'Big Bang Theory' News: Other Cast Members Agree on Pay Cuts so Production Meets Bialik and Rauch Parity Request
Several original cast members of the 10-season running sitcom "Big Bang Theory" reportedly agreed to cut their per episode fees so that production could have funds for the parity demands stated on the contracts of Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch.
Bialik plays Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) neurobiologist girlfriend named Amy Farrah Fowler who Sheldon met through an online dating site and with the help of his on-screen friends. Rauch, on the other hand, was introduced as a working microbiology graduate student named Bernadette Rostenkowski, who later on married Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg).
Both actresses started out as recurring roles in season 3 (2009) but later on joined the crew as regular cast members in season 4 (2010).
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Variety reported that five pioneer cast members - namely Parsons, Helberg, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, and Kunal Nayyar - have all agreed to have their salaries reduced so Warner Bros. TV and CBS can accommodate Bialik and Rauch's pay increase.
It is important to note that since Bialik and Rauch joined in 2010, the actors have not gotten a significant increase on their paychecks compared to their co-stars.
For season 10, Bialik and Rauch are earning $200,000 per episode compared to the original cast's $1,000,000. With that, Variety reported that the mentioned five actors agreed to slash $100,000 off their per episode fees to raise the needed $500,000 increase for Bialik and Rauch who have been with them in the sitcom since 2009.
Doing the math, the freed-up $500,000 fund would mean raising the per episode pay of Bialik and Rauch to $450,000. These adjustments are to be applied for seasons 11 and 12 that will run for two years with a total of 48 episodes.
Money has always been a sensitive matter, but for the five actors to allow a slight cut from their pay so Bialik and Rauch can get their deserved pay increase just proves the real-life bond created among the members of the "Big Bang Theory" ensemble over the years.
