The zombie trend in entertainment isn’t over. “The Walking Dead” is perfect proof. This post-apocalyptic zombie show follows Rick Grimes, a former police officer who wakes up after an injury in a zombie-filled world. Grimes is played by Andrew Lincoln, who exited the show in 2018.
Before Lincoln left “The Walking Dead,” he was the highest-paid actor on the set, making $650,000 per episode. His departure was in large part the result of a desire to spend more time with his children, who got much older during his eight years on set. Lincoln reprised his role as Grimes in the spinoff “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.”
Tea Leoni – $125,000
In the political drama "Madam Secretary," Tea Leoni plays Elizabeth McCord. Before she starred on television, however, she also made a name for herself by snagging roles in "Deep Impact" and "Jurassic Park III." Truth be told, Leoni was a well-established actress on the big screen before she even led her own TV show. So she was well within her rights to command a big paycheck when "Madam Secretary" came around.
While playing Elizabeth, Leoni makes $125,000 per episode. Her paycheck is significantly less than other female stars like Julie Louis-Dreyfus on Seinfeld, but it’s definitely nothing to scoff at.
Chance the Rapper – $500,000
There is no denying that Chance the Rapper is, first and foremost, a rapper, before he's a TV star. Formally named Chancelor Jonathan Bennett, he has found massive success in his career in recent years. He makes a killing performing and recording his music, and he even won a Grammy for his work. Recently, Chance also joined the cast of "Rhythm + Flow," a Netflix music competition program.
His fellow castmates, including T.I. and Cardi B, judge aspiring rappers and eventually choose a winner. For his work on the series as a judge, Chance has been paid $500,000 per episode.
David Hyde Pierce – $750,000
Kelsey Grammer earned a notable paycheck of $1.6 million while on "Frasier," but his co-stars were also paid pretty well. David Hyde Pierce played psychiatrist Niles Craine on the series, the younger brother of Frasier Crane. For that role, Pierce earned $750,000 per episode.
Although he didn’t earn as much as his onscreen brother, Pierce walked away with quite a bit of money in his pocket at the end of the series. He also won numerous awards for his performance, earning him increased notoriety as an actor. Pierce also had a noteworthy role in the cult classic comedy "Wet Hot American Summer."
Judith Sheindlin – ~$900,000
If you think you haven’t heard of Judith Sheindlin, think again. Sheindlin is the official name of the beloved Judge Judy. Judy makes a living by presiding over real-life court cases, where the audience is able to see her sharp wit at work while she makes her judgments.
While the producers didn’t originally think the show would be a success, they were wrong. Judy makes $47 million for all her many televised appearances, which averages out to about $900,000 per episode. Fun fact, did you know that Judge Judy showed up in a cameo on the Disney+ series "How I Met Your Father?" We're sure she got a nice paycheck for that as well.