Summary
- Despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, Drew Barrymore decided to begin filming the fourth season of her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show.
- Barrymore's decision to continue filming during the strike has been met with criticism.
- While Barrymore's talk show salary is likely to be notable given her $125 million net worth.
The Drew Barrymore Show is a fun and unique talk show. Since September 2020, the popular actress has been chatting with celebrities about their lives and careers, and fans can't get enough. In September 2023, people were surprised to learn that the star would be filming new episodes of the show considering the importance of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, which, at the time of this writing, is ongoing.
With her $125 million net worth, Drew Barrymore is one of the richest daytime talk show hosts. It's possible that she decided to start filming season 4 of The Drew Barrymore Show because she makes so much money from the job. It's also possible that the actress had other reasons for making this decision.
What Is Drew Barrymore's Talk Show Salary?
The Drew Barrymore Show is beloved and has been nominated for many Daytime Emmy Awards. While there are other talk shows that are popular, many fans would say that there is something special about Drew Barrymore. She's bubbly, smart, optimistic, and friendly. She talks to everyone like they are her family or best friends, even if she doesn't know them that well. She's definitely one of the better hosts.
Still, her decision to continue The Drew Barrymore Show in the middle of the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike is perplexing. Late-night shows stopped production in May 2023, according to Variety, and actors and writers are following the rules and not promoting projects.
While Drew Barrymore's talk show salary is unknown, it must be fairly high given her standing in Hollywood. She has consistently been earning lots of money for decades now. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle salary was $14 million.
Hosting a daytime talk show does seem like a lucrative job. According to The Sun, the co-hosts of The View are paid very well. In 2022, The Sun reported that Sara Haines's annual salary was $1.5 million. Sunny Hostin made $1.6 million, Whoopi Goldberg earned $8 million, and Joy Behar earned $7 million.
Since Barrymore has hosted her show for three seasons, she must have taken home a nice amount of money.
Why Did Drew Barrymore Begin Filming The Drew Barrymore Show Again?
In early September 2023, Drew Barrymore talked about her show and said that she was going to start production again. According to Entertainment Weekly, she shared the news on her Instagram account.
Barrymore explained that The Drew Barrymore Show stopped filming the previous season in April 2023 because it came to a natural end. She mentioned that she didn't want to host the VMAs due to the "conflict" it caused considering the strike.
The actress continued, "I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me. I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time."
She added in her Instagram caption, "I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air. And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility."
While Barrymore said that she would like to "bring us together," some might say that isn't enough of a reason to resume filming a talk show in the middle of a strike. It's possible that she wants to keep doing the job that she loves.
But, since, she has a $125 million net worth, she could stop working for a few years and be more than fine. Fans can guess that she isn't motivated by money and seems to genuinely enjoy hosting her show. She hasn't commented on her salary, though, so this is just speculation.
However, Barrymore has received a lot of flak because people don't agree with this decision.
Although a rep said that writers won't be penning any new content for the talk show, people are still very uncomfortable with what the actress is doing. The strike has been difficult for the entire industry as it affects so many different jobs, and everyone has been supporting each other for the past few months.
A little while after Barrymore announced her decision, two people named Cassidy Carter and Dominic Turiczek said that they were asked to leave a taping of the show because they had pins that were supporting the WGA strike. According to Entertainment Weekly, a rep said, "Drew was completely unaware of the incident and we are in the process of reaching out to the affected audience members to offer them new tickets."
The negative press has continued. BBC reported that Drew Barrymore lost her National Book Awards host job. The National Book Foundation explained that they couldn't allow her to be the host because "The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture."
Variety reported that many people are upset with Barrymore and calling her a "scab" since she is working during the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike.
Variety noted that a deal was made for soap operas, variety, game, and talk shows last year. The actress is not going against the regulations set by SAG-AFTRA. However, people are concerned because writers who belong to the WGA do work for The Drew Barrymore Show.
It makes sense that people are confused about why Drew Barrymore, who has been part of the acting industry since she was a young child, would make a decision that feels upsetting to so many.
