The Officeis one of the few shows in history that can maintain such a massive following long after its time on television, and this is thanks to a lot of different things. Choosing the right storylines, casting the right actors, and maintaining sharp writing all helped this series become a force in its prime and a modern classic. Even now that it is only streaming old episodes, this show is as loved and as relevant as ever.
John Krasinski was one of the lucky leads on the show. He was perfect to play Jim Halpert, and his $200,000 an episode pay was well worth it. While he was an unknown commodity at the time, he has since blossomed into one of the biggest names in Hollywood. These days, Krasinski is bigger and better than ever.
So, how much was the star pulling down while onThe Office? Let’s take a look and see!
His Initial Pay On The Show
Nothing is guaranteed in Hollywood, and while we know what the show went on to become, there was no way that the studio was going to shell out a huge budget just yet.
When he first landed his role on the show, John Krasinski did not have a whole lot of hype or a lot of buzz around his name. He had done some work in film and on television, but there was nothing quite as big as whatThe Officewould become.
Cheat Sheetreports that the actor was pulling down about $20,000 each episode when the series first began. For someone that was looking to find their footing in Hollywood, this must have been a breath of fresh air for Krasinski.
The show would eventually take off, and when it did, John would get a massive raise in salary. During his time on the show, even in the earlier years, the actor was still taking roles in other projects, which no doubt helped pay some bills.
Among his most notable roles during hisOfficerun was the voice of Lancelot inShrek the Third, according toIMDb. He would also have roles inMonsters University,Jarhead, andDreamgirls.
Now that Krasinski was making a real name for himself in Hollywood, it was time for him to command a healthy salary.
His Salary Tops Six Figures
After several seasons of success on the small screen, it became quite clear thatThe Officewas here to stay. Because of this, the actors knew that it was time to hit the negotiating table and get a massive pay raise.
Prior to the fourth season of the show, the cast of the series was given a raise. As we mentioned earlier, John Krasinski was making $20,000 per episode early on, but once he got a pay raise before season four, things really hit another level.
Krasinski would be able to net himself $100,000 an episode, which is nothing short of impressive. While there were other actors making a lot more on other shows, any person alive would be fortunate to make this type of money each week. It certainly helped that the show was such a huge hit on the small screen and that the audience each week wasn’t going anywhere.
Thanks to getting a massive pay increase while onThe Officeand landing roles in projects on the big screen, Krasinski was at an entirely different level during this time. The man had officially gone from unknown actor to star, and his pay finally reflected this.
Moving forward, Krasinski was not quite done yet, and he was able to get another boost in his pay.
One Last Pay Bump
AsThe Officemarched towards its finale, it still had a loyal audience that could not get enough of the show. John Krasinski would once again be able to net himself a pay raise before the series finale.
According toRanker, John Krasinski was able to go from $100,000 to $200,000 at some point on the show. While the exact date or season of this pay boost is unknown, it is still impressive to see that over the course of time, his way would increase tenfold.
IMDbdoes note that John did step behind the camera during his time onThe Office, and it is possible that he was able to make some additional money for directing some episodes, as well. Clearly, his time directing on the show would come in handy, as he is now someone who has proven himself capable of making a smash hit at the box office.
These days, John Krasinski is doing a little bit of everything, starring onJack Ryanon the small screen and making hit films likeA Quiet Placeon the big screen, according to IMDb. He’s come a long way, and things are still looking up for Krasinski.