While many celebrities will pursue multiple options on the small screen, Ryan Seacrest is pretty comfortable being just a host. He’s incredibly good at his job, which has made him a hot commodity in the TV space. From 2013-2016, Seacrest made $15 million per season hosting “American Idol.”
In the 2014 season, there were 23 episodes of the musical competition show. That means Seacrest made $652,000 per episode. Why would he want to be anything but a host if he can make money like that? For someone on this list who wasn’t even an actor, Seacrest has brought home the bacon over the years!
Meryl Streep — $825,000
While TV actors used to be in an entirely different class than film actors, those lines are blurring. As streaming services become more popular, most are looking for big-name actors to draw an audience to their original content. Although it hasn’t been released yet, Meryl Streep is set to star in a new series called The Nix.
The show is based on a novel adapted for TV by J.J. Abrams. As one of the most well-respected actresses in the world, it comes as no surprise that Streep made $825,000 per episode for her work on the show.
Jerry Seinfeld – $1 million
Jerry Seinfeld was a big deal in comedy, in part due to the show named after him. "Seinfeld" was big while it was on the air, but it also ran dozens of successful re-runs that raked in the viewers, making it one of the most viewed TV shows of all time.
By the final season, it was estimated that one in ten Americans watched Seinfeld. To reflect that success, Jerry Seinfeld earned $1 million per episode. When the series finished, NBC was so desperate to keep Seinfeld on board that they offered him $5 million per episode, which he declined.
Patrick Stewart – $750,000
Patrick Stewart first entered the collective consciousness when he starred as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." After that role, he branched out into many illustrious characters, including Professor X in "X-Men."
Now, Stewart is reprising his role as Picard in the new 2020 series "Star Trek: Picard." Since it’s nearly impossible to imagine any other actor playing this role, Stewart makes $750,000 per episode. It pays to make yourself indispensable! Stewart also excited Marvel fans around the world when he reprised the role of Professor X in the film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."
Lauren Graham – $750,000
Alexis Bledel wasn’t the only star of "Gilmore Girls." While Bledel played the somewhat uptight Rory, Lauren Graham starred as the ultra-cool, coffee-obsessed Lorelai, Rory’s mom. For many viewers, it was exciting to see a single mother be so ambitious despite coming from a world of privilege. As the other main character of the series, Graham also made $750,000 per episode.
"Gilmore Girls" came to an end, but Graham wasn’t done with the small screen. After putting Lorelai behind her, Graham went on to star as Sarah Braverman on "Parenthood" for over 100 episodes. And we're sure she made a decent amount on that show too.