NEED TO KNOW
Jason Isaacs has revealed how much he and his The White Lotus costars get paid per episodeThe actor, who starred in the third season of the HBO series, confirmed that he and his fellow cast members earned $40,000 per episode
“Compared to what people normally get paid for big television shows, that’s a very low price,” Isaacs told Vulture
Jason Isaacs is getting real about his paycheck.
In a new interview with Vulturepublished Monday, June 16, the actor, 62, opened up about how much he and his The White Lotus costars earned on the show,
Confirming they were paid were paid $40,000 per episode, Isaacs, who played Timothy Ratliff in season 3 of the HBO series, called the amount “very low.”
“I didn’t know that was public knowledge,” he told the outlet. “That’s absolutely true. Generally actors don’t talk about pay in public because it’s ridiculously disproportionate to what we do — putting on makeup and funny voices — and just upsets the public.”
He added, “But compared to what people normally get paid for big television shows, that’s a very low price. But the fact is, we would have paid to be in it. We probably would have given a body part.”
Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff in ‘The White Lotus’.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
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The star was then asked if it bothered him that he was earning the same as actors with less experience than him, like costar Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played the role of his son Saxon Ratliff in the series.
“Do I mind that I wasn’t paid more than other people? I never work for money,” he said. “I mean, I’ve done all right. People will think I have huge stockpiles of money but sadly, what I’ve done rather immaturely is expand my outgoings to match my incomings and pretty much spent everything I’ve earned over the years.”
In April, casting director Meredith Tucker and producer David Bernad revealed that cast members on The White Lotus were paid the same.
From left: Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola in season 3 of ‘The White Lotus’.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
“Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus,” Bernad told The Hollywood Reporter. “They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons, not to quote The Bachelor.”
“It makes it so much easier,” Tucker continued. “You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it — and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living. Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”
“And it’s not negotiable,” Bernad added.
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