Oscar-winning actress, Angela Bassett, made headlines for her victory in negotiating a more than well deserved $450,000 per episode salary for hit show 9-1-1 on Fox. Although this alone is reason to celebrate, this ranks Ms. Bassett as one of, if not, the highest paid actress of color on a broad-casted drama series. Other big-screen drama series names, like Kerry Washington reportedly started Scandal at $80,000 per episode and ended with $250,000 per episode. Viola Davis’s break with How to Get Away With Murder also gave her a whopping $250,000 per episode.
Ms. Angela Bassett has made a huge step forward. Not only was she able to negotiate higher pay for herself but also lead stars of the spin-off show 9-1-1: Lone Star, in which she is an executive producer. A speculated 25% pay increase each went to the main cast which includes Peter Krause, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rockmond Dunbar, and Aisha Hinds. To have received a 25% pay increase each is projected to be somewhere near $100,000 per episode each. Talk about a team leader!
While spectators graciously applaud, some cannot help but acknowledge “well-overdue” as an alarming understatement here. With other names like Kaey Cuoco who reportedly made about $900,000 per episode for the Big Bang Theory final season and Sophia Vergara making $500,000 per episode by the end of Modern Family, it seems pretty evident Angela Bassett is not receiving everything she deserves. Her new salary encompasses her roles of both starring in 9-1-1 and her duties as executive producer on spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star. Ms. Bassett’s win illuminates the steps made so far in the fight for equity and equality for actresses of color. However the conversation still continues, there is still more progress to be made.
Kaey Cuoco (left) and Sophia Vergara (right)
All of this surfacing after the racially charged summer of 2020 and the Black Lives Matter Movement, the wonderful Ms. Angela Bassett hopes to be the example that is very much needed in today’s society. Taking on the role of a leader and fighter on and off camera, Ms. Angela Bassett has proven again that staying true to one’s self and standing on that, pays off. We are definitely looking forward to seeing more of her thrilling work continued in the new upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie to be released winter of 2022.
