Jim Parsons tops the highest paid TV actors this year with $26.5 million
Forbes released its list of the highest paid TV actors of the last year. Topping the list is The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, who earned an astronomical $26.5 million (pre-tax) from June, 2017 to June, 2018, holding the top spot for the fourth year in a row. His BBT co-stars, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg, are close behind, all making over $23 million. I can’t believe they make that much money – and that’s after they took a pay cut to bolster the salaries for Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik. (Other top paid actors include Mark Harmon of NCIS, Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ty Burrell and The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln.)
With income like that, it may be surprising that Jim is walking away from all of it, saying “no” to a lucrative two-year, $50 million contract, which resulted in the show’s cancellation. With his own production company, That’s Wonderful Productions, it looks like Jim will still be making money. He’s got several projects in the works, including the popular BBT spin-off, Young Sheldon.
Earlier this month, Deadline reported that ABC has given a put pilot commitment to Bless Her Heart, a sitcom from former Modern Family executive producer Chuck Tatham, who will also be writing for the series. Side note: I had to look it up, but per Variety, a put pilot is “A deal to produce a pilot that includes substantial penalties if the pilot is not aired; a virtual guarantee that a pilot will be picked up.” The show, like Young Sheldon, taps into Jim’s Texas roots, telling the story of “two very different Texas matriarchs who wreak havoc on their children’s lives when they all wind up living together.”
Jim and Todd’s production company has another sitcom in the works, this one for NBC. The Inn Crowd is about a gay couple who open a successful inn in a small town. The series is based on a true story. If that’s not enough, the company wrapped production on Special, a comedy series for Netflix written by and starring Ryan O’ Connell.
And, even though leaving BBT may be a somewhat sad affair for the cast and crew, Jim’s doing what he can to keep spirits high. Last week, Mayim Bialik posted a photo on Instagram of Jim on the set, defiantly leaning against a cabinet that has a sign clearly stating, “Do not lean on me.” Mayim captioned the shot, “My #mancrushmonday? This rebel.”
Jim also shared some behind the scenes photos on IG, cutting up with co-star Kaley Cuoco. He seems like he’d be a blast to work with.
I do hope that Jim doesn’t stay behind the camera with all of his producing duties. Even on BBT, of which I’m not a fan, he’s a great actor and I can’t wait to see what he will do next.
Photos credit: WENN.com
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