Brenda Song Says Suite Life Cast Was “Underpaid and Overworked”

Bentley Maddox Wed, November 11, 2026 at 9:01 PM UTC

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Originally appeared on E! Online

Brenda Song’s bank account isn’t as suite as it could be.

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody star reflected on her time on Disney Channel, noting that it felt like she and her costars’ checked in for hard work but checked out with little to show for it.

As Song told her costar Dylan Sprouse on the Nov. 10 episode of his Wildmen podcast, “I look at that time and I was like, we paid them.”

And while the 38-year-old emphasized she had a “lovely time” playing hotel heiress London Tipton from 2005 to 2011 on Suite Life and its spinoff series The Suite Life on Deck, there’s one qualm that is still setting sail.

As she sees it, “The only thing that was hard about that time was I feel like we were underpaid and overworked.”

In fact, Song—mom to kids Dakota, born in 2021, and Carson, born in 2022, with fiancé Macaulay Culkin—is shocked that her time on the show hasn’t put her in the penthouse. Looking back at her years starring alongside Sprouse, his twin brother Cole Sprouse and Ashley Tisdale, the Running Point actress noted, “We basically did and the fact that we shot hundreds of episodes and our kids should be set.”

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For his part, Sprouse agreed.

“If our show existed on any other network television channel at that time, we would have seven generations of children that would not have to worry about what they do,” the 34-year-old—dad to daughter Sylvie, 2 months, with wife Barbara Palvin—said. “The amount of income would be completely different.”

It'S A Laugh Productions/Walt Disney TV/Kobal/Shutterstock

Still, Song is grateful for her time on the Disney Channel, during which she also starred in hit movies like The Ultimate Christmas Present, Get a Clue, Stuck in the Suburbs and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior.

“Disney did give us a platform to be sitting here right now,” she explained. “So it’s very hard to complain about certain things.”

But, Song also added, “I look back on it and I was like oh my goodness we did actually pay them to work.”

E! News has reached out to Disney for comment but has not yet heard back.

Song is not the only star who has candidly detailed their paychecks. For more, keep reading…

Steve-O

TheJackassstar reflected on the "comical" amount of money he was paid for doing death-defying stunts on the MTV series' first season in 2000."When it was all said and done, after taxes, I was paid less than $1,500 for the entire first season ofJackass," the daredevil toldPlayboyin June 2026. "Before the show came out, my sister kicked me out of the house. I was broke, unemployed, and homeless, and a star on this big MTV show."Jennifer Lawrence

Oscar winnerJennifer Lawrencewas paid $25 million to star inAdam McKay’s ensemble disaster comedyDon’t Look Up. But her costar and fellow Oscar winnerLeonardo DiCapriogot $30 million.“Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do,” LawrencetoldVanity Fairfor its’ December 2020/January 2021 issue. “I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal. But in other situations, what I have seen—and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well—is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay. And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”Her sanguine attitude was hard-fought: When the disparity between Lawrence’s compensation and that of her male costars for 2013’sAmerican Hustlewas revealed in the 2014 Sony email hack, it prompted anindustry-wide conversationabout the gender pay gap in Hollywood."I'm so fortunate to have my job. My problem is not money," Lawrence told theU.K.’s Channel 4 News in 2017. "I wasn't upset that I only got this many millions for a movie. That's ridiculous. I was angry aboutthe unfairness and inequality."Lance Bass

The*NSYNCalumrevealed that he and his fellowbandmatesJC Chasez,Joey Fatone,ChrisKirkpatrickandJustinTimberlakedidn't make much money during their years with the group.“We had a per diem: $35 a day,” he revealed onThe Zach Sang Showin 2026. “Our first check was a $10,000 check after years ofNo. 1albums, sellout tours. I don’t know how many millions they made off of merchandise because merchandise was insane.”“And then they finally gave us a check for $10,000,” he recalled. “You’re like, ‘Oh, thanks.’ We should be grateful for that, been working for free for two, three years now.”Jonah Hill

Less comparable to DiCaprio’s salary: The $60,000 “before commissions and taxes” thatJonah Hillwas paid for 2013’sThe Wolf of Wall Street, while the titular wolf made $10 million.“They gave me the lowest amount of money possible,” Hill recalled onThe Howard Stern Showin 2014. But it was the chance to appear in aMartin Scorsesemovie, so theMoneyballalum wanted to get the deal done before anyone could change their mind.“I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for [Scorsese],” explained Hill, who earned his second Best Supporting Actor nomination for his turn as a squirrelly substance-abusing stockbroker. “This isn't what you make money for. You do22 Jump Streetor you do other things, and you can pay your rent. I would have done anything in the world. I would do it again in a second. This isn't about money. You should do things that you care about."Dylan Sprouse & Cole Sprouse

According toDylan Sprouse, his residuals from filmingThe Suite Life of Zack & Codywith twin brotherCole Sprouseis anything but suite."The only residual check I've ever received forThe Suite Lifeat all was a crossover episode withHannah Montanafor five cents," the Disney Channel alum shared during a 2026 episode of hisWildmenpodcast. "In a time where residuals would have been great, not a single paycheck for being arguably one of the most popular shows on television."Jenna Johnson

While there's no cash prize for nabbingDancing With the Stars' mirrorball trophy, “whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then,"Jenna Johnson, who won season 33 with partnerJoey Graziadei, shared. "And you do get a nice bonus.”"If you win," Johnson, who noted pro contracts are dependent on seniority, continued. "it’s not like you get a million dollars. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.” As for those who say farewell to the ballroom early, well, as she explained, "You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks.”According to multiple reports, dancer salaries start at around $1,200 to $1,600 an episode, which can increase to up to of $100,000 per season. (ABC has not confirmed these reports.) On the flip side, celebrities receive a starting salary of $125,000. As they cha-cha further into the competition, stars  receive additional bonuses with the semifinalists and finalists getting paid up to $50,000 extra.Lisa Kudrow

The actress seemingly confirmed that theFriendscast—includingJennifer Aniston,Courtney Cox,David SchwimmerandMatt LeBlanc—get $20 million in residuals per year from the show re-airing, quipping toThe Timesin April 2026 that if she had to guess why, it's “Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?"But in actuality, she praised the talents of her costars for their performances.“I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing,” she raved. “David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And thenMatthew[Perry]—he was just beyond us all.”Joe Giudice

To hearJoe Giudicetell it, his and ex-wifeTeresa Giudice's salary for season one ofThe Real Housewives of New Jerseywas nothing to flip over. "We got paid nothing the first season," he detailed on daughterGia Giudice'sCasual Chaospodcast in August 2025. "I'll even say, it was like $25,000. It was ridiculous. But, whatever."And theingredientsesthey put into that initial fame-making season weren't cheap. "I think the first year we had that big party in my great room," the father of four reflected. "I think that show cost me $150,000 the first year."Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfreyhappily accepted only a little bit of green to star in 1985’sThe Color Purple.“They were only offering $35,000 to be in this film, and it is the best $35,000 I ever earned,” the billionaire media mogultoldEssencein 2023. “It changed everything and taught me so much.”Melanie Lynskey

The actressrevealedthat she made about $20,000 per episode ofTwo and a Half Menwith a 5 percent raise each season, making about $43,000 for one episode in the final season.Jennifer Lopez

When she scored the role of late Tejana singerSelena Quintanillain the 1997 biopicSelena,Jennifer Lopezbecame the first Latina actress to earn $1 million for a film.“I was too young and didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Lopez toldVarietyin 2019, reflecting on her breakout movie. “It was great they offered me a million dollars. I feel like everyone was making a statement.”And it paved the way for her to make hundreds of millions more, though sometimes her participation doesn’t cost a thing.“I do things because I love them,” Lopez explained toGQin 2019. “I didn't get paid a whole bunch of money forHustlers. I did it for free and produced it. I bank on myself, you know? LikeJenny From the Block—I do what I love."Adrien Brody

Adrien Brodydidn’t doThe Brutalistfor the money. Rather, he took on the role of a Hungarian architect suffering for his art in post-WWII America for $250,000 and won his second Oscar for Best Actor.“I need a studio movie now, because I’ve poured it all into this,” Brody quipped toVariety, referring to the “barn that looks like a castle” he’s renovating in upstate New York.Pete Davidson

“Do you guys know what they pay us?”Pete DavidsoncrackedtoNew Yorkmagazine when asked ahead ofSaturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special how he spent his money when he was first hired at the age of 20 in 2014. “It’s like three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner.”Interestingly, the salaries have remained proportional forSNLnewcomers, with season one starsJohn Belushi,Jane Curtin,Gilda Radner,Dan AykroydandChevy Chasereportedly earning $750 an episode back in 1975. Which was roughly equivalent to $3,300 in 2014, according to the Consumer Price Index Inflationcalculator. (Though the $750 of 1975 is $4,428 in 2025.)Kenan Thompson

WhileKenan Thompsonmakes alotmore than $3,000 per episode ofSNLnow that he’s in his record 22nd season, the former Nickelodeon star had to start somewhere.“That first commercial when they paid me, it was $800,” theAll Thatalum revealed inDemi Lovato‘s 2024 documentaryChild Star. “I was 12 so that may as well have been a million dollars."Lauren Graham

It turns outGilmore Girls’ status as a beloved rewatchable classic isliterally priceless.“There really are no residuals on Netflix,”Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore for seven seasons and then reprised the role for 2016’sGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, said onJimmy Kimmel Livein March 2025. “But I’ve been paid in love and appreciation.”Tommy Dorfman

Feeling not so appreciated,Tommy Dorfmangot specific about her13 Reasons Whypaycheckduring the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike—which was prompted in part (as was the WGA strike) by streamers like Netflix not making it a practice to pay additional compensation to cast and crew once a show had become a big hit."my earnings for the entire first season of13 reasons whywere $29,953.24 prior to agency and manager fees (20%) and taxes," Dorfman wrote onThreadsJuly 24. "8 episodes over six months." She continued, “i did all of the promo and had KEY ART for this show, flew round trip from NYC to SF to shoot for every episode, was kept for days without pay/working. i barely qualified for insurance."And, Dorfman added, “within the first 28 days of release, the show's season 1 garnered a total of 476 million view hours. this is why we strike."Dax Shepard

Without naming names or numbers,Dax Shepardtold fellowParenthoodalum Lauren Graham when she appeared on his podcast thathe knew he made “among the lowest of all the actors”on their NBC drama, which ran for six seasons.But, theArmchair Experthost stressed that he didnotmind.“Every job I had ever had in my life prior toParenthood, I made a point to find out what everyone was making,” he said. “I'd always figure it out—either a conversation where I get it out of them or I backchannel through an agent."So he made a point to purposelynotseek out such info about hisParenthoodfamily, which helped with enjoying the experience even when hedidget an inkling of where he was on the pay pyramid.George Clooney

“I got a dollar for writing the script,”George Clooneytold theLos Angeles Timesin 2005 about the financial strings he pulled to get his filmGood Night, and Good Luckmade. “I had to endorse my check for directing and turn in my acting salary. [Actor, cowriter and coproducerGrant Heslov] and I each made a buck for doing it.”His labor of love about CBS News journalistEdward R. Murrowspeaking truth to power in the 1950s had legs, though: Making his Broadway debut, Clooney wrapped his months-long stint playing Murrow in a stage adaptation of the film  in June 2025. And with the play having grossed a Broadway record (for a nonmusical) $3.3 million during a preview weekbeforeit officially opened April 3, he made a lot more than $1.Christian Bale

For his chilling turn as Patrick Bateman in 2000’sAmerican Psycho,Christian Balewas paid “the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me” because no one in the production really wanted to hire him except directorMary Harron, the Welsh actor toldGQin 2022.He made so little, Bale shared, that he remembered “sitting in the makeup trailer and the makeup artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them.”Emilia Clarke

No, theGame of Thronescastdidn't get paid $300,000 per episode, according toEmilia Clarke.“We didn’t earn that much," she toldVarietyin 2026. "Can you imagine? I’d have been driving a couple of Porsches!"However, the actress—who played Daenerys Targaryen for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019—noted that the money she made throughout the HBO show did provide her with enough financial security to pay off her parents’ mortgage.Jon Heder

His uncle may have been Rico, but Jon Heder confirmed in 2010 that he was “initially” only paid $1,000 forNapoleon Dynamite.After the irreverent comedy became a sleeper hit, he was able to renegotiate for a piece of the profits, telling theNew Zealand Herald, “They went a little bit higher.”Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsousaid he’s“definitely underpaid” in Hollywooddespite his prestigious list of credits, includingAmistadandBlood Diamond."I've been in this business and making films now over two decades," the Beninese actor told CNN’sLarry Madowoin January 2025. "And still—with two Oscar nominations and been in many big blockbuster films—and yet I’m still struggling financially to make a living."Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilsondetailed in her 2024 memoirRebel Risingthat she was paid $3,500 to doBridesmaids, “a fee that I then had to pay directly to the Screen Actors Guild to join the union. So really, I got paid nothing.”Still, she wrote, the experience was “everything!”And the Australian actress’ star rose ever a-ca higher, with her fee going from the SAG minimum scale of $65,000 for 2012’sPitch Perfectto $10 million for 2017’sPitch Perfect 3. Wilson wrote that she raked in $20 million total for the threequel,Isn’t It RomanticandThe Hustle, though—reality alert—she “lost almost 50 percent to taxes, 10 percent to agents and 5 percent” to her lawyer. But even after those obligations and paying her publicist, business manager and assistant, Wilson “netted what to me was an absolute fortune.”Ellen Pompeo

In late 2017,Ellen Pompeonegotiated a newGrey’s Anatomycontract for $575,000 per episode, a seven-figure signing bonus and two full backend equity points worth an estimated $6 million to $7 million.“I’m 48 now, so I’ve finally gotten to the place where I’m OK asking for what I deserve, which is something that comes only with age,” Pompeo toldThe Hollywood Reporterin 2018. “Because I’m not the most ‘relevant’ actress out there. I know that’s the industry perception because I’ve been this character for 14 years. But the truth is, anybody can be good on a show season one and two. Can you be good 14 years later? Now, that’s a f--kin’ skill.”Reflecting more recently onhow she always made less than costarPatrick Dempsey, even thoughshewas the Grey in question, Pompeo said she didn’t begrudge him his money.But, she said on a March 2025 episode ofCall Her Daddy, “Just being that I was the namesake of the show, I deserved the same and that was harder to get. I wasn't salty about him getting what he got. I was salty that they didn't value me as much as they valued him and they never will.”

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