According to Forbes, Modern Family’s Sofía Vergara is the highest paid actress on television for the seventh year in a row. She’s also the highest paid TV actor, period (regardless of gender), and she has been for a while.
As expected, the cast of The Big Bang Theory dominate both of Forbes’ highest paid actors and actresses lists, but excuse me while I relish in the fact that Vergara pulls in $16 million more than the guy in the No. 2 spot, Jim Parsons of Big Bang and Young Sheldon fame. That’s been a trend for a minute: In 2017, Vergara brought in $41.5 million and Parsons, once again trailing her at No. 2, brought in $27.5 million. In 2016, she made $43 million, and he made $25.5 million. So on and so forth.
This, of course, doesn’t factor in that Vergara’s role on Modern Family has been a caricature of Latina stereotypes (and thus, there’s no real winning in life). Still, it’s notable that, year after year, a Latina has topped the list, especially in an industry where Latina actors get 7 percent of speaking roles for women on television, and that’s somehow a record high.
Here’s a master list of the Highest Paid TV Actors of 2018, compiled from Forbes’ archaically separate lists:
1.) Sofia Vergara, Modern Family – $42.5m
2.) Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory – $26.5m
3.) Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory – $25m
4.) Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory – $24.5m
5.) Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy – $23.5m
5.) Kunal Nayyar, The Big Bang Theory – $23.5
5.) Simon Helberg, The Big Bang Theory – $23.5m
6.) Mark Harmon, NCIS – $19m
7.) Ed O’Neill, Modern Family – $14m
8.) Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family – $13.5m
9.) Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family – $13m
9.) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – $13m
10.) Julie Bowen, Modern Family – $12.5m
11.) Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory – $12m
11.) Melissa Rauch, The Big Bang Theory – $12m
11.) Ty Burrell, Modern Family – $12m
12.) Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead – $11m
12.) Kerry Washington, Scandal – $11m