“Big Bang Theory” stars top Forbes' list of highest paid TV actors

PanARMENIAN.Net - Forbes has unveiled its annual list of television's highest-paid actors. For the second year in a row, Jim Parsons sits on the top spot, this year with a $25.5 million income earned between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016 which he once again got from his lucrative "The Big Bang Theory" contract, AceShowbiz said.

This is not surprising considering reports that Parsons and his co-star Johnny Galecki earn $1 million per episode each. In fact, "Big Bang" main actors claim the top four spots on the list. Galecki is at No. 2 with $24 million, followed by Simon Helberg at No. 3 with $22.5 million and Kunal Nayyar at No. 4 with $22 million.

While Helberg and Nayyar earn slightly less than Parsons and Galecki, their side projects helped them secure the spots in the top five. Helberg had a role in "Florence Foster Jenkins" starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, while Nayyar is an author of best-selling memoir "Yes, My Accent Is Real".

"Big Bang" lead actress Kaley Cuoco was previously announced as the second highest-paid TV actress with $24.5 million, behind "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara ($43 million).

Back to the highest-paid TV actor list, "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" star Mark Harmon places fifth with another $20 million. His show was the third-most watched television program in the 2015-2016 season, behind the Super Bowl and "The Big Bang Theory".

David Duchovny cracks the list with $10 million, thanks largely to his return as Fox Mulder on "The X-Files" revival. He is tied in the 13th place along with Michael Weatherly, who earned the money from his stint on "NCIS". He recently left the show to headline a new CBS series, "Bull".

Other names in the top 15 include "Modern Family" stars Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill and Eric Stonestreet.