When Game of Thrones, the seriously epic medieval fantasy, took to our screens, we all couldn’t help but watch in awe of the set designs, storytelling, and incredibly acting. Based on George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire, the hit HBO show follows the power struggle amongst families, heroes, and evil men for control over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. While a few of the characters are completely despicable, we all have our favorites — and a few of them may be making more money from the series than you can even imagine.
Here’s who makes the most money, including the astounding amount they’re paid per episode.
There are five lead actors who are paid the highest
Jon Snow walking with Gendry on Game of Thrones | HBO
With such a fantastic group of lead and supporting actors, it’s easy to see why Game of Thrones has a few of the highest-paid actors in the TV business. And instead of just one lead actor who’s paid the most, there are five.
Variety notes that Emilia Clarke, the actress who plays Daenerys Targaryen, is making a hefty sum of money thanks to her repeated appearances on Game of Thrones. Even more impressive is that she’s one of the highest-paid female actresses in the TV business. While Robert de Niro and Mark Harmon are both paid more per episode for other TV series’, she’s tied up in third place with a few of her co-stars.
As for the other four actors making the most money from the show, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister on the show), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister on the show), Kit Harington (Jon Snow on the show), and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) also raked in the same amount of cash.
They’re making more even more per episode going into the final season
Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones | HBO
Variety reported in 2017 that each of these five actors was making $500,000 per episode — but that just covers last year’s figures. Money notes that according to figures given by Express, each of these actors made around $2.5 million per episode in the most recent season. As far as the last and final season is concerned, they’re all slated to make the same amount again.
The Telegraph disputes this number slightly, however. The publication says other news outlets have said these five stars, known as Tier A, are actually earning $1.1 million per episode in the late seasons. Either way, it’s a huge payout.
The plentiful number of viewers who tune into Game of Thrones are seriously helping these stars get paid, too. The sixth season alone had a reported 23 million viewers per episode — a record-breaking amount. As media analyst Mike Raia told Express, “Cable network HBO is breaking the bank to ensure its most successful scripted programme ever goes out with the kind of flourish fans all over the world have come to expect.”
Who has the highest net worth amongst them?
Jaime and Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones | HBO
As far as the celebrity on Game of Thrones with the highest net worth out of the group of the five highest-paid, the answer may surprise you. While many expect Peter Dinklage or Emilia Clarke to take the top spot, it’s actually Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Coster-Waldau is worth $16 million. Dinklage isn’t far behind, however. He reportedly has a net worth of $15 million. And Clarke’s net worth weighs in at $13 million.
As far as how Coster-Waldau has amassed his fortune, he doesn’t make all of his money from Game of Thrones. While this may be his most notable show, he has also starred in New Amsterdam and Virtuality.
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