Culture 3 min read By Lauren Baxter
Zendaya, Nicolas Cage and Selena Gomez Rank Among TV's Top Earners
Top stars still command large fees for television projects despite the decline in original series production after the era of "peak TV."
Despite a decline in the production of original series, the most famous actors still receive large fees for their work on television. Variety and TVLine have published reports on TV stars' salaries that mention Zendaya, Nicolas Cage and Selena Gomez. However, specific amounts are not confirmed in the available materials, so they are not given in this text.
The period of so-called "peak TV," when studios and streaming services released a huge number of series, has essentially ended. The streaming boom once drew A-list actors, who previously worked mainly in film, to television. Now the market has become more limited: a reduction in the volume of original series production has narrowed the number of projects and, with it, opportunities for negotiation. Nevertheless, demand for big names remains, and it is stars who still determine the level of fees.
According to reports on the subject, Zendaya, Nicolas Cage and Selena Gomez feature in lists of the highest-paid TV actors. Jennifer Aniston and Sylvester Stallone are also mentioned among streaming earnings. Thus, the list combines names that came to television from different eras and genres, from recent pop culture to older-generation Hollywood actors.
Separately, it is reported that some stars of streaming series reportedly receive more than $1 million per episode. It is important to note that these figures refer specifically to streaming projects, not to television as a whole. Traditional television channels and streaming pay under different models, so these indicators cannot be compared directly. The exact fee amounts mentioned in the headlines have not been verified within this material.
For readers who follow the industry, the list also has practical significance: it shows how the balance of power between studios, platforms and performers is shifting. When the number of projects declines, it becomes harder for stars to dictate terms, yet a big name still remains one of the main arguments in contract negotiations. The newsroom did not have the full Variety article, with details on each name, in a volume sufficient for a detailed retelling, so the conclusions are limited to what is confirmed by the headlines and the brief description.
Source: variety.com
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