The core cast members of The Big Bang Theory such as Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg have reportedly agreed to take a pay cut so that Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch could get a pay rise.
Back in 2014, the five leads landed a $1 million-per-episode paycheck, but Bialik and Rauch were taking home just $200,000 per episode. This is expected to change in the next two seasons. Bialik and Raunch are still negotiating their contracts for the next two seasons.
According to Variety, the original five stars will make $100,000 less per episode in the next two seasons and that $500,000 would be split between Rauch and Bialik. Their new per episode rate will be around $450,000.
The Big Bang Theory is currently on Season 10 and earlier rumours had hinted at the show taking its final bow after the current season. For his part, executive producer Steve Molaro told Entertainment Weekly after the Season 9 finale that he does have an idea of how the show would end. But he wasn't looking at Season 10 as the series finale. "I have personal thoughts that have been floating around in my head, but we haven't really talked about it," he said. "It always seems like this thing that's off in the distance forever. Until it becomes closer to a reality, I'm not going to think about it all that much, because it makes me sad."
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays on CBS. The next episode is titled The Escape Hatch Identification, but an air date for the episode is yet to be announced.
