Sex and the City Cast Salaries: Why Was Sara Jessica Parker Paid SO Much More?
Sometimes TV friendships are not what they really are on set. That's exactly the case with the main characters of Sex and the City. Apparently, money was the reason for the feud.
Sarah Jessica Parker's portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City not only made her a pop culture icon, but also secured her the title of the highest-paid TV actor per episode. This distinction was achieved through strategic negotiations and her pivotal role in the series.
Sara Jessica Parker Made Sure She Goes Away With Money
In 2001, prior to the show's fourth season, Parker renegotiated her contract, securing a per-episode salary of $3.2 million and a producer's credit, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This deal resulted in earnings of approximately $147 million over the last three seasons.
Adjusted for inflation, this equates to approximately $182 million for those seasons alone. Including her earnings from the two movies and the 2021 revival, Parker's total earnings from the franchise are approximately $242 million.
The Rest of the Cast Was Left to Survive
In contrast, her co-stars earned significantly less.
Kristin Davis, who played Charlotte York, earned $350,000 per episode by the fifth season. For the first feature film, Davis received $3 million, while Parker earned $13 million. In the sequel, Davis' salary increased to $4 million, still far below Parker's earnings.
Cynthia Nixon, known for her role as Miranda Hobbes, reportedly had a per-episode salary of $1 million for the final seasons, and she earned $3 million for the first film and $4 million for the sequel.
At the height of the show's success, Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, earned $350,000 per episode. That was a third of the $1 million per episode that Sarah Jessica Parker was making at the time, which will soon change to an even bigger figure.
The actress also earned $7 million for the first film and $10 million for the sequel. However, she decided not to take part in the reboot series, And Just Like That, reportedly due to conflicts with Parker that also involved financial inequity.
