It’s about time! In an exclusive with Deadline, The earnings were released for Fox’s drama 9-1-1 and after long negotiations, Angela Bassett is set to really secure the bag.
She negotiated north of $450,000 an episode for the accomplished actress and that means she will be among the top salaries on network television and most definitely the highest ever for any actress of color.
Deadline shared:
For Oscar-nominated Bassett, it encompasses other services beyond acting. She was involved in the development of 9-1-1, whom Ryan Murphy created for her. She serves as an executive producer on 9-1-1 as well as spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star.
The rest of the cast, including original cast members Aisha Hinds, Rockmond Dunbar, Kenneth Choi and Oliver Stark, as well as Ryan Guzman, who joined in Season 2, are believed to be all getting a 25% raise to about $80,000 an episode next season and are projected to go up to $100,000 an episode in Season 6.
In comparison to Kerry Washington who played Olivia Pope, earning $250,000 per episode for scandal and Viola Davis making the exact same amount on HTGWM, this is a win for the culture and an amazing benchmark.
We look forward to seeing more money for accomplished and talented actresses.
