Recently, Paul Rudd starred in a dark comedy released on Netflix called “Living With Yourself.” In the series, Rudd plays a copywriter unhappy with his life who accidentally clones himself while trying to improve his mood.
For his work on the series, Rudd was paid $450,000 per episode. It’s a sensible paycheck, especially since Rudd was basically playing two characters. The series had 8 episodes, which means Rudd made $3.6 million dollars total for his work. And when you have already played a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and had your very own trilogy, we guess it’s OK to ask for the big bucks when returning to TV.
Shakira – $520,000
Shakira is just one in a long line of music legends who brought their talents to "The Voice." During her time as a judge, Shakira made $12 million for the entire season, which amounted to roughly $520,000 per episode. Shakira’s large paycheck on "The Voice" came after years and years of building her career as a pop superstar.
She is now one of the most respected female pop singers in the world, joining the ranks of other talented women like Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga. But despite all of the riches at her disposal, her divorce from Gerard Pique was certainly a tough pill to swallow.
Jennifer Aniston – $2 Million
After her time on Friends, Jennifer Aniston became a movie actress. She has had a thriving career and is now considered one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She is still acting today and recently decided to make her return to TV on the Apple TV+ series, "The Morning Show."
On The Morning Show, Aniston stars opposite Reese Witherspoon in a drama focused on the newsroom. For her work on the show, she made double her salary in the last season of "Friends." At $2 million per episode, Aniston may never want to return to the big screen. It seems like she'll never quit the TV game.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – $650,000
Even though he started his career as one of the most famous wrestlers in WWE history, Johnson became a household name by showing off his impressive acting chops. In addition to his many movie roles, Johnson starred in the HBO show "Ballers." For his work on the series, Johnson makes $650,000 per episode.
In addition to his role in Ballers, Johnson has also made his way to the big screen in movies like "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," "Moana," and "The Fast & The Furious" franchise. Let's be real here, Dwayne Johnson is never going to do a project for free until the day he drops dead.
Will Smith – $50,000
Before he starred in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Will Smith made a name for himself in the entertainment world as a rapper. He was then cast as The Fresh Prince, where he made about $50,000 per episode after taxes. His real income was much higher since roughly 70% of his salary was taken by the IRS.
Will Smith may have given most of his money to the government, but there’s no need to worry about him. He went on to have a successful career in Hollywood and still commonly stars in today’s blockbuster hits. Despite his slap incident at the Oscars, it seems like Smith will continue to be a movie star.