How much does Seinfeld get paid for his reruns?
In addition to his high salary, Seinfeld has continued to make money off the show's syndication following its 1998 finale. He and David both make $400 million each off each syndication cycle, as New York Magazine reported.
To this day, it's estimated that both Seinfeld and David receive residuals of between US$40 million and US$60 million (AU$57.7 million to AU$86.6 million) each year.
However, the three were still given no share of the show's royalties, meaning they will only ever receive SAG-AFTRA residuals and a portion of the proceeds netted from DVD sales. It seems that in the tale of Seinfeld and its riches, Larry and Jerry have emerged the most victorious out of the group.
In 2003, Louis-Dreyfus, Richards and Alexander refused to participate in the making of a DVD series of the show because they felt they were being taken advantage of. After a standoff, Seinfeld and the producers agreed to cut the trio in on royalties.
- 8 Friends.
- 7 Seinfeld.
- 6 Gilligan's Island.
- 5 Everybody Loves Raymond.
- 4 I Love Lucy.
- 3 Two and a Half Men.
- 2 SpongeBob SquarePants.
- 1 The Big Bang Theory.
It's been 15 and 20 years, respectively, since the last two sitcoms, Friends and Seinfeld, capable of generating 20 million viewers on a weekly basis have stopped producing new episodes. However, the Friends vs. Seinfeld wars continue.
All cast members of Seinfeld receive royalties even in 2021. However, the amount of money each actor or actress receives varies. Ideally, the co-writers and co-creators of the series, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, receive the most amount each time the TV show reruns on any network.
Jerry Seinfeld: $950 million (£701m)
Following Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld continued his career in stand-up comedy. He also produced, co-wrote, and starred in the 2007 kids' movie Bee Movie, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.
...
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Net Worth.
Net Worth: | $250 Million |
---|---|
Salary: | $500 Thousand Per Episode |
Date of Birth | Jan 13, 1961 (61 years old) |
Place of Birth | New York City |
Gender | Female |
After all, he didn't have to work for that money. It was continuously sent to him because of the short time he spent working on Seinfeld and Austin Powers. "I was making like $20,000 a year at my day job and I was making $20,000 in residuals," Larry explained.
What actor makes the most in royalties?
Tom Cruise. With a worldwide gross of over USD 1.3 billion, Top Gun: Maverick is the highest-grossing film of 2022. With this one film, Tom Cruise sits at the very top of the list of highest-paid actors in the world with a stratospheric earning of over USD 100 million reportedly.
In the episode "The Shoes", Jerry remarks that Kramer received a "ton of money" at some earlier point in his life (presumably via inheritance).

Elaine is unhappy with the eventual gift ($182 cash) and outright insulted by the platonic gift card.
Residuals are financial compensations that are paid to the actors, film or television directors, and others involved in making TV shows and movies in cases of reruns, syndication, DVD release, or online streaming release.
When shows are syndicated, redistributed, released on DVD, purchased by a streaming service or otherwise used beyond what the actors were originally paid for, those actors get residual checks called royalties.
Per Yahoo, "David and Seinfeld can each make $400 million per syndication cycle, New York Magazine reported." These checks helped Seinfeld amass his $950 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Is Larry David richer than Jerry Seinfeld? David is not nearly as rich as Seinfeld: The comedian, actor and beloved sitcom namesake is worth a massive $950 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The Lion King sits at the top, with a Broadway gross of $1.6 billion.
In fact, only seven percent believe that we're currently living in the best era for television. Out of a list of 35 iconic TV shows, the two most-watched and beloved TV shows are '90s giants: “Friends” (43%) and “Seinfeld” (40%).
Though she is probably best known for playing Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld” — in which she made about $45 million in total — she has continued acting in shows like “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Veep.”
How much is Jerry Seinfelds rent?
To be specific, the address used in the show is an actual building where Jerry once lived. 129 W 81st St. The rent for a 1br in this building is slightly lower at around $2,000 per month.
She played the role of Elaine on Seinfeld for nine seasons between 1989 and 1998. She is one of the most awarded actresses in American history. As of January 2023, Julia Louis Dreyfus' net worth is approximately $250 Million.
Elaine: Julia Louis-Dreyfuss breaks the most by far among the Seinfeld cast. Somewhere around 70% of all breaks are hers.
Introduction. As of January 2023, Michael Richards' net worth is estimated to be roughly $30 Million. What is this? Michael Richards is an American actor, writer, television producer, and comedian, widely known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom 'Seinfeld'.
Jerry Seinfeld is the wealthiest actor in the world with a net worth of $1 billion.
He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the long-running sitcom 'Seinfeld. ' Before his nine-year run on 'Seinfeld,' Alexander starred in a short-lived sitcom CBS called 'Everything's Relative'. What is this? As of January 2023, Jason Alexander's net worth is estimated to be roughly $50 Million.
Michael Richards portrayed Cosmo Kramer in 170 episodes of Seinfeld and was one of the show's supporting actors. He received $150,000 per episode from the show's fifth season. His salary then increased to $200,000 per episode in subsequent seasons, before the NBC network bumped it to $600,000.
Jerry Seinfeld's car collection is one of the most impressive in the world. He owns over 150 cars, and his collection is valued at over £13 million. He has a wide variety of vehicles, including Porsches, Ferraris, and even a Volkswagen Beetle.
...
Wayne Knight Net Worth.
Net Worth: | $8 Million |
---|---|
Profession | Actor, Voice Actor, Comedian |
Nationality | United States of America |
When shows are syndicated, redistributed, released on DVD, purchased by a streaming service or otherwise used beyond what the actors were originally paid for, those actors get residual checks called royalties.
How much do actors receive for residuals?
Residual compensation is really where commercial actors make most of their money. If a National SAG Commercial is shown often, actors will earn anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 for their one day of work in a commercial!
In acting, extras are generally not eligible, but stunt performers, puppeteers, singers, and actors with lines or scripted physical interactions with characters ("supporting actors" or "day players") are eligible. Principal performers generally get larger residuals.
Even after being fired from Two and a Half Men, Sheen received royalties from the show—$100 million, in fact.
- Bruce Springsteen ($590 million)
- Jay-Z ($470 million)
- Paul Simon ($260 million)
- Kanye West ($250 million)
- Ryan Tedder ($200 million)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers ($145 million)
- Lindsey Buckingham ($100 million)
- Mötley Crüe ($95 million)
Actors (other than background actors) get paid again when a performance is rerun. In TV's past, those payments ended after a certain number of replays; now they can go on forever — making those “Law & Order” reruns an annuity for the actors. As for how much the performers are paid, it varies.
While the exact amount isn't actually known, cast members have revealed that the reruns pay them 6% of their original salaries. If a star made a mere $150,000 per episode across all 20 seasons, that would come in around $200,000 per year in royalties.
For TV programs, residual pay to SAG-AFTRA are due: Network prime time - 30 days after the air date. Non-prime time network - 30 days after the air date. Syndication - four months after the air date.
For actors, residuals are governed by a series of labor agreements between the studios and SAG-AFTRA. Since the 1970s, residuals have been unrestricted, meaning the performer must receive a payment for each rebroadcast without limit. This means residual payments may continue well after the performer's death.
Residuals Due:
Quarterly if revenue is received. Four months after 1st exhibition + quarterly if revenue is received.
Your residuals will be disbursed pursuant to the terms of your will (or trust document) or under intestacy law if you do not have a will, as well as under the terms of community property as may apply. Residual Compensation.
What is the difference between residuals and royalties?
The major difference between residuals and royalties in this situation is that residuals are paid out as the result of a service rendered (playing music) while royalties are paid out for content created (writing music).
As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.
Actors are paid differently based on their chosen medium. Generally speaking, for screen work, actors are paid a day rate. If they are needed for more than five days, they are paid a weekly rate. Rates vary if actors are needed for the entirety of the film shoot or the entirety of a television season.
The Happy People Are Annoying author added that there are “no residuals on kids' television,” so he doesn't earn any money from the show's reruns today. “It was like we had 18 months of runway,” he recalled.
The short answer is “They don't.” If you're not working, you're not getting paid. If you have recently been working as an actor and the show closed, you can file for unemployment , which many or most actors do. But that's only temporary and doesn't solve the actual long-term problem.