Profit From Reruns: $5,000 a Year
Sam Waterson from the “Law & Order” series has a contract that stipulates up to a mere five thousand dollars a year from the residuals. But don’t feel bad for Waterson.
He has several revenue streams still funneling, including his movie career, which includes an Oscar-winning performance in The Killing Fields. He’s also made his mark on the sitcom world with the Netflix show Grace & Frankie. Plus, he has a role in the Law & Order spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which brings in plenty more for him.
Lea Michele: Glee
Profit From Reruns: Nothing
When Ryan Murphy began writing "Glee", he wrote the role of Rachel with Lea Michele in mind, and she was just as interested. The show about a high-school glee club ran for six seasons, and Michele and her singing, dancing, dramatic co-stars were earning a million dollars per episode.
And it's a good thing they earned that much while the show was on the air because none of them are getting residuals – the rights are owned entirely by Fox, and Michele and the rest of the actors failed to ask for residuals in their contracts. Bad move, Lea.
Henry Winkler: Happy Days
Profit From Reruns: $65,000 in Total
There's nothing as cool as the Fonz. For eleven seasons, viewers tuned in to watch this show during the seventies and eighties, starring Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, who would both go on to appear as part of the show "Arrested Development".
ABC owns the reruns, but both of these stars would go on to sue ABC for the residuals, and a settlement was reached years after the show ended. Both stars earned $65,000 in total, on top of payments from DVD sales. Sixty-five grand is nothing to sneeze at, but it's very likely the actors could have earned much more.
Courtney Cox: Friends
Profit From Reruns: $20 Million a Year
All main cast members of the Friends cast get twenty million dollars a year and lifelong fame thanks to one of the biggest sitcoms of all time. Even after the sitcom ended, Cox went on to play Jules on "Cougar Town".
She and has made plenty of other appearances in movies, including the "Scream" series as reporter Gale, despite how different the genres are. In February of 2019, Cox appeared on "The Ellen Show" where she was reunited with "Friends" co-star Lisa Kudrow.
Trey Parker: South Park
Profit From Reruns: $25-30 Million a Year
Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny have been making trouble for the people of South Park, Colorado for more than twenty years. Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been making millions for just as long.
The show is irreverent in its classic meaning – anything and everything is a target for their antics. Not only are Parker and Stone the creators, but they provide most of the voices. The two have made somewhere around half a billion dollars each, thanks in part to how easy the show is to produce. Reruns are common on Comedy Central, and new episodes are always coming out.