Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory" was named the highest paid television actor of 2015. Of the 15 stars on the Forbes list, 11 came from the world of sitcoms. Parsons ranked 9th among TV actors last year.
Parsons lead the pack with an estimated haul of $29 million earned between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015, according to Forbes. The actor signed a new contract for the past season along with co-stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting that netted them $1 million per episode and more than 1 percent of the show's back-end profits, reported Deadline. The actor also appeared in a smash-hit Broadway show and landed an endorsement deal with Intel.
The contract negotiations that helped Parsons grab the top spot also helped co-star Galecki, who came in second place with a reported $27 million. "The Big Bang Theory" actors Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar were also rocked to the top of the list thanks to the new contracts. The two tied for third place with $20 million alongside NCIS star Mark Harmon.
"The Big Bang Theory" was not the only sitcom with multiple actors on the list. Four actors from "Modern Family" also made the list. The leader of the pack was Ty Burrell with $11.5 million, Jesse Tyler Ferguson with $11 million, and Eric Stonestreet and Ed O'Neill, each with $10.5 million, according to IGN.
