It’s hungry at the top…
As in, money hungry. In the playful, halcyon early days of hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, there were group hugs all around. No mas, The National Enquirer reports. The cast is caught up in an "old-fashioned war over money."
"Cast members go for the throat as they battle for big raises," the headline reads.
According to the Enquirer, Modern Family’s castmembers are in the process of renegotiating their salaries "with the series on a hot streak."
"Each cast member wants a bigger piece of the pie than the others, especially in light of the show’s ratings success and the big bucks syndication deal that was cut last year," a show insider tells the Enquirer. "Their agents are climbing over each other’s backs trying to get the best deal."
On top of Modern Family’s financial food chain?
Ed "Married with Children" O’Neill, who earned a reported $100,00 per show last season. The Enquirer estimates O’Neill will take down $150,000 per this season.
Which brings us to our own, loveable gay-on-the-show but straight-in-real-life, Eric Stonestreet.
Stonestreet and other castmembers reportedly "banked" somewhere between $30,000 and $60,000 per show last season. Which if you do the math on O’Neill means they would be in line to get – what? – $45,000 to $90,000.
Au contraire…
"They all think they’re worth $100,000 an episode and Stonestreet’s rep wants even more because he won an Emmy," the Enquirer‘s source says.
Modern Family ranks No. 1 with viewers "in the key 18-49 year-old demographic," the Enquirer reports.
As for those warm and fuzzy early days and group hugs of season’s past, "On the surface, the cast comes across as one big happy family," the Enquirer‘s source says. "But now the knives have come out. The sentiment is, ‘the hell with solidarity, it’s every star for himself!’ "
Go Eric!
Seriously Hearne???
Really? You pulled a story from the National Enquirer and are taking it as the Gospel?
Actually, I’m not surprised that you would.
Nor should you be surprised. Not been keeping up?
The Enquirer has broken some of the biggest stories of the past 10 years. Does the name John Edwards ring any bells?
This Proves My Point
Again had this been a network show number one in the market say ten years ago. Ed would be getting easily 500,000 per show and the rest of the cast 350,000 a show. These in fact are average numbers for top ten network shows. Dave Atell from Insomniac got 35,000 a show in season three up from 3,000 a show in year one. This on Comedy Central who seems only willing to pay Danial Tosh and John Stewart, uh oh yeah Chelsea. My first year deal with Comedy Central was 4,000 a week to star,produce and co write Stanford and Sons this in 03. We did two shows, they fired the prez. the new one came in never looked at the show and dropped it. Too bad, likely a hit, Dave gave me guidence and said to me if it goes to season three you will get 30-50 a week so I shut up.
These guys have a legit beef. Those are low numbers for a number one show even in this economy…look at Charlie Sheen’s deal. Or the Sprano’s cast in the mid 2000’s.
Compensation Is Reality
These hacks should be thankful they are working. ABC can just order up some more sure fire reality poop like Bachelor-Ette, Dancing with the Stars, etc and they’ll all be auditioning for Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Modern Family is not Seinfeld or Friends or The Sopranos. It’s a barely passable sitcom with an ensemble cast, whose parts can easily be written out, swapped or interchanged.
smartman is right
Although that chick is really hot looking.
I would ride her out.
oops, did I say that out loud?
I meant, I wouldn’t write her out.
Pass the toast.
For God’s sake, Chuck–it’s Sunday morning.
Get your mind out of the gutter, Chuck. Or at least talk about her in French. Time for you to tune in Joel and Victoria Osteen. I wanna know, would you ride her out? With or without duct tape.
And Hernia–in the headline, it’s FAMILY, not FAMLY
inside source
Craig,
I don’t think Comedy Central has any say in what chelsea handler is paid…because her show is on the E channel.