Laurie ‘highest paid actor in US TV drama’

Saturday, August 14, 2010

HUGH LAURIE is the highest paid actor in a US television drama, according to a new survey.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

The British star, who made his name in the United States as the grumpy but brilliant doctor in House, earns $400,000 (about €313,000) per episode, according to the US magazine TV Guide which broke down the salaries of top stars in various categories, including comedy drama and reality TV. Laurie, who first appeared on television with Stephen Fry as part of the comic duo Fry and Laurie, also went on to star in Blackadder. He recently announced he was recording a new Orleans blues album which will be released later this year. But Laurie still has a long way to go to catch up with the top earners in Hollywood – according to the same survey Charlie Sheen is paid $1.25 million (about €980,000) for each episode of the comedy series Two and a Half Men. Laurie, Sheen, Ryan Seacrest and Oprah Winfrey are among TV’s highest-paid performers in various categories, according to TV Guide. Though television studios have been cracking down on paydays overall to keep costs in line amid sinking broadcast ratings, key performers still draw stunning paychecks. Here’s a select sample of some of the top performers from TV Guide’s survey: * Drama actors (per episode): Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) $395,000 (each); David Caruso (CSI: Miami) $375,000; Marg Helgenberger (CSI) $375,000; Laurence Fishburne (CSI) $350,000. * Talk show hosts (per year): Oprah Winfrey $315 million; Judge Judy Sheindlin $45m; David Letterman (The Late Show) $28m; Jay Leno (The Tonight Show) $25m; Conan O’Brien (The Conan O’Brien Show) $10m. * Reality TV (per year): Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) $15m; Joel McHale (The Soup) $2m; Piers Morgan (America’s Got Talent) $2m. * Comedy actors (per episode): Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) $1.25m; Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) $550,000; Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) $400,000; Tina Fey (30 Rock) $350,000; Jeremy Piven (Entourage) $350,000; Steve Carell (The Office) $297,000.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, August 14, 2010