When you hear about the massive paychecks that actors rake in on the small screen, you have to wonder why they would even think of stepping foot on a movie set. Stars are pulling in tens of millions of dollars a year for their work on the top-rated network and cable dramas. Forbes puts together an annual list to keep track of just how much everybody's earning. This year, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara tops the list for the fifth year in a row — by a lot.
First off, the 44-year-old is not just the highest paid woman on TV — with her $43 million haul last year, she's the highest paid actor on TV, period. (Forbes hasn't yet released its list of the most lucrative actors on TV, but the mag does note that Vergara beat them all.) Equally impressive is the massive margin by which Vergara won. The second biggest earner on the list is Kaley Cuoco, star of The Big Bang Theory. She made $24.5 million in the same period. That's an $18.5 million difference.
The other interesting thing is not just how much, but how Vergara makes her cash. While her role as Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family makes her a decent chunk of change, the bulk of her income comes from endorsement and licensing deals, Forbes explains. These include products like Head & Shoulders shampoo, two signature perfumes, and her own line of furniture.
You can read more about Vergara's lucrative career and the rest of the ladies on the list — including Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra — over at Forbes.