If you have ever found yourself feeling a little bit jealous of one celebrity or another, there are some pretty good reasons for that. After all, stars have so many obvious advantages over the rest of us that it can be annoying sometimes. For example, Kristen Bell seems to be a truly lovable person but the fact that she appears to be good at everything can be a little bit hard to take.
On top of the fact that stars tend to be filthy rich, good looking, and most people bend over backward for them, their jobs also tend to be spectacular in a lot of ways. For example, not only do actors get paid loads of money when they initially star in a show or a movie, many of them continue to get paid for their work over and over again for years.
It should be noted, some celebrities continuously make money from the same role for years while others don’t, depending on the contract they signed with producers. With that in mind, it makes you wonder, does Charlie Sheen continue to make money from Two and a Half Men despite his years-long feud with the show's creator?
Ongoing Paycheques
In most industries, employees get hired and paid once, either by the hour or by piecemeal. On the other hand, many stars are powerful enough that they force companies to continue to fork money over to them for years. For example, famous musicians can negotiate deals in which they continue to make money every time people pay for their songs or their work plays during a TV show or movie.
In the world of television, there are several ways that actors can continue to make money off their work for years on end. In some cases, an individual character becomes famous enough that merchandise is made that features an actor’s likeness and they get a piece of the pie every time that item sells. However, the main factor that decides whether or not a TV actor continues to make long term money from their work in syndication.
Once a TV show becomes popular enough, other TV channels will likely become interested in airing reruns of the series, which is called syndication in the business. When it comes to shows like Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, and The Big Bang Theory, it can often feel like reruns are airing at all hours of the day. Because some actors make money each time the show they starred in airs in syndication, that cash can build up very quickly when reruns are consistent.
Two And a Half Men Rules The Roost
Just before Two and a Half Men debuted on television in 2003, it seems very likely that most people involved were simply hoping it wouldn’t be canceled quickly. A lot more successful than that, the show would quickly become one of the most popular sitcoms around and it remained on the air for a truly impressive 12 seasons.
Of course, the show’s run was far from perfect, as it always is hard for a hit series to switch lead actors partway through. However, Two and a Half Men managed to beat all the odds by surviving Charlie Sheen’s departure.
Shrewd Negotiator
Aside from the fact that Two and a Half Men was an extremely popular show, there is one thing that people think about when the sitcom gets brought up, Charlie Sheen. In the beginning, Sheen was synonymous with the show because he was its most famous cast member by far. Then, once the series became immensely popular, it became immensely clear that most of the show’s storylines revolved around Sheen’s character.
Unfortunately for Charlie Sheen, after a while, people began to think about his behind the scenes antics first and foremost when Two and a Half Men was brought up. After all, rumors of Sheen benders became pretty common knowledge even as the show’s popularity continued to swell. Then, things came to a head for Sheen as he publically insulted his boss, Chuck Lorre, during an outrageous interview which led to him getting fired from Two and a Half Men.
Even though Charlie Sheen was unceremoniously fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011, he continued to be an ongoing part of the show in one main way, reruns. Popular enough that the show continues to air regularly in syndication to this day, Two and a Half Men is still a force in television.
Thankfully for Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men was extremely profitable over the years which allowed him to negotiate a sweetheart deal with producers before he got fired. As a part of that deal, he got a bigger slice of the money the show made in syndication. For that reason, Sheen continues to make a lot of money off Two and a Half Men. In fact, collider.com estimates that he has made around $20 million from the show’s reruns alone since Two and a Half Men aired its finale.
