Summary
- Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David made a ton of money from Seinfeld royalties.
- The rest of the Seinfeld cast earned much less in syndication royalties.
- Jason Alexander has been vocal about the cast's unequal royalties.
Both Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David became incredibly rich after nine seasons of the beloved sitcom Seinfeld. In fact, the two actors and comedians continue to make a ton of money from the show today, thanks to royalties. Considering how famous the cast members Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards became after portraying Elaine Benes, George Costanza, and Kramer, it's easy to assume that the same thing is true for them. Unfortunately, though, that's not the story at all.
David and Seinfeld have gotten very wealthy as a result of Seinfeld royalties... and the same thing isn't necessarily true of the other cast members. Here's the truth about the way that royalties are split up between the stars and whether David and Jerry are the reason why some earn less.
Does The Seinfeld Cast Not Earn Higher Royalties Because Of Larry David And Jerry Seinfeld?
Thanks to how incredibly unique Seinfeld was, it's no wonder that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David were set for life as soon as the show ended. However, it's strange to think that the others don't make as much as they do when it comes to royalties.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, when it comes to the money that the Seinfeld actors earn, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld "owned 7.5% of the show's backend equity points" at the beginning of the sitcom. This number grew to 15% later on.
The publication noted that "the supporting cast" of Seinfeld is paid "hundreds of thousands per year at most" although people think that they would be earning millions of dollars annually. Seinfeld and David were paid $50 million annually at the very least because of syndication in 2008. That number was $250 million in 1998.
How Christine Taylor Really Felt About Working With Jerry Seinfeld
Christine Taylor admitted she was very nervous to audition in front of Jerry Seinfeld.
This is surprising to hear since Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards are, of course, such huge reasons why Seinfeld is so beloved even to this day. But when it comes to the money that the cast earns, David and Seinfeld are in a separate category, and they make more.
Of course, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David would have been closely involved in the salary negotiations and deals. Fans are likely wondering if they are the reason why the other cast members haven't been paid as much as they have.
According to some comments that Jason Alexander has made, the actor is very aware of the fact that the cast members earn different royalty amounts. He has been very honest about this situation.
NBC News quoted Alexander saying "In the years that we've been in syndication, Julia, Michael and I have probably individually seen about $250,000 out of residuals, whereas our brethren [Seinfeld and David] have seen hundreds of millions of dollars."
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Jason Alexander once admitted details about Seinfeld's series finale episode, including about special guests close to the cast.
When the actor was interviewed by The Globe and Mail in 2004, Jason Alexander explained what happened during season 9 contract negotiations. According to Best Life Online, he said that he and his two co-stars wanted to have the same kind of deal that David and Seinfeld did. As he explained, they were told no, which is heartbreaking to hear.
Alexander said:
"Julia, Michael and I, during our big renegotiation for the final year, asked for something that I will go to my grave saying we should have had, and that is back-end participation in the profits for the show. It was categorically denied to us, which forced us to then ask for ungodly salaries."
According to Best Life Online, Alexander said to Seinfeld, "'You have created a rift between you and the three of us, and while we are in no way, shape or form looking for parity with you, you have created a chasm that is also inappropriate.'"
While Jason Alexander has discussed the situation, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards don't seem to have said anything. It's possible that they agree with him, but no one can be sure how they really feel.
However, it's clear that the Seinfeld stars did their best to negotiate and get what they deserve. It doesn't sound like Alexander blamed Seinfeld and David, but at the same time, he was understandably unhappy about what was going on. It's unclear if Seinfeld and David pushed for the other three actors to receive similar deals to what they had. It's possible to assume that if they had, the answer would have been yes. But fans can only speculate.
What Have Jerry Seinfeld And Larry David Said About Seinfeld Royalties?
It's possible to argue that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David are paid higher royalties than Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards because they co-created Seinfeld. This likely gave them the power to negotiate the kinds of deals that they wanted. But have they said anything about the subject?
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Seinfeld and David don't appear to have offered up an explanation as to why the main Seinfeld cast members are paid so little royalties, at least in comparison to them.
Whenever David or Seinfeld are interviewed about the popular sitcom, though, they make it clear that they weren't doing it for money. They always explained that they cared about comedic storytelling and making sure that the show was as good as it could be.
A few years ago, Jerry Seinfeld said in an interview with The New York Times Magazine that while he could have made $5 million if he agreed to season 10 of the sitcom, that didn't feel right to him.
Seinfeld explained:
"It was the perfect moment, and the proof that it was the right moment is the number of questions you’re still asking me about it. The most important word in art is “proportion.” How much? How long is this joke going to be? How many words? How many minutes? And getting that right is what makes it art or what makes it mediocre.”
As for Larry David, he seems to have gotten upset when people have asked him about Seinfeld royalties. According to Deadline, he appeared on 60 Minutes, and beforehand, Charlie Rose explained on CBS Radio, "He (David) doesn't like to talk about how much money he made in syndication."
During the interview, David explained, "First, my wife took half of it in the divorce" before appearing flustered about being questioned about his finances.
