Not long ago, Hollywood figures wouldn't have dared to discuss their salaries, especially not in the press. But lately, stars have been open about what they earn for their acting skills — and it's sparked great conversations about fair pay.
In a recent interview with Wealthsimple, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator and star Rachel Bloom revealed that she earns between $50,000 and $60,000 for her acting in each episode of the CW series.
"I make about $50,000 or $60,000 for acting in an episode before taxes and paying my reps," Bloom explains in the Wealthsimple money diary, as told to Andrew Goldman. "I know it's absurd that I don't know the exact figure, but it's because all of it comes in bulk and goes directly to a business manager."
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It's not clear if Bloom makes more money than that per episode thanks to her creator credit, or if that figure represents her entire salary for the show. Refinery29 has reached out to reps for Bloom and the CW and will update this story if we obtain more information.
Bloom also said that while the show is filming, she doesn't pay as much attention to her earnings, since food is provided on set. Still, she revealed, she sometimes has to pay for hair and makeup for events the CW doesn't pay for — and that can cost as much as $800 per event.
There's also the cost of designer dresses for said events.
"A lot of fashion houses are reluctant to lend clothes that aren't in the sample sizes of 0 and 2, so it's getting harder and harder for me to find clothes without buying them," Bloom revealed to Wealthsimple. "That's the whole problem with the fashion industry: My body size is literally normal and healthy, but when you put me next to a model, I look obese."
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a niche show that's just going into its third season. Still, Bloom's revelations show that despite being a Golden Globe winner, she earns much less for her acting than the stars on TV's most popular shows. Kaley Cuoco, for example earns $900,000 per episode of The Big Bang Theory. (She and TBBT's four leading men originally negotiated for $1 million per episode, but they took a pay cut in solidarity with Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch.)
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You can read Bloom's full money diary — she also discusses growing up "objectively upper middle class" and studying theater at NYU — over at Wealthsimple.
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