Pay scale

[bothepug]

what would each of the Walton's actors have made per season, episode? In today's dollars. I would not think anyone outside the actors knows how much exactly, but just a ballpark figure.

[bmcgill]

I wouldn't know exactly how much the actors made but in Marys book she mentions and I can remember word for word but that they didn't make as much as some of the actors at the time on other shows. Lorimar productions didn't pay as much as some of the others. Not for sure but I think she said that one of the actors on another show made as much in one year as she did in six years.

[River]

I'm speculating here since I don't know how much they received but, I would guess a show with a large cast meant less money for each actor. The Waltons had a huge cast with 11 Waltons, Ike, Corabeth, the Baldwins, and then some that were on occasionally (the Rev., Miss Hunter, Verde, Harley, Yancy, Maude, etc.) and then the actors that are guest appearing on the episode. That's a lot of people to pay. Hmmm...did the kids/actors get the same salary each week or did it vary with the amount of time they had on the episode? Sometimes an episode featured a particular child and the rest where there but did not do as much, so did they get paid the same whether they had a lot of lines or just a few lines? Anyone know if there is a minimum salary that the Actors Guild requires. It would be interesting to know what other child actors were making in the same time period...ie..the kids from LHOTP, Eight is Enough, Different Strokes, Facts of Life, etc. I'm guessing Melissa Gilbert was paid very well towards the end of LHOTP because she was the focus of the show. And what did other shows pay with guest actors like the Love Boat, Fantasy Island, etc? Interesting thread.

[bucky]

I think what Mary said about her salary was that the other actor made as much in his first year as she did in her sixth year - in other words he started at the higher end of the scale.

[Marilyn]

Any numbers?

[bmcgill]

bucky. You are probably more accurate on what Mary said in her book. I'd have to go back and read it again to be sure. Sounds more like it.

[bucky]

Marilyn - She didn't mention any numbers. I wouldn't have a clue what child actors earned in the 70s. I sure hope she and the others get some kind of residuals from the continuing reruns, but sadly, it never seems to happen that way.

I found her book very interesting - a nice balance between the story of the show and her story. I've read both Mary's and Joe's stories, but I still feel like there are more questions to be answered so I'm looking forward to someone else stepping up with a book.

[darling666]

Hello to everyone!!actress pay scale i think fixed of the whole serial not on the behalf of the episode..pay scale is increased by the performance of the actress..but pay is fixed of the whole series not ups and down..

[bdurham48]

Does anyone know how much the waltons cast salaries or pay scale was per episode or season was? I have always thought it would be interesting to know what it was in those days.

[JeriJet]

Sept 2, 2013 19:25:49 GMT -5 bdurham48 said:

Does anyone know how much the waltons cast salaries or pay scale was per episode or season was? I have always thought it would be interesting to know what it was in those days.

I doubt if any of the living actors would divulge such info.... SAG scale may have applied to very minor, walk-on appearances, etc.... but, recurring roles would have been negotiated by agents.  These days, there is less confidentiality maintained in tv/movies, but I don't think Eric, Mary, Ralph, etc., would want to say much about it.  (It's their family, after all !!)

[ForeverWaltons]

I started a thread back in April (I believe) about Eric Scott (Ben). The article was about what he was up to now & the article was written in 1991 or 1992 (too lazy to look the thread up). Anyway in the article Eric said he was paid $250,000.00 (a quarter of a million dollars) for the last season of The Waltons (which was 1980-81). Was all of the kids making the same as Eric that last season? Jason, Mary Ellen, Erin, Jim Bob & Elizabeth? That I have no idea but you would think so.

$250,000.00 in 1981 had the same buying power as $665,124.57 in 2013. Annual inflation over this period was 3.11%

[ILoveTheWaltons]

I think that it would depend on the actor/actress because Michael Learned won 3 emmys for Olivia Walton so she may have been paid more than the others.

In this she mentions about the money but it is not a figure.

[clyde]

There was an interview with Ralph Waite in People Magazine Volume 7 No. 6 dated February 14,1977 in which he was quoted as saying that he "thought his $10,000 per week salary was obscene""

[michelle]

I remember reading an article years ago that stated that Farrah Fawcett was paid $5,000 per episode for her one season (1976-1977) on Charlie's Angels and to keep her on the show the powers that be offered to raise her salary to $8,000 per episode. However, she declined the pay raise and left the show. Boy, had times changed when the cast of Friends was given $1,000,000 per episode due to their popularity.

[JeriJet]

I don't think we do our actors, sports stars, etc., any favor by paying them such exhorbitant amounts.... there is no way any one of them can possibly think they are worth that much and it certainly leads to serious emotional problems, frequently evidenced by outrageous behavior, drug overdoses, suicides.... A sad situation.... Yet, it continues to mushroom. Horrible commentary on society as a whole.