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Do you ever think about how much money celebrities make… and then wonder if they actually make enough? Pete Davidson’s recent comments aboutSaturday Night Live(SNL) cast salaries have the internet doing some serious math. During a video interview with New York Magazine, he joked about the paychecks ofSNL’s rookie cast members. And it turns out they earn about $3,000 per episode in their initial year.
Can you imagine scraping by on that in New York City? Davidson’s joke quickly turned into a question of whether theSNL cast couldactually survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Let’s be real here: New York City isn’t exactly a budget-friendly paradise, even for people who’ve made a name for themselves on prime-time television. So, is Davidson suggesting that after months of late-night rehearsals and skits that left audiences laughing until they cried,SNLcast members were barely getting by?
Pete Davidson’sSNLSalary Reality: When $3K an Episode Doesn’t Cut It in NYC?
Well, it looks likePete Davidsonisn’t exactly throwing back champagne and caviar on hisSaturday Night Livepaycheck. In fact, when asked about his first splurge after earning his initialSNLpaycheck, he had a pretty humble answer (viaNew York Magazine):
My biggest indulgence after my first ‘SNL’ paycheck? Do you guys know what they pay us? It’s like three grand an episode. I think I got dinner.
We’re talking about stars like Davidson andColin Jost, who’s married to Scarlett Johansson. If Davidson’s comments are to be believed, these stars may need to rethink their real estate strategy. Because when it comes to living the dream in the Big Apple, $3,000 per episode won’t exactly land you a penthouse with a view.
Three grand an episode in New York City—where a standard rent could run you the same amount for a month. So, how did comedy stars like Davidson, Jost, and others survive (and thrive?) in one of the world’s priciest cities on just $3,000 an episode?
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That’s not exactly enough to cover rent, let alone throw a lavish dinner party for your pals. Davidson’s comments sent the internet into a frenzy, with a lot of people scratching their heads. How could they possibly afford a luxury apartment in New York, which is known to swallow paychecks like a hungry lion?
Let’s read a few comments:
How do the cast members afford to live in NYC on that?pic.twitter.com/yov85i8SGV
😬whaaaa?! Tv paid Charlie Sheen $1.8 million per episode for his show. I don’t understannnn😭
Work all week, make 3k. That’s just your rent at a quaint lil spot. Now the other weeks, your checks go to your utilities, insurances and phone bill, subscriptions, food & drink, Uber & taxi rides, n general keepin up w the joneses of “Hollywood”.Essentially, they broke.
For reference, there are about 22 episodes of SNL per season over an ~8 month period. $3K per episode would earn them ~$66K for the season, or an equivalent salary of ~$99K per year. Assuming this is gross earnings and they earn about the same rate the rest of the year, this…
so 12,000 a month before taxes 😭😭 and in NY
Jason Sudeikis, anotherSNLalum and star ofTed Lasso, backed this up with his own experience:
I mean, you don’t make enough money to make big purchases. So I think New York rent was probably the biggest purchase I made after writing my first year on ‘SNL’.
Even Sudeikis, one of the most successful comedians to come out of the show, had to prioritize basic necessities like rent over extravagant buys.
Kenan Thompson’s Take on Starting out atSNL
Here’s a little reality check straight from theSNLveterans: fame may come with its perks, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. Just askKenan Thompson, who’s been withSaturday Night Livesince 2003. When it comes to new cast members, he says they’ve got to“pay [their] dues a little bit,”especially when it comes to their paycheck. He said this in a candid conversation at the American Museum of Natural History gala (viaVariety).
Thompson’s comments follow a revelation from his formerSNLco-star, Pete Davidson, who recently spilled the beans on just how much newbies on the show are making.
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Thompson, who’s been with the show for over two decades, didn’t dish out specifics about salaries but did hint thatSNLis more about the job itself than the paycheck.
It’s pretty notorious that it’s more so about having the job than getting paid for the job. You gotta pay your dues a little bit, yeah.
The conversation has sparked quite a few thoughts fromSNLfans and newcomers alike, many of whom were shocked by the starting salary. After all, in a city like New York, where rent can swallow your paycheck in a blink, that $3K per episode doesn’t exactly scream ‘living the dream’.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
