How Much Do ’90s TV Stars Still Earn From the Shows That Made Them Famous? The Numbers May Surprise You

The stars of some of the biggest TV shows of the 1990s helped create television history, but that does not mean they all became rich from reruns and royalty payments. While many viewers assume actors from hit series continue earning large amounts of money long after their shows end, the reality is often much more complicated.

According to a report by People magazine, actors from popular series such as Friends, Full House, Dawson’s Creek, Baywatch, Frasier, The Sopranos, All That, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Jamie Foxx Show, and Martin have shared very different experiences when it comes to residual payments and royalties.

One of the most successful examples is the late Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on Friends. During an appearance on Andy Cohen Live in 2022, Perry was asked whether the royalty checks from the iconic sitcom were still significant.

He joked that he had recently “bought Iowa” before admitting that the payments remained strong. “They’re not bad,” Perry said. “I get a text that says, ‘You just made this much money,’ and I go, ‘Oh, nice.’” Friends remains one of the most profitable television shows in syndication history, helping its stars continue earning substantial amounts years after the series ended.

Another actor who benefited greatly from reruns is Ray Romano, the star of Everybody Loves Raymond. According to Forbes, much of Romano’s wealth has come from ongoing revenue connected to the sitcom. In 2013, the publication estimated his annual earnings at around $18 million, with syndication revenue playing a major role.

John Mahoney, who portrayed Martin Crane on Frasier, also spoke positively about the financial rewards he received from television success. In a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Mahoney said the money he earned from Frasier and its royalties meant he never had to worry about finding another acting job. “I made a lot of money and I don’t have to worry about the next job,” he explained. “I don’t care if I ever get in front of a camera again.”

Not every actor had the same experience.

Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on Full House, recently revealed that royalty payments from the beloved family sitcom have become almost meaningless in the streaming era.

Speaking on the McBride Rewind podcast earlier this year, she shared an example that surprised many fans. “The other day I got a check for one cent,” she said. Sweetin explained that traditional syndication payments have declined significantly as viewers move to streaming platforms. She added that while there were periods when the payments were useful, they were never reliable enough to depend on long term.

Sweetin also pushed back against assumptions that former sitcom stars live luxurious lifestyles. “People think I live some extravagant life,” she said. “I drive my used Hyundai Sonata, I rent my house, and my credit cards are maxed out.”

James Van Der Beek, who became famous as Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, revealed that he saw very little financial benefit from the show’s royalties. In a 2012 interview with TODAY.com, he said, “There was no money in residuals. I was 20 years old. The contract was bad. I saw almost none of it.” According to Van Der Beek, he later accepted additional television roles because the money from Dawson’s Creek eventually dried up.

Nickelodeon actress Giovonnie Samuels shared an even more difficult story. The former All That cast member posted videos on TikTok in 2023 explaining that she never received meaningful royalty payments from the sketch comedy series. “I’m still fighting for residuals,” she said. Samuels explained that many people assume former child stars are wealthy, but that is often far from reality. “Not all child stars are rich. We’re not all millionaires.”

Pamela Anderson’s situation has also drawn attention in recent years. Her son, Brandon Thomas Lee, told Extra in 2023 that Anderson was not properly compensated for her work on Baywatch despite becoming one of the most recognizable stars in the world. He claimed that she earns only a small amount annually from the series and suggested that the original contracts heavily favored others involved in the production.

Drea de Matteo, who played Adriana La Cerva on The Sopranos, made similar comments in an interview with Page Six in 2021. Despite appearing in 61 episodes of the acclaimed HBO drama, she said the cast did not receive significant royalty payments. “I wasn’t on the show long enough to really make money,” she explained.

Behind-the-scenes television creator Bentley Evans also revealed frustrations about royalty payments. Speaking on The Art of Dialogue in 2025, Evans said neither he nor Jamie Foxx benefited financially from reruns of The Jamie Foxx Show. “I created that show and I never saw a single syndication check,” he said. Evans admitted he once believed the series would provide lifelong financial security. Instead, he eventually found himself struggling financially after the show ended.

However, Evans said his work on Martin has provided a much more positive experience. Because of his creative involvement with the sitcom, he still receives regular royalty payments. While he said the income is not enough to live on by itself, it remains a welcome source of extra earnings.

The stories of these actors and creators highlight how unpredictable television royalties can be. Some stars continue to earn millions from classic shows decades after they ended. Others receive very little, despite helping create some of the most memorable television moments of the 1990s and early 2000s.

As the entertainment industry continues shifting toward streaming platforms, the gap between these experiences may become even wider. For many performers, appearing in a hit show does not automatically guarantee financial security for life. The success of a series may last forever in the eyes of fans, but the money behind that success often tells a very different story.

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