, another million in the bank. She's in a job market where, unless she comes on a great project, she will get less and less jobs, and a lot less pay. She should have enough put away to do what she wants when SG is over.

And then there are the SG movies that could keep coming. I wonder what they'll get paid for those?

[nausica2.livejournal.com]

I think David Hewlett is not far behind. He has the special spot in the credits, and was well known before.

That said, I do think it's a ridiculous amount, although compared to other people in the bussiness, is not much.

Do you think it's too late to change careers?

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I would hope that DH would be close. In my opinion, he brings a lot more to the show that Flanigan does.

I supposed it's never too late. *g*

Would it be your calling? Or the calling of a really big paycheck? I think that type of job would drive you crazy unless you REALLY liked it.

[ankh-lj.livejournal.com]

Not all that much given the industry. RDA was on something like $300,000 per episode (PdL let it slip at a con) but he was helping the studio make money for themselves. It's insane compared to other jobs. I guess you have to take into account the kind of money they're helping other people make, the loss of privacy, the treatment as a piece of meat and a commodity to use how the studio likes, lack of security, short term employment, the fact very few people in their industry are employed let alone getting a high salary. The main issue though is their face and talent is helping a lot of other people make vast amounts of money.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

6 million per season? That's...that...that just doesn't relate. I do hear what you're saying about all the negativity that goes with the job. And if big money is being made, it needs to be shared by the people that made the product, but still I won't make in 40 years what RDA made in a week.

[ankh-lj.livejournal.com]

I hear you. Then again, you probably won't have paparazzi following you and all the other bad sh!t celebrities go through. Is it worth millions for your entire family to no longer have a private life?

[margec01.livejournal.com]

I would be ecstatic to have Daniel brought over to SGA. I think it would have been a much better fit that Sam. Daniel could do all the Ancient translations and such. HOWEVER, I wouldn't want Daniel to destroy the dynamics already on the show--especially the Sheppard and McKay banter. Slash or no slash, I find that relationship as fun as Jack and Daniel used to be.

I think good writers would easily be able to integrate Daniel into SGA without marginalizing the ones who are already there, and we know Michael would easily be up to the challenge and have the chemistry to fit in nicely. I hold out less hope that it will work with Amanda, but I'm willing to wait and see--with fingers crossed!

[margec01.livejournal.com]

Oh, and duh, my OTHER reason for replying (sort of got lost in Daniel-land, imagine that):

Here's the article in TV Guide: http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-star-salary/070726-03 Thus showing the SGA actors aren't very highly paid, probably because of Vancouver and that they were unknown four years ago.

[gateruner.livejournal.com]

Nurses save lives but make what Flanigan does in two weeks.

Exactly. It just seem grossly out of proportion for what they do.

does that mean he was off the hook for the 10% for season 7-10?

Interesting point. I'm not sure. It seems like he would be, but there's always a loophole somewhere. Depends on the wording of the agreement or contract. If it was worded as 'life of the series' or just 'the series' then yeah, he may have had to pay up. I'm just wondering if JF flat out refused to pay, or if it's just an oversight. I'm assuming probably not, but don't want to jump to a conclusion.