According to reports, Zendaya is set to receive a substantial salary increase in anticipation of the third season of her highly successful HBO series, Euphoria. This news comes after her impressive Emmy wins and further cements her status as one of Hollywood’s top talents.
The 26-year-old actress — who caught fans’ attention with her charmingly awkward stint presenting at the SAG Awards on Sunday with Paul Mescal — is reported set to earn around $1 million per episode of Euphoria, according to Matthew Belloni at Puck.
Although the high school drama is an ensemble piece, Zendaya can lay claim to being the most prominent star on the series, and she also narrates the show.
The $1 million mark is notable for having been achieved by the entire primary cast of NBC’s classic sitcom friends starting on the show’s final three seasons.
However, Zendaya’s still-impressive payday would be significantly less than the Friends cast made per episode due to inflation.
Moving on up! Zendaya, 26, scored a massive deal to earn around $1 million per episode of her hit HBO series Euphoria, according to Puck; seen Sunday in Los Angeles
The lead: She is the most prominent star of Euphoria, a dark teen drama noted for the extreme behavior of its characters and its gorgeous candy-colored visuals
Zendaya’s payments are likely the highest of the show, which is among HBO’s most popular current offerings, though its viewership pales compared to many lesser-regarded shows on network television.
Fittingly, it was another Euphoria actress who underscored how much less screen stars tend to make in the current entertainment industry climate.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter for a profile published in July 2022, Zendaya’s costar Sydney Sweeney explained, ‘They don’t pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals,’ which denies actors a long-term source of income from their past roles.
‘The established stars still get paid, but I have to give five percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, three percent or something like that to my business manager,’ she continued. ‘I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage.’
Zendaya’s salary is reportedly settled recently, as she ‘just closed a big re-negotiation.’
It’s not known how the other primary cast of Euphoria’s salaries compare to hers.
She’s joined by several other high-profile television stars who also get around $1 million per episode, including Michael Keaton for Dopesick and Elisabeth Moss for Shining Girls, both of which were limited series.
However, some ongoing shows are also offering that much for their top stars. Jason Sudeikis is reportedly getting around $1 million per episode of his hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, while Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren both make that much for Paramount+’s Yellowstone spinoff 1923, as does Chris Pratt for Amazon’s The Terminal List.
However, Kevin Costner appears to outpace him with his $1.2 million per episode of Yellowstone, and he makes more on top of that from an overall deal.
John Krasinski appears to be the highest-paid actor in television at the moment, as he reportedly makes an incredible $2 million per episode of Amazon’s Jack Ryan. However, that number is also inflated because Krasinski is also an executive producer on the series.
Times are tough: Her costar Sydney Sweeney (L) previously revealed that actors don’t make as much anymore as streaming has decimated the royalties they used to earn; seen with Alexa Demie on Euphoria
Top of the pack: John Krasinski is reportedly the highest paid TV actor with $2 million per episode of Amazon’s Jack Ryan, but some of his salary is due to his EP status
Stunner: On Instagram, Zendaya shared some gorgeous snaps of her second outfit from Sunday’s SAG awards
Ghostly glamour: She looked effortlessly glamorous in a black-and-white photo snapped backstage in an abandoned hallway
However, Belloni noted that many shows and networks are trying to tamp down inflating star salaries, with one ‘dealmaker’ claiming that ‘$850,000 is the new $1 million.’
Prior to news of Zendaya’s payday, she got a laugh out of fans who tuned in to Sunday’s SAG Awards when she seemed to — perhaps accidentally — blow off Aftersun star Paul Mescal.
After the Irish actor put out a courtesy hand for the actress as they went up the stairs to present an award, she either didn’t see it or politely turned down the offer, forcing him to awkwardly leave his hand up.
Several viewers joked on social media about how flustered and nervous he seemed around Zendaya, as he fumbled some of his words while trying to read the teleprompter.
