We’ve all fantasised about vacationing at the luxury resort of The White Lotus, but have you ever thought about the cast’s paycheques?
The viral show’s creator, Mike White, has collected a variety of talent for the series, from Jennifer Coolidge to Sydney Sweeney and Patrick Schwarzenegger. But it turns out all the series regulars receive an equal, non-negotiable salary of approximately US$40,000 — just over AU$66,000 — per episode… regardless of how famous they are prior to the season’s premiere.
No need for the calculator, allows us. This means for an eight episode season, each member makes around US$320,000 (almost AU$530,000) in total.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, producer David Bernad emphasised the show is committed to equality across pay. He added that some stars have even turned down or failed in negotiating attempts, telling the outlet, “Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus, they all get paid the same.”
The system was developed and put into practice in “the first season because there was no money to make the show”, said Bernad. This approach ensures all cast members successfully join the series are there for more than a just a paycheque, and genuinely want to contribute to its creative merits (we see you, and we thank you!)
So although the on-screen drama is quite lavish and varied, the pay is pretty uniform. The more you know!
