The White Lotus is one of HBO’s top-rated shows and has one hell of a cast. Unlike their rich character counterparts, these cast members’ salaries are unlike anything they’ve ever received.
No one knew the magnitude that The White Lotus would have in pop culture today. When the show was in production for the first season, there was reportedly no money to make the show. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the first season was early in the pandemic for less than $4 million an episode; season three is said to cost in the $6 million to $7 million range.
Now, the show is set to break 20 million viewers per episode, so these actors must be making bank right?
How much do The White Lotus cast members make?
Every cast member on The White Lotus makes the same amount of money: $40,000 per episode. “They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons, not to quote The Bachelor,” producer David Bernad told The Hollywood Reporter. It’s a system we developed in the first season because there was no money to make the show.”
That means yes, BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Sam Rockwell (both of whom have the highest net worth on the show) make the same as Patrick Schwarzenegger, Walton Goggins, and Aimee Lou Wood. “It makes it so much easier,” casting producer Meredith Tucker revealed. “You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it — and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living. Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”
The salary is also non-negotiable. According to THR, Woody Harrelson, who initially was considered for the Rick Hatchett role, went to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to see if his salary for The White Lotus could be negotiated. However, it couldn’t and he dropped out of the production due to scheduling.
