Which TV actors have overestimated their value to their show...

[TMC]

and ended up paying the price for their unreasonable demands?

[RetroGuy2000]

Suzanne Somers
Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park on Hawaii 5-0
Valerie Harper (though her demands probably weren't unreasonable)
Cindy Williams
Janet Hubert
Jaimee Foxworth (also probably not unreasonable)
The guy who played Tattoo on Fantasy Island
Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brien on Doctor Who (though their demands were clearly reasonable)

[TMC]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Suzanne Somers
Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park on Hawaii 5-0
Valerie Harper (though her demands probably weren't unreasonable)
Cindy Williams
Janet Hubert
Jaimee Foxworth (also probably not unreasonable)
The guy who played Tattoo on Fantasy Island
Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brien on Doctor Who (though their demands were clearly reasonable)

Fred Berry on What's Happening Now!! Berry was also what you could call a malcontent on the set of the original What's Happening!! I won't go into what happened on the first show. But on the second show, Fred Berry was only involved with the first season. But he was fired even before the first season was over do to asking more money than the rest of the cast.

I believe that he was asking for $1 million, which if absolutely unreasonable for a first-syndicated series. I don't even know for sure is some of the highest paid actors on TV at the time like Larry Hagman or Alan Alda were making that much money all at once.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Cindy Williams

I have to disagree there. I have not seen the final season, but it was nuts to continue Laverne and Shirley without Shirley.

[icecream]

Bitty Schram- Monk. I am glad she left, Natalie was a lot more likeable than Sharona.

[icecream]

Michael Moriarty- Law and Order. His replacement Sam Waterston lasted a lot longer and is still part of the revival.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by icecream

I have to disagree there. I have not seen the final season, but it was nuts to continue Laverne and Shirley without Shirley.

"Laverne and" was a total waste; without Shirley, it wasn't worth doing.

But Cindy Williams' husband was making ridiculous demands, and that list kept growing; originally (in April of that year), he demanded that Cindy stop work after the first 13 episodes, in time for her due date in November, then just make a few small appearances to finish out the season, after the birth of the baby. This could have been accommodated, and has been for many other pregnant actresses. Hudson also insisted that Williams be paid for the full season, not just the episodes she appeared in. Paramount also agreed to this. He demanded her hours be kept to a minimum. They also agreed to that.

In May, Hudson had a new list of demands: a Winnebago, a screen credit for him, additional money beyond what had been negotiated, and shorter workdays. That's where Paramount balked. Only two episodes with Shirley were produced, and then she was gone.

[icecream]

What a controlling husband. Cindy didn't deserve to be fired for his demands, just say no to Hudson in May/fire him but keep her.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by icecream

What a controlling husband. Cindy didn't deserve to be fired for his demands, just say no to Hudson in May/fire him but keep her.

Yes, he was very controlling. But Cindy was deeply in love...

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yes, he was very controlling. But Cindy was deeply in love...

Yes, but let's not retroactively pretend that Miss Williams herself had been a completely docile and content performer before he came into the picture. The last two years of the show she was on, she would fight over number of lines with the late Miss Marshall and the set had become quite contentious.

IOW, it seemed to me that she already had wanted to throw her weight around beforehand but when he wed her and offered to help her sleigh her dragons, she gleefully found that endearing at the time. Of course, she rather coyly barely mentioned his role in her parting ways with the show and didn't mention her OWN part beforehand in her bio. Oddly enough, she also didn't mention the fact that they'd divorce and only had the tiniest mentions of their two children. Yes, her then-husband somewhat muddied the waters for her, but IMO, it wasn't as though she herself had previously made zero attempts to make waves prior to the marriage. So let's just call it a team effort on both their parts that she has since tried to pretend was ALL his fault and that she only condoned due to 'love'.

[Sonny Carson]

Originally Posted by TMC

Fred Berry on What's Happening Now!! Berry was also what you could call a malcontent on the set of the original What's Happening!! I won't go into what happened on the first show. But on the second show, Fred Berry was only involved with the first season. But he was fired even before the first season was over due to asking more money than the rest of the cast.

I believe that he was asking for $1 million, which is absolutely unreasonable for a first-syndicated series. I don't even know for sure is some of the highest paid actors on TV at the time like Larry Hagman or Alan Alda were making that much money all at once.

Some of the cast felt that ‘What’s Happening Now’ would have lasted longer if Fred didn’t get fired so they were mad at him about that show being cancelled too. The ratings were highest during the first season!