Kevin Costner TV’s Highest Paid Actor Thanks To Mountainous ‘Yellowstone’ Salary
The silver screen has become a gold mine for Hollywood's A-List actors. Oscar-winners have been taking their talents to the smaller screen in masses lately, as streaming services have taken off recently.
Variety broke down the paychecks these stars are making and it's no wonder why they're choosing TV over making movies. These salaries are massive. At the top of the list this year, is Yellowstone's Kevin Costner.
Kevin Costner isn't the only household name who has made the switch to TV in recent years. According to this new report, Mahershala Ali will be starring in a new show coming to Hulu, and he'll be making a pretty penny.
Jason Sudeikis made the switch to TV with Ted Lasso and has seen great success, both in hardware and in salary.
Elisabeth Moss will be making a boatload per episode in Shining Girls for Apple TV+.
Even Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are starring in the Yellowstone prequel series 1923.
This is only the beginning, and I expect to see more A-Listers starring in big budget TV dramas on streaming platforms. Let's check out some of the highest paid celebrities on TV and what they'll be making per episode.
Highest Paid Actors On TV
Gallery Credit: Cort Freeman
That's a lot of stars, and a lot of money. As these premium platforms get more funding and money, we can definitely expect to see more big names doing work on the silver screen.
Varity TV Editor Michael Schneider says Costner being the highest paid actor on TV "isn't a surprise at all."
Schneider told ET, "First off, Yellowstone is a tremendous hit. It's one of the biggest shows on television right now and Kevin Costner is, of course, the leading force behind that show. He's a movie star, he's now a TV star, he's been around for a long time, he's the kind of person that fetches a pretty penny when working, so when you want to get a star like Kevin Costner, you've got to open up the pocketbook from the beginning."
Forget opening up the pocketbook, they handed it over to him! And for a good reason, too. It's well-earned for Costner. Yellowstone is one of the most successful shows on TV right now.
It has done a lot for the Paramount Plus platform.
Let's take a better look at Yellowstone, a show that's very near and dear to our hearts in Idaho. I mean...have you seen pictures from the Ranch where it's filmed?
28 Breathtaking Pictures from TV's Yellowstone Ranch
Gallery Credit: Marco
Yellowstone has become one of the biggest shows on TV, but is it getting the respect it deserves?
Let's check out the Emmy Award Nominations from this year to see.
2022 Emmy Nominations List
Gallery Credit: Cort Freeman
Totally snubbed. That's a bummer. Makes no sense to me.
Speaking of Yellowstone being close to home to those of us in Idaho, here are characters from the show as Idaho towns!
Yellowstone Characters if They Were Towns in Idaho
Gallery Credit: Hannah Shippen, Townsquare Media
Here's what you need to know in preparation of Yellowstone's fifth season.
What You Need to Know About Yellowstone Season 5:
Gallery Credit: Hannah Shippen, Townsquare Media
In case the show doesn't do it for you, here are six reasons you need to check out Yellowstone.
6 Reasons to Road Trip to Yellowstone
Gallery Credit: Jen Austin - TSM Boise