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.”
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.
Ryan Seacrest – $652,000
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!
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.
Jason Alexander – $600,000
Along with the rest of the "Seinfeld" cast, Jason Alexander made quite a bit of money while starring on the show. Alexander played George Constanza, the neurotic friend of Seinfeld. While Alexander hasn’t ever been able to replicate the fame he found on the show, the paycheck of $600,000 per episode he made while filming likely dulls some of the disappointment.
Alexander also hasn’t disappeared from the public eye. He continued to have a successful career after the series ended, though Constanza will always be his most memorable role. It's also believed that Alexander made a decent amount after starring in "Dunston Checks In." But that didn't do so well at the box office.