"Raymond" salary wars

EricW · 08-26-2003, 01:34 PM

what do you think of the salary wars going on at Everybody Loves Raymond? for those of you who don't know, Brad Garret is holding out and refusing to report to work because he feels his salary is too low (he's making ~$150,00 per episode). his contract has reportedly been reworked twice in the last 4 years. all the other main players (aside from Romano) are unhappy with their contracts too.

now while i believe people should get as much as they can get - i have no problem at all with Keanu getting $150mill+ (or whatever it was) for Matrix movies or Alex Rodriguez getting $25m per year, but i believe you have to honour your contract. if Garrett is unhappy with his contract, he should be mad at the producers, he should be mad at his agents.

MickeS · 08-26-2003, 02:24 PM

I agree, if the contract says he'll make $150,000, then that's what he should make until the contract expires, unless both parties want to renegotiate.

In these cases it's hard for me to feel sympathetic to eithe rpart. You have a guy who makes more in one season than I'll probably make in my entire lifetime on one side, and a moneyhungry studio who knows they'll earn even more if they keep his contract the way it is on the other.

/Mike

Daniel Kikin · 08-26-2003, 03:15 PM

It's the same thing in sports, people sign contracts and then hold out for more money before the contract expires. It's one thing if the studio offers to renegotiate (in some cases i.e. Alias, that's the smart and right move), but if not, a contract should be honored to the end. Once it expires, that's a different story.

Lew Crippen · 08-26-2003, 03:29 PM

These guys do this because they can. In this case Garret runs the risk that he will be considered to be more of a pain than he is worth and he either gets dropped from the show or sued for breach of contract or both. Naturally he (and his agent) think that he won’t be viewed as too difficult to satisfy and that more salary concessions will be made.

A big difference for fringe TV actors and most of the rest of the working world is that a hit TV series will likely never occur again, so some of them try to maximize their earnings while they can. Also most of these guys are never going to be more than marginally employed in the future, so to be considered a pain is not that big a deal. And if someone really wants you, all is forgiven in any case. Even then there is a risk—look at the thread in movies concerning Deborah Winger who has had her carrear somewhat marginalized just because of rumors of being difficult.

Malcolm R · 08-26-2003, 03:41 PM

I yearn for the days when a contract was a contract and people had enough backbone to fulfill the terms of their agreement without bitching and moaning. If you don't like the salary, don't sign the contract. Period. Once it's executed in writing, shut the hell up and do your job.

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Mikel_Cooperman · 08-26-2003, 07:38 PM

Why, oh why do these Hollywood types, who are making more than I ever will always think that suddenly that they dont have to show up for work anymore because they arent making enough?
The list of celebrities that did this is a mile long. From Farrah To Caruso to Suzanne Sommers...

It all comes down to inflated egos and most learn a Big Huge lesson in the end.

Morgan Jolley · 08-26-2003, 07:51 PM

Keanu actually got $30 million for The Matrix sequels, then gave that to the SFX team so they could finish the films under budget, but got 10% of the overall grosses in return (which means he got a LOT more than $30 million, just not as quickly).

I think more actors should be making contracts that have terms regarding how much they get based on the success of a show. So if a show bombs, they don't get much, but if it becomes a huge success (either ratings-wise or through awards) their salaries increase. They should also understand what a contract means (you sign it, you follow it).

Ricardo C · 08-26-2003, 08:20 PM

While I can understand Garret's issues (even though the man is FAR FAR FUCKING FAR from making little money), the truth of the matter is that he signed a contract. If he wants to re-negotiate, he's free to try, but that doesn't mean he can go on strike.

One sitcom star who REALLY played it smart was Paul Reiser: In the early days of Mad ABout You, when he was the bigger star in the show, he had it included in his contract that he would be paid whatever Helen Hunt made, an idea which paid off VERY handsomely once she became a superstar.

Adam Lenhardt · 08-26-2003, 09:16 PM

Quote:

While I can understand Garret's issues (even though the man is FAR FAR FUCKING FAR from making little money), the truth of the matter is that he signed a contract. If he wants to re-negotiate, he's free to try, but that doesn't mean he can go on strike.

He just did, and has apparently won out with the desired paycheck. However, just because he won the battle, he may have just sacrificed himself for the war. After antics like these, he'll be lucky to be hired again. Especially considering the limited number of roles that are availiable to a man of his larger-than-average stature.

Patrick Sun · 08-26-2003, 10:54 PM

James Gandolfini, anyone?