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Melanie Lynskey Debunks 'Two and a Half Men' Salary Rumors
· Confirmed
In Short: Melanie Lynskey took to Instagram to debunk rumors that she made millions of dollars per episode on 'Two and a Half Men,' according to Entertainment Weekly and AOL.com.
Melanie Lynskey took to Instagram to debunk rumors that she made millions of dollars per episode on 'Two and a Half Men,' according to Entertainment Weekly and AOL.com. She clarified that she started at $20,000 per episode with a 5% raise each season.
Lynskey noted that she only appeared in 63 out of 262 episodes of the show, and her highest paycheck was $43,000 for one episode in the final season.
Lynskey responded to an Instagram comment claiming she made between $200,000 and $300,000 per episode. She said, 'There is this insane idea that I made millions of dollars and it’s so ridiculous.'
Lynskey's salary transparency comes following her co-star Holland Taylor’s, who recently said that the show 'never paid me very well.' Jon Cryer also revealed that his payday while starring on the show as Alan Harper was 'a third' of co-star Charlie Sheen’s.
Sheen’s own salary for 'Two and a Half Men' was considerably higher, with the actor said to be earning $800,000 per episode during the show’s early seasons – making him one of the highest paid performers on TV at the time. Forbes reported that Sheen made $1.9 million per episode of the show prior to his dismissal in 2011.
As the show progressed, Sheen’s salary increased substantially, with reports suggesting he was earning as much as $1.8 million per episode by the show’s eighth season, on top of syndication fees and additional profits.
Lynskey expressed gratitude for the job, stating, 'I was extremely grateful for the job and for the money, it allowed me to pay my small mortgage and pay bills and be able to work in indie movies and build a career.'
What this adds
Lynskey's comments came after Holland Taylor revealed she was never offered a raise for her role on the show. Taylor's comments prompted Lynskey to address the salary rumors.
Showrunners behind 'Two and a Half Men' and representatives for CBS have yet to respond to Lynskey and Taylor's claims.
Background
Melanie Lynskey took to Instagram to debunk rumors that she made millions of dollars per episode on 'Two and a Half Men,' according to Entertainment Weekly and AOL.com.
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom, created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, that aired for 12 seasons on CBS from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonistic jingle writer, alongside Jon Cryer as his uptight brother Alan, and Angus T.
What's confirmed
- “This is before agents, managers, business [managers’] cuts, and taxes, so you take home around 50% of what you are paid.” The Yellowjackets star clarified that she still feels warmly toward Two and a Half Men.
- Lynskey explained that she “started at $20,000 with I believe a 5% raise each season,” but noted that “more than half of the episodes I did were in the first two seasons” of the show.
- Melanie Lynskey responded to an Instagram comment claiming she made between $200,000 and $300,000 per episode of Two and a Half Men.
- Forbes reported that Sheen made $1.9 million per episode of Two and a Half Men, prior to his dismissal from the show in 2011.
- The Last of Us actress’ comment came beneath a video of fellow Two and a Half Men actor Holland Taylor telling the Alchemy With Anthony Mason podcast, “They never paid me very well on that show.” Lynskey said, “If Holland’s talking about it I’ll talk about it too.” In a 2025 documentary about Sheen, series colead Jon Cryer said that he made one-third of the Wall Street actor’s salary.
- “I was extremely grateful for the job and for the money, it allowed me to pay my small mortgage and pay bills and be able to work in indie movies and build a career,” Lynskey said.
- The star, whose longtime partner is Sarah Paulson, explained, 'I was paid on that show what I had made on a series like eight years before or something.' The 49-year-old actress found herself in the comments section of a clip featuring 83-year-old Taylor revealing that she was never offered a raise for her role on the show during an appearance on the podcast Alchemy with Anthony Mason Lynskey replied to the comment by clarifying the 'insane' rumors about her salary She finished off her comment with expressing that she was grateful for the job, but called rumors that she had made millions from the show absurd (Above with Sheen on Two and a Half Men) I'm Andrew Court, LA Showbiz Editor and celebrity connoisseur.
- Melanie Lynskey is setting the record straight about her Two and a Half Men payday.
- Melanie Lynskey has rubbished the "insane" idea she made "millions of dollars" from Two And A Half Men.
What's still developing
- TV, which produced Two and a Half Men, as well as representatives for CBS, which aired the show.
- New Zealand actress and our soon-to-be on-screen Erin Patterson, Melanie Lynskey, has quashed “insane” rumours surrounding her pay on Two and a Half Men, revealing her salary.
- Showrunners behind the sitcom — which ran for 12 seasons — have yet to respond to Lynskey and Taylor's claims.
- The Daily Mail reported that Lynskey left producers 'astonished' when she decided not to renew her contract in 2009.