Actor in Hollywood

"Trust me, it's not worth it for a mere four hundred thousand dollars."

Andrew's expression remained blank, as if he were serious, but his words were laced with sarcasm. He was clearly a dry humorist, exuding a casual charm.

Anson gently raised his chin, looking at Andrew with a sincere and eager expression, as if seeking advice.

"So, are you saying my pay is higher than that amount?"

Andrew: ...

No way!

In Hollywood's entire entertainment industry, actors are far ahead in terms of average income, though not among the top 1% of the pyramid.

Next are movie directors, producers, and screenwriters.

Then come television actors, directors, and producers.

Following them are music industry professionals, including singers, producers, etc.

After that are TV screenwriters, cinematographers, lighting technicians, editors, and so on.

Overall, movies are in the first tier, followed by television, music, hosts, models, and so on. This is reflected both in average income and in the industry's hierarchy. The historical status of film as the seventh art has continuously risen.

In the television industry, top actors can earn between $150,000 to $300,000 per episode, experienced supporting actors earn $70,000 to $100,000, and newcomers typically earn between $10,000 to $20,000, with even lower rates for supporting roles.

However, a unique aspect of the television industry is that actors' pay tends to increase with the number of seasons, though there is always a ceiling.

The show that broke this ceiling was "Friends."

In 1994, "Friends" premiered. During the first three seasons, the six lead actors had different pay rates, ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 per episode.

The highest-paid actor in the first season was David Schwimmer, who played Ross, earning $40,000 per episode. He was the first actor cast and one of the key creators of the first season, making him the undisputed core of the show at that time.

By the sixth season, the six lead actors had reached an agreement, each earning $120,000 per episode.

Currently, NBC has renewed the show for a seventh season, but negotiations over the actors' pay are still ongoing. This is why the show's ratings remain crucial—both as a bargaining chip for the actors and as a measure of the network's expectations. Both sides are in a tug-of-war.

Whether it's producer David Crane, the six actors, or the main creative team, no one is an exception. They are all part of a shared interest group—if one prospers, they all prosper; if one fails, they all fail. Ratings are equally important to everyone.

What makes "Friends" particularly special is that the six actors stood united, advancing and retreating together. They demanded equal pay for all six and refused to differentiate between lead and supporting roles.

In the first episode of the sixth season, to protest the perceived bias in the Emmy nominations, the actors added Courteney Cox's new married name, "Arquette," to the end of every cast and crew member's name in the end credits. This was their way of saying that all six actors were leads in this show.

Likewise, none of them were willing to negotiate with the network alone, presenting a united front that left the network with no room to maneuver.

Because of this, they succeeded according to historical records:

In the seventh and eighth seasons, their pay per episode reached $750,000; in the ninth and tenth seasons, it made history at $1,000,000 per episode.

History began here.

The focus returns to Anson—

$400,000 for a pay rate?

That's simply impossible.

Objectively speaking, the payment calculation for regular cast members, rotating supporting roles, and guest stars differs.

Regular cast and rotating supporting roles are long-term investments, so their per-episode rate is naturally lower. Guest stars, however, are a one-off deal, often appearing in just one episode, with a separate calculation method for their pay. Even the budget for guest stars is listed under a different category.

Therefore, guest stars often aim for big names.

But even so, $400,000 is still out of the question.

Andrew glanced up at Anson, noting his serious, naïve, and inquisitive expression. He immediately realized he had dug himself into a hole—

Clearly, Anson was joking. How could this guy not know anything about Hollywood?

Andrew bit down hard on his cigarette.

"Actually, I was talking about the penalty for breaching the non-disclosure agreement. Four hundred thousand dollars wouldn't be enough."

"But then again, maybe you don't care about that amount?"

"So…"

Andrew dragged out the last word, pausing to carefully study Anson's expression.

"An Emma Roberts level?"

The implication being, do you have connections as solid as Emma Roberts?

The reason is very simple: if David Crane was willing to pay $50,000 to invite a guest star, Anson's connections were self-evident.

As a reference, when "Friends" invited Robin Williams to guest star in the third season, his pay was also $50,000.

Although this amount was standard for the third season, the key point is that it was Robin Williams, the legendary comedy star. And what about Anson?

There's no comparison, no harm.

Based on Andrew's experience, if someone was only guest-starring in one episode, the pay would typically depend on the weight of the role, but it mainly came down to the negotiation skills of the agent. Usually, the pay wouldn't exceed $10,000.

In the year 2000, this was the norm.

Andrew carefully observed Anson's expression and noticed a faint gleam in his deep eyes, hinting at a subtle smile.

"Is that all?"

Anson asked.

Andrew was taken aback. Was Anson bluffing, or did he really have strong backing?

However, from Anson's expression, it was impossible to tell.

The air grew slightly tense in the silence.

Andrew immediately decided to pull back—

He didn't care about the inside details and wasn't curious either. Some secrets could be explored, but others might be dangerous.

He sat up straight, handed over the confidentiality and performance agreements, and returned to a businesslike attitude. His professional demeanor remained unchanged.

"Alright."

"I believe you already know what you should and shouldn't know."

"According to the contract, filming is scheduled from 9 AM to 5 PM, with a two-hour break in between. If filming goes beyond the scheduled time, you have the right to leave the set. If the crew doesn't allow it, you can call me or the union lawyer, and we'll handle it for you."

"Unless something unexpected happens, the filming schedule is Monday and Tuesday. If we need additional reshoots, they'll be on Thursday or Friday, and you'll be notified."

Nine-to-five?

For Anson, this was a completely new world. Hollywood actors had schedules just like regular office workers?

Snap.

Andrew closed the file and looked at Anson with wide eyes, "So, any other questions?"

Anson sat up straight and looked at Andrew seriously. "Yes."

Andrew raised his eyes, cigarette dangling.

Anson paused. "Are you in such a hurry to finish work because you're eager to clock out?"

Andrew: ...

Ha. Ha. Very funny.

The newbie author is rolling around and asking all the readers to support the book by reading the latest chapters. Thanks!