Former Disney star and all-around “it” girl Zendaya is ending Black History Month by making her ancestors proud. The millennial actor has made headlines after negotiating $1 million per episode for her role as Rue Bennett on HBO’s Euphoria.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor is now one of the highest-paid television actors in Hollywood, and one of the youngest (if not the youngest) to work out such a deal.
Other actors who have made this amount lead cast of “Friends” in their final season, the lead cast of “Game of Thrones,” Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon for “Big Little Lies” and Elisabeth Moss on Apple’s “Shining Girls.”
She has not also beat Angela Bassett, who by earning $450,000 per “9-1-1” episode set a record for the highest-earning Black female actor on network television.
The deal makes her the youngest and highest-paid Black female actor on television.
Many people were not happy about this deal. But, Black Twitter had their girl’s back.
“Cast in Friends were paid a million an episode (it was celebrated!!) which would be 1.6mill today but Zendaya does it and makes even less… it’s a problem?! #Euphoria”
Cast in Friends were paid a million an episode (it was celebrated!!) which would be 1.6mill today but Zendaya does it and makes even less… it’s a problem?! #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/xw2ftheANp
— Missy (@Missijusthere) February 28, 2023
“Being mad at Zendaya for getting $1 million per episode is how I know that you all are young. Wait until you find out how much the WHOLE cast was paid per episode in the 90s…”
“If hearing that someone like Zendaya makes $1 million an episode upsets you, don’t tweet about it. Scream into a pillow, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and become the most famous woman on earth.”
If hearing that someone like Zendaya makes $1 million an episode upsets you, don’t tweet about it.
— UnMARKetable Tomato 🍅 (@CheddarOffDead) February 28, 2023
Scream into a pillow, pick yourself up by your boot straps, and become the most famous woman on earth.
Shout out to Zendaya! We knew you were gonna be big back when you were Rocky on “Good Luck Charlie!”