How Much 20 Actors Get In Residuals

Buzz Feed

28-05-2025

Ryan McCartan appeared on Disney Channel's Liv and Maddie for four years, playing basketball star Diggie Smalls. In May, he took to Instagram to share a residual check from the series, showing he was paid just 41 cents by the network.
Before becoming a rapper, Drake was famously a child star, portraying Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 to 2009. In 2017, he posted a residual check on Instagram for a mere $8.25.
The Friends cast — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc — reportedly make $20 million a year from reruns, with Matthew's earnings seemingly going to his estate since his tragic 2023 death.
In 2021, Billy Porter told the PA news agency that his residual checks were just "six cents." He apparently doesn't get "any more money" from Pose, the series that launched him to fame and earned him numerous accolades, including an Emmy, even though it continues to air on Hulu and Disney+.
Kimiko Glenn once received a paycheck for just $27, despite starring in over 40 episodes of Orange Is the New Black.
"We did not get paid very well ever," she stated.
In 2014, Bob Gunton told the Wall Street Journal that he still receives residuals from 1994's The Shawshank Redemption. While he said they weren't "huge" payments, they were "steady, close to six figures by the film's 10th anniversary in 2004." "I suspect my daughter, years from now, will still be getting checks," he said.
Drake Bell and Josh Peck apparently make "zero" money from Drake & Josh reruns. As Josh told the BFFs podcast, "It aired from 2004 to 2007, but — fun fact — because kids' TV doesn't have residuals, it's still on every day."
Ray Romano reportedly earns up to $18 million annually from reruns of his hit CBS show Everybody Loves Raymond. The series aired from 1996 to 2005 and continues to run on Peacock, Paramount+, and several other networks today.
As John Mahoney told the Chicago Tribune in 2004, he made "a ton of money" from Frasier — so much so that he didn't have to "worry" about his "next job." The outlet reported that John intended to live off his show earnings and residuals after the show's conclusion, and although the exact amount was not disclosed, it was said that John had "enough in the bank to ensure he never has to work again on something he'd rather not do." John died in 2018 with only a few more television appearances after Frasier, but with a reported net worth of $16 million.
Mandy Moore said she's received "very tiny, like, 81-cent checks" from This Is Us streaming on Hulu — and sometimes, less than that. She memorably played Rebecca Pearson on the series for six years before its conclusion in 2022.
Kendrick Sampson portrayed Nathan Campbell on HBO's Insecure from 2018 to 2021, and in 2023, he revealed he received $86 from over 50 residual checks. "This is that bullshit," he reportedly said. "And I KNOW people are struggling much more than me!"
During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Aaron Paul claimed he wasn't making any money from Breaking Bad Netflix residuals. "I don't get a piece from Netflix on Breaking Bad to be totally honest, and that's insane to me,' he told Entertainment Weekly Canada on a picket line. "I think a lot of these streamers know that they have been getting away with not paying people a fair wage, and now it's time to pony up."
Robert Pine, who has appeared in hundreds of episodes of shows like CHiPs and The Bold and the Beautiful, told the Chicago Tribune that his residual royalties added up to "several thousands [of] dollars" a year, allowing him to send his daughter to UCLA and his son to college.
In the same article, Art Hoffman from The Wonder Years discussed his residual earnings and said that although his time on the show was brief, it was still rewarding. According to Art, he'd even been able to pay for several expenses just from a recent TV marathon. "That marathon did me well," he said. "It helped me pay my rent. It is helping me pay for school." Art had reportedly only appeared in three episodes as a student and Winnie's boyfriend before leaving the industry to attend Colorado State University.
Reece Thompson — aka the "little Irish boy" from Titanic — said that in the immediate years after the film's release, he received residual checks "in the thousands." By 2018, however, that number had dwindled to somewhere between $100 and $300 a year.
According to her son Brandon, Pamela Anderson, who played C.J. Parker on Baywatch from 1992 to 1997, makes $4,000 annually in residuals. "That's a crime," he said.
Josie Davis appeared in over 100 episodes of the '80s sitcom Charles in Charge, and yet, one of her recent residual checks was for a meager $6.60. She posted the check on Facebook and sarcastically said, "Oh my God, look at all my residuals! The pages are even longer than I imagined. Boy, no wonder everyone thinks I'm so wealthy. I made a lot of money on Charles in Charge!"
Finally, one time, Robert Carradine from Lizzie McGuire allegedly received a $0 residual check. He said he believed it was from 2003's The Lizzie McGuire Movie.