Claims of John Ritter making $150,000 an episode were FALSE!

[Dr. Thong]

It appears that claims that John Ritter was making $150,000 an episode in 1980 were false.

Suzanne Somers' attempt to get $150,000 an episode was apparently an attempt to be on par with Ritter, but no matter what she made, Ritter would have to make more due to a "top of the show" clause in his contract as he was the star of the show.

Somers and Joyce DeWitt were making $30,000 each on the show, while Ritter was making $50,000.

I really do think Suzanne ruined the show by not settling with the producers; she hurt the show and her own career.

[Lyverbe]

That was true in the first seasons but Ritter did eventually made $150k/episode. Somers was not asking to be paid 3 times Ritter's salary.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by Lyverbe

That was true in the first seasons but Ritter did eventually made $150k/episode. Somers was not asking to be paid 3 times Ritter's salary.

True. However her strongest case was not against fellow cast members. She used other network shows like M*A*S*H that paid their stars much more than Threes Company which was the biggest show for ABC. Suzanne had some very valid points, but she went about it so wrong even selling herself to other networks while still on ABC. For example Alan Alda was making $300,000 per episode on M*A*S*H in 1979-1980 season. Threes Company was also beating that show in ratings yet all the cast was not making anywhere near that amount. They were all underpaid but especially the women.

Penny Marshal really ruined it for Suzanne because she tried the same stunt with ABC. Penny went to the network to renegotiate her contract with ABC. ABC gave her more money only to have the show tank in the ratings. ABC learned a lesson. Cindy Williams wanted $75k an episode in 1982. ABC paid Penny even more money once Cindy quit. No one knows how much but it definitely was more than $75k per episode and the show was not great in the ratings at that time.

I would not say Suzanne's career "ruined" for long. She made about $80 million from Thighmaster and her infomercials not counting the small stuff she appeared on.

[thejasoomian]

Originally Posted by Lyverbe

That was true in the first seasons but Ritter did eventually made $150k/episode. Somers was not asking to be paid 3 times Ritter's salary.

I've never read where he eventually made $150,000 an episode. And he didn't get any perks until Three's A Crowd according to Ted Bergman.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

It appears that claims that John Ritter was making $150,000 an episode in 1980 were false.

Suzanne Somers' attempt to get $150,000 an episode was apparently an attempt to be on par with Ritter, but no matter what she made, Ritter would have to make more due to a "top of the show" clause in his contract as he was the star of the show.

Somers and Joyce DeWitt were making $30,000 each on the show, while Ritter was making $50,000.

I really do think Suzanne ruined the show by not settling with the producers; she hurt the show and her own career.

How do u know it was false?

[BestTVever]

I don't have proof but if Alan Alda made $300k per episode then John Ritter minimally deserved $150k per episode. The women deserved as much too. Remember that Joyce also boycotted an episode over a salary dispute. ABC was not interested in sharing the profits of the show with the actors.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

How do u know it was false?

Because I read it in an article, don't remember which one it was.

$50,000 sounds more likely, as he was supposed to make more than his co-stars.

He was a star, but not in the league of Alan Alda or Carroll O' Connor yet.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

Because I read it in an article, don't remember which one it was.

$50,000 sounds more likely, as he was supposed to make more than his co-stars.

He was a star, but not in the league of Alan Alda or Carroll O' Connor yet.

But since you are saying something is false that a guy stated on TV I think u should remember where u read it lol You saying Under $150,000 and he saying $150.00. I dont know who to believe

[TJ]

Are you saying the The Hollywood Reporter is incorrect? It's pretty clear that John Ritter was making more than $50,000 an episode by 1980. It was ranked #2 or #3 for seasons 2-4 (1977-1980). He may have started at $50,000 an episode the first few seasons.

But when it came time for fifth-season negotiations in 1980, Somers asked for a pay hike from $30,000 an episode to $150,000, equal to what her Three’s Company co-star John Ritter was receiving and comparable to salaries M*A*S*H*‘s Alan Alda and All in the Family‘s Carroll O’Connor were being paid on lower-rated shows. ABC offered a $5,000 hike.

Throwback Thursday: ‘Three’s Company’ Star Suzanne Somers Remembers Being Fired After Asking for a Raise

Producer Ted Bergmann talks about it in this interview. He said they would had to have to pay Joyce DeWitt the same and John Ritter $200,000 per episode.

Producer Ted Bergmann on Suzanne Somers' contract negotiations on "Three's Company"



AI Overview:

John Ritter's salary per episode of "Three's Company" varied throughout the show's run. While he was initially paid $50,000 per episode, this increased to $150,000 per episode by the show's fifth season, according to a YouTube video. This made him the highest-paid cast member. Suzanne Somers, his co-star, was initially paid $3,500 per episode, which increased to $30,000, but she sought to be paid the same as Ritter, which led to her departure from the show.

Three's Company!--REVEALING: How much did the actors get paid/worth?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TJ

Are you saying the The Hollywood Reporter is incorrect? It's pretty clear that John Ritter was making more than $50,000 an episode by 1980. It was ranked #2 or #3 for seasons 2-4 (1977-1980). He may have started at $50,000 an episode the first few seasons.



Throwback Thursday: ‘Three’s Company’ Star Suzanne Somers Remembers Being Fired After Asking for a Raise

Producer Ted Bergmann talks about it in this interview. He said they would had to have to pay Joyce DeWitt the same and John Ritter $200,000 per episode.

Producer Ted Bergmann on Suzanne Somers' contract negotiations on "Three's Company"



AI Overview:

John Ritter's salary per episode of "Three's Company" varied throughout the show's run. While he was initially paid $50,000 per episode, this increased to $150,000 per episode by the show's fifth season, according to a YouTube video. This made him the highest-paid cast member. Suzanne Somers, his co-star, was initially paid $3,500 per episode, which increased to $30,000, but she sought to be paid the same as Ritter, which led to her departure from the show.

Three's Company!--REVEALING: How much did the actors get paid/worth?

Yup without proof

[Lyverbe]

ChatGPT confirms that Ritter was making $150k per episode by the fifth season.

I mean, if you can't trust AI, who can you trust?

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by Lyverbe

ChatGPT confirms that Ritter was making $150k per episode by the fifth season.

I mean, if you can't trust AI, who can you trust?

Obviously, I don't know for certain what Ritter was making, but $50,000 sounds more likely. Of course, I could be wrong, but...

[BestTVever]

Does anyone know how long the initial contracts were? That reveals so much. Many times actors sign long contracts and the networks or producers balk at asking for more money. Many of the actors on Little House signed 6 year contracts for a series that was not even released yet. The show became one of the biggest on TV. Michael Landon refused to negotiate any salary increases for anyone. Yet he was getting super rich off the show. When Alison Arngrim's contract was up (Nellie) after season 6 she finally asked for more money which they did not give and she left the show. The Brady Kids were locked in a contract for about $400 per episode. It appears ABC did increase the salary for the main stars after Threes Company became successful. Suzanne had excellent points but she went about it in the wrong way. She should have waited until her contract was up and then walked out.

[thejasoomian]

Ted said they would have had to pay John 200K because 150K plus his 50K = 200K and Joyce and Suzanne would have made 150K each because of Joyce's clause. John was the star of the show so he was going to get more. This is way I see it.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by thejasoomian

Ted said they would have had to pay John 200K because 150K plus his 50K = 200K and Joyce and Suzanne would have made 150K each because of Joyce's clause. John was the star of the show so he was going to get more. This is way I see it.

I don't dispute the show was created and centered around the character Jack. However that is not how the show turned out. The 3 roommates each shared leads in scripts. Even the landlords had scripts centered around them and the kids were supporting roles .
Suzanne was on the cover of every magazine. It annoyed Joyce and John that the press was more interested in her. That People or Time magazine cover really irked them with Suzanne dominating the photo. People can say John was the star of the show to the cows come home. Its a fact that Suzanne was just as big if not bigger. She was a major part of the show's success. How could they tell her....oh you are not the star of the show, John is. It was sexist and wrong. She went about it the wrong way but her points were spot on.