Every actor dreams of landing a recurring role on a hit sitcom, so that one day they may never need to work again. Prestige films might give actors clout, and big lump sums, but nothing stacks up to the lifetime financial security provided by a television show in syndication.
Residuals from reruns can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, but not every television actor gets to sign a contract in the event of syndication. The lucky ones who do still have many factors to contend with, whether its the show’s viewership, ratings, or critics’ reviews.
The following stars have all been the lucky ones, striking it rich with roles on shows that took on lives of their own, becoming television mainstays. From NCIS to NBC’s Friends, shows across all genres have become big cash cows for their stars.