Great television is made with great acting, and great acting can sometimes come at a high price. These actresses have been gracing the TV screen for years now, and they've earned a big paycheck because of it. 

Kaley Cuoco

Bazinga! This Big Bang Theory actress is famous for her high budget, and for good reason. The star has been playing opposite the famous Sheldon Cooper for several years as the failed-actress character Penny. In just 2018 alone, Penny might be proud to know that Cuoco made $24.5 million. 

Ellen Pompeo

There's no bigger money machine in Hollywood than a daytime television hospital drama. As the star of Grey's Anatomy, Ellen used to rake in about $20 million thanks to a lucrative contract with the American Broadcasting Company. Since that 2017 amount though, she's gone up about $3 million in price. 

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is best known for her incredible run on a wide range of movies, but she's also appeared on the small screen. For her performance on The Morning Show, this acting icon takes home a whopping $2 million per episode. The role has even earned her a few award nominations!

Nicole Kidman

You've seen her in Five Mile Creek, Aquaman, Strangerland, Big Little Lies, and on the arm of Hollywood men. Her role on Big Little Lies brought her in the most cash at $1 million per episode. This is partially due to her acting and partially due to her behind-the-scenes role in producing the series. 

Mariska Hargitay

You know her from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Olivia Benson, lead detective. Behind the scenes though, Mariska Hargitay is just an everyday actress who has been with the series since 1990. In 2018, she made $13 million to continue her performance as the no-nonsense policewoman, and everyone is pleased. 

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston went from sitcom Friends to a successful movie career, but she is now back on the small screen as one of the highest-paid TV actresses of all time. She now appears on a web series called The Morning Show. Would you believe she makes $2 million per episode?

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria made a name on TV for herself thanks to Desperate Housewives. She played the character of Gabby Solis for all eight seasons. Longoria got a Golden Globe Award nomination and about $325,000 per episode due to her riveting performance. 

Alexis Bledel 

Could anyone else have played Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls? It seems impossible, which is why the Rory Gilmore face had to be so handsomely compensated. During the four-episode mini-series revival of the program, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, the starlet made $750,000 per episode. 

Emilia Clarke 

Speaking of Game of Thrones, no character was more well-liked on the show than the Mother of Dragons. Played by Emilia Clarke, the woman with white hair became a fan favorite early in the series. For her hard work and amazing acting, she was awarded $2.7 million per episode in the final season. 

Sofia Vergara

Sofia is one of the highest-paid TV actresses in the world. She is best known for her role as Gloria Pritchett in the sitcom Modern Family. In 2018 alone, Sofia walked out of their suburban home with about $42.5 million in her bank account. Now that's some stellar acting!

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling is a comedy writer, actor, and producer. Her own show, The Mindy Project, received stellar reviews from critics and pushed its way to the top of the charts. When the show ended and she moved over to a show called Champions, her role as cast member, writer, and producer, earned her $13 million.

Sophie Turner 

Sophie Turner might be more familiar wearing heavy fur jackets in the deep north. Her character, Sansa Stark, from Game of Thrones was subjected to cruel forces of nature, family, and battle. Not too bad once you consider that she took home about $200,000 per episode she appeared in!

Kerry Washington 

Kerry Washington, also known as Olivia Pope in the series drama Scandal, is a celebrity and an icon. Thanks to this role, Washington has been in the running for several unique awards, including an Emmy. Even better than an award? Adding $11 million into her bank account back in 2018. 

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra went from being Miss World 2000 to a successful actress, singer, model, and philanthropist. For three years, she acted on the hit series Quantico. Fans loved her and so did the studio. They opted to give Mrs. nick Jonas a big payout to the tune of $10 million.

Sarah Jessica Parker

No show made quite the cultural impact as Sex and The City did. Sarah Jessica Parker played leading lady and columnist Carrie Bradshaw which earned her an impressive $1 million per episode. If you think that's shocking, consider that there were 94 episodes of the series...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus became famous for her run on Seinfeld, which debuted in 1989. Even though the series follows some everyday New Yorkers, this group was anything but broke. Julia Louis-Dreyfus walked away from each episode with about $600,000 in her pocket. Elaine Benes knew what she was doing!

Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox might be pretty off the grid these days, but once upon a time, she played Monica Gellar on Friends. During the last few years of the show, the stars of the program all raked in about $1 million per episode. Courteney had earned some cash from Scream, but Friends took her fortunes to new heights. 

Claire Danes

Now there's a name you've heard before! Whether you prefer her performance alongside Leonardo Dicaprio in Romeo + Juliet or as Carrie Mathison in the drama series Homeland, she's a television treasure. She earned about $9 million in 2018, making her one of the top tier actresses of the year. 

Lea Michele

Lea Michele transformed both Broadway and radio as Rachel Berry on the TV comedy Glee. The musical icon managed to earn $1.6 million for one season of the show, which translates to about $80,000 per episode. Once you hear her voice though, it's no question that she deserves every penny. 

Marcia Cross

It's likely that you remember this face from her most famous work, Desperate Housewives. Marcia Cross is known for her fiery red hair and fiercely confident attitude. It's those factors, as well as her enviable acting prowess, that earned her about $400,000 per episode during the show's airing. 

Pauley Perrette

Does this face seem familiar? With so many NCIS spinoffs, Pauley has certainly made her way onto your television screen before. She's been involved in shows like NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. The actress left eventually, taking her whopping $8.5 million in 2018 with her.

Julie Bowen

This Modern Family star is getting paid big-time for her work on the sitcom. Playing wife and mother Claire Dunphy, Bowen has won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series twice! She earned about $12.5 due to her amazing and hilarious portrayal. 

Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt was one of the most famous women to come out of the 90s era of TV due to her show Mad About You. The show was a huge success, which meant the budget went to keep actors happy. Helen earned about $1 million in her bank account for each episode of the series. Nothing to be mad about here!

Lauren Graham

Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore made fans across the globe wish that their mother was as cool, calm, and collected. When Gilmore Girls made its revival, the show made sure this actress was well compensated for her work. She went home with about $750,000 per episode as well as a lasting TV legacy.

Mayim Bialik

Being cast on Big Bang Theory is a ticket to the top of the TV charts, as proven by Cuoco and Bialik. Although the supersmart scientist character may seem too impressive to be true, Mayim has a Ph.D. in neuroscience in real life! She left her doctorate behind to earn a hefty $12 million from her show in 2018. 

Robin Wright

Robin Wright has kept her actual budget under wraps, but it's well known that she is one of the top 10 highest-paid actresses. In the political drama, House of Cards, she took home about $9 million for her role. It's guessed that she now makes about $500,000 per episode. 

Emmy Rossum

American adaptations of British TV shows tend to do a little better than the original, such as Shameless. Emmy Rossum stars as Fiona in the comedy-drama about the Gallagher family and their struggles in poverty. Fiona, the eldest of the children, earned Emmy about $350,000 per episode.

Melissa Rauch 

The women of The Big Bang Theory are paid well for their skills. Although she doesn't earn as much as leading lady Kaley Cuoco, Melissa makes a pretty penny playing Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz. She was paid $12 million in 2018 for her performance as the shrill-voiced scientist. 

Lena Headey

‘Game of Thrones’ will go down in history as one of the most beloved shows of all time. The program helped to pilot the careers of many stars, one of them being actress Lena Headey. Headey played the role of the villainous Cersei Lannister and made about $1 million per episode for her work.

Jennifer Aniston (again!)

Jennifer Aniston has been making hefty bank deposits since her days as a Friends castmember. She used to make about $1 million per episode during the final season, which was unheard of in the 1990s. Rachel Green might have been broke, but Jen sure wasn't!

Lisa Kudrow

Phoebe from ‘Friends’ was a friend everyone wanted to have, so it makes sense that Lisa Kudrow would be paid well for her performance. Lisa was earning $1 million per episode just like the rest of her accomplished costars. By the end of this iconic series, every cast member was really rolling in the dough. 

Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel made waves as Jessica Day from the hit sitcom New Girl. Starring alongside Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, and Max Greenfield, this cast jumped off the screen. With each episode that Zooey filmed,  $125,000 went into her bank account. As the theme song says, "Who's that girl?" She's rich!

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester was one of the most hilarious and sinister TV villains of all time.  On Glee, she played the arch-nemesis of the singing teens and head coach of the cheer squad. Jane Lynch became a fan favorite, which earned her $1.6 million for a single season. Who won this round, Jane?

Cobie Smulders

The sitcom How I Met Your Mother was the talk of the TV in 2005. Cobie Smulders was one of the standout actresses from the show, thanks to her portrayal of BFF Robin, who had a tumultuous love life with many other characters. Being unlucky in love on cable earned Cobie $225,000 per episode.

Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan played the part of Lilly on How I Met Your Mother, opposite of Jason Segal's portrayal of Marshall. their idyllic marriage made fans swoon (and then cry) over and over again. Their supportive romance stood the test of time though, and Hannigan walked away from the show with $225,000 per episode.

Anna Paquin 

Anna Paquin knows the highlights of fame thanks to her performance on the fantasy horror show ‘True Blood.’ She played a character named Sookie in a town overrun with the undead. Who wouldn't date a vampire or fight one off themselves for a chance at a check worth $275,000 per episode? 

Amy Poehler

‘Parks and Recreation’ might be one of the most hilarious and beloved shows to hit screens in a long time. Amy Poehler played the part of Leslie Knope, the star of the show and head of the Parks department in an Indiana town. Amy took home $200,000 per episode, a little higher than a real Parks and Recreation employee ever would.

Patricia Heaton

‘The Middle’ was a long running show, coming in at nine seasons of nonstop comedy. Patricia Heaton played the role of Frankie Heck, an overworked and underappreciated mother to three kids and a doofus dad. Patricia earned $235,000 per episode of playing someone a little down on their luck. 

Emily Deschanel

No one could perform on the series ‘Bones’ as well as starlet Emily Deschanel. After running for 12 seasons and 246 episodes, Emily knew it was time to call it off. Emily got a whopping $250,000 per episode, which adds up to about $5.5 million a year. That's a mystery that's pretty easy to solve!

Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh played the character of Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy during the first ten seasons of the series. On the show, she made her way up the ranks to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. Cristina moved to Switzerland and Sandra moved to LA thanks to $350,000 per episode.

Winona Ryder

The Netflix series Stanger Things took over the world as well as restarted the career of one Winona Ryder. Winona is well paid for her return to the limelight after decades of hiatus. Allegedly, Winona took home $100,000 per episode in the first season of the show and $350,000 per episode in the following seasons.

Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown plays the leading lady (or alien?) of ‘Stranger Things,' as a little girl named Eleven. Though the other kids on the show earned $20,000 during the first season, Millie is a little more vital to the plot and established as an actress. She gets paid $350,000 per episode these days. 

Teri Hatcher

Desperate Housewives was one of the top-performing series at the time of its release. Teri Hatcher was one of several esteemed actresses on the show. Hatcher played the part of Susan Delfino during each of the eight seasons. Her performance earned her $325,000 per episode by the last year of the show.

Felicity Huffman

Lynette Scavo from Desperate Housewives was played by this blonde beauty. The creator of the series, Marc Cherry, had a personal connection to the character as he had based Lynette’s family on his own upbringing. The responsibility meant a budget of $325,000 per episode in the eighth season for Felicity.

Laura Linney

Ozark became a huge hit seemingly overnight. The Netflix crime drama was given a huge budget, and a portion of that money went into the pockets of Wendy, who is the wife and the mother of the family from the show. Laura played the part so perfectly that she got herself a check worth $300,000 for every episode she shoots!

Elizabeth Moss

The bestselling novel by Margaret Atwood known as ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ became equally popular as a miniseries. In another world, women are servants to men and children. Elisabeth Moss takes on the role of June Osborne (also known as Ofjoseph). She earned $200,000 per episode for her riveting depiction of life in this society. 

Caitriona Balfe

Claire Fraser is one of the many beloved faces in Outlander, a show about time travels and the perils that come with it. Caitriona Balfe earns $100,000 per episode for her time as Claire. Claire is a time-traveling nurse who must find a way to get back to the time where she belongs if she can figure that out in time...

Mandy Moore

This Is Us first aired in 2016 and quickly became a favorite for fans and critics alike. It's been nominated for several unique awards thanks to riveting performances from the likes of Mandy Moore, who plays Rebecca Pearson. Mandy has Rebecca to thank for her $85,000 per episode paycheck.

Debra Messing

Do not mess with Debra Messing. Known for her time on the sitcom Will and Grace, Messing managed to make $250,000 per episode for her portrayal of the titular Grace. The relationship between the two best friends captured the hearts and minds of viewers across the nation, making her an all-time favorite.

Reese Witherspoon (again!)

Reese Witherspoon can do it all and then a little bit more. Starring in the series Big Little Lies,  a group of women who are caught in the middle of a crime. Having been nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards (and winning half of those) means the cast is well compensated. Reese takes home $1 million per episode. 

Angelina Jolie

Although she's been made famous from her big movie roles, it's actually her newest role that's earning her the biggest budget. Jolie’s paycheck comes from her role in The Eternals, the upcoming Marvel movie that has a  budget of a reasonable, not at all insane $200 million. No word on how much of that Jolie keeps for herself though...

Viola Davis

Although she should have been making millions from her very first role, the multitalented Viola Davis earned her money from the hit series How To Get Away With Murder. She also got a pretty penny from playing Ma Rainey in Netflix's Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. She's got cash flowing from everywhere!

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt's A Quiet Place made this character actress one of the biggest stars in 2019. Thanks to a profit of $477 million and a budget of $23.73 million budget, Blunt's paycheck has massively increased. She earned eight figures for the sequel and seven figures for the upcoming film The Jungle Cruise.

Meryl Streep

Who doesn't love Meryl Streep? This award-winning actress made USD $5 million in just the last year thanks to her HBO comedy film Let Them All Talk. She made some additional cash on the side from her performances in Little Women as well as The Prom, where she alongside James Corden and Nicole Kidman.

Melissa McCarthy

She gets her steady income from the show Little Big Shots, but it was her film career that gave McCarthy a run for her own money. She starred in both Thunderforce and Superintelligence this year. Her upcoming role as Ursula in The Little Mermaid means she'll be rolling in cash by 2021. 

Gal Gadot

This Wonder Woman 1984 actress has a pretty wonderful income. The supermodel turned superhero raked in over USD $20 million for her role in the film Red Notice. How else could she justify buying all those pretty superhero outfits?

Yeardley Smith

You might not know her face, but you certainly know her voice. Yeardley Smith has been a character actress on The Simpsons for her long-running tenure as Lisa Simpson. She has a net worth of $85 million and has earned $7 million per season she's done of the show. Add it up, and you've got one rich voice.

Julie Kavner

Known to be reclusive, this voice actress has more than enough money to hide away from the rest of the world. She has been the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons for several decades. Julie Deborah Kavner has a net worth of $85 million, having earned $7 million per season.

Nancy Cartwright

Nancy Cartwright might be a woman, but she's voiced a smart-mouthed little boy for several decades. Known as being the voice of Bart Simpson from The Simpsons, Nancy Cartwright is an American treasure. The actress has a net worth somewhere around $80 million and earned $7 million per season.

Scarlett Johansson

ScarJo makes quite a pretty penny in the acting world. In 2019, the actress took home $56 million thanks to her role as Catwoman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. She also earned some dough from films like Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, for which she won Best Supporting Actress.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone is another celebrity raking in the cash these days. Following her performances of Spider-Man, La La Land, and more, she's won tons of awards and has earned quite a pretty penny. Get that coin, Emma!