Apple Paying Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston $1.25M Per Episode for Upcoming Morning Show Drama

[MacRumors]

Apple is paying Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston "upward of $1.25 million" a piece for each episode of their upcoming morning talk show drama series, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The show, which is based on Brian Stelter's non-fiction book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" explores the drama-filled lives of the men and women who star on morning talk shows.

Witherspoon and Aniston's $1.25 million salary per episode includes fees for executive producing and points on the show's backend, as both are serving as executive producers on the series. Apple has already ordered 20 episodes of the show, split into two seasons.

Witherspoon's high salary on Apple's new television show drove up the price of her salary on the second season of HBO's "Little Big Lies," for which she will receive $1 million per episode.

One Hollywood agent told The Hollywood Reporter that if HBO matches Apple's price, "it inflates the whole ecosystem of TV actor salaries." HBO programming president Casey Bloys wasn't as concerned, though.

"It's not a shock to anybody that having a second season of an ongoing series is easier to have with those deals in place," HBO programming president Casey Bloys tells THR. "Every outlet has to make their own decisions about economics that make sense for them. I'm not going to shake my fist and say, 'Darn it, Apple!' If that's what made sense for them for that show, God bless."

In addition to the morning show drama, Apple is working on two other TV shows with Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company with Witherspoon serving a executive producer. One is "Are You Sleeping," a psychological thriller starring Octavia Spencer, while the other is an untitled comedy series starring Kristen Wiig.

Article Link: Apple Paying Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston $1.25M Per Episode for Upcoming Morning Show Drama

 

[ajfahey]

I sincerely hope there is more economic revenue than cost in this decision.

 

[filmantopia]

Good. These women deserve every cent any male actor would make.

 

[cardfan]

Sounds pretty dumb. Not that Apple should get into this stuff, but go sci fi. I'm always a sucker for that. Got me to get CBS app for a bit for star trek.

 

[macduke]

I remember when it was absolutely crazy that Aniston (and the rest of the gang) was getting $1M/episode during the height of Friends. Now I feel old.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

While female actors deserve the same pay as a male actor, no actor deserves that kind of money. Lets get a little perspective. Actors don't really do not work that many hours or contribute that much to the product to deserve such high salaries compared to other employees working on the project. There are many people involved in the creation of a show/movie. Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

 

[Kabeyun]

Lottery money but not settin any records. The ensemble cast of Seinfeld got $1M per episode, and that was 20 years ago. Granted that was a highly successful show and not a debut, but that was also 20% more money in today’s dollars.

 

[GadgetBen]

Well, I suppose you have to blow your cash somehow.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

I guess no-one told them life was gonna be that way.

 

[cj31016]

While female actors deserve the same pay as a male actor, no actor deserves that kind of money. Lets get a little perspective. Actors don't really do not work that many hours or contribute that much to the product to deserve such high salaries compared to other employees working on the project. There are many people involved in the creation of a show/movie. Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

I disagree...relative to the monies that will be made from this show, they're both probably being underpaid.

 

[avanpelt]

I wish Apple had just stuck to making best-in-class software that runs on great hardware.

I have yet to hear a single person say, "You have to check out this awesome show on Apple Music!" (which sounds like a stupid thing to say, to begin with.) People have told me I have to check out a cool new show on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video more times than I can count, but I've never heard anyone get excited about an Apple-exclusive show. Maybe this will be the show that turns the tide, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[cwagdev]

While female actors deserve the same pay as a male actor, no actor deserves that kind of money. Lets get a little perspective. Actors don't really do not work that many hours or contribute that much to the product to deserve such high salaries compared to other employees working on the project. There are many people involved in the creation of a show/movie. Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

While I too am taken back by the number... No one will be tuning in because of a grip/camera person/stage director on set (aside from their friends & family). These are the people who draw the audience and therefore, hopefully, create the revenue. If Apple won't pay them they'd find someone else who will, they command these rates. A lot of sticker shock to it but the economics of it in a capitalistic world make perfect sense.

 

[nvmls]

Not enough to properly update/push up their mac minis, mac pros & laptops and extend some of that cash pile to user experience? Each episode is probably paid by the cheaper mb keyboards.

 

[aaronhead14]

Apple is so out of touch with what people want.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Good. These women deserve every cent any male actor would make.

What does your statement have to do with the article apart from you chiming in on an unrelated current event? The article says nothing about any male actors. If there are some, how do you know they are being paid the same?

Personally, I don't think it anyone's business how much someone makes, but when they feel they have to make it public, people feel the need to judge. Considering it takes me 10 years to make as much money as each of them will make in a week, I can't say it's deserving. But then neither are sports salaries--9 figure salary for a pitcher on a baseball team?

 

[ssmed]

Whilst that is probably the going rate for such things and they are both good actors, my message to Apple is 'please return to being a technology firm with vision and much better quality control. It's good to specialise. Really!'

 

[saudade]

While female actors deserve the same pay as a male actor, no actor deserves that kind of money. Lets get a little perspective. Actors don't really do not work that many hours or contribute that much to the product to deserve such high salaries compared to other employees working on the project. There are many people involved in the creation of a show/movie. Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

I heard u brother. My question is why i don’t see afroamerican actresses there? Is that a problem 4 Apple? Just saying

 

[itsmilo]

Good. These women deserve every cent any male actor would make.

I think the highest paid actor on tv is the Big Bang Theory dude with 1 mio per Ep so they actually make more than the avg male actor

 

[robbyx]

I wish Apple had just stuck to making best-in-class software that runs on great hardware.

I have yet to hear a single person say, "You have to check out this awesome show on Apple Music!" (which sounds like a stupid thing to say, to begin with.) People have told me I have to check out a cool new show on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video more times than I can count, but I've never heard anyone get excited about an Apple-exclusive show. Maybe this will be the show that turns the tide, but I'm not optimistic.

Well when Planet of the Apps is where you start, things can only get better.

I think Apple is going to have a tough time breaking into the TV content arena. I think they’ve waited a bit too long. I already pay for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. As much as I love Apple, they’re going to have to offer some utterly outstanding content to make me want to pay for yet another service. There are only so many hours in the day to watch TV and I feel pretty satisfied, content-wise, with existing services.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

I disagree...relative to the monies that will be made from this show, they're both probably being underpaid.

How about more of the money go to production people? The ones designing and creating the costumes, designing and building the sets, the ones setting up the cameras and microphones? The workers that drive the production crews to and from the remotes sites? All of those people deserve the money. They are the ones that work while the actors sit and suck on nicotine sticks.

 

[tito2020]

I sincerely hope there is more economic revenue than cost in this decision.

guess hollywood is done with them

 

[whiteonline]

This all seems so forced. Uncomfortably so.

 

[keysofanxiety]

This all seems so forced. Uncomfortably so.

As uncomfortable as that 2-1 Bournemouth pasting?

 

[JM]

While female actors deserve the same pay as a male actor, no actor deserves that kind of money. Lets get a little perspective. Actors don't really do not work that many hours or contribute that much to the product to deserve such high salaries compared to other employees working on the project. There are many people involved in the creation of a show/movie. Most of them work year round, many of them more than 60 hours a week. the majority of the production time, the actors are standing or sitting around waiting for the sets and camera work to be prepared.

Remember, though, it's the actors (and sports players for that matter) that encourage people to pay for the entertainment.

The actors have a value that make money for someone, hence the large paycheck.

The grips, gaffer, etc., are replaceable by anyone with the skills.... in other words: no one buys a ticket or watches a show because of a certain person doing the lighting work.

Economics! Whoopee!

 

[jdillings]

Surprised Timmy is greenlighting series that don't have diverse casts