Salaries of The White Lotus cast revealed

The salaries of The White Lotus cast have been revealed – and it turns out all the stars are paid the same “not negotiable” amount.

The salaries of The White Lotus cast have been revealed – and it turns out all the stars are paid the same amount on the hit HBO series.

Despite the big-name stars on the roster including Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan and even Lalisa Manobal from the global pop band Blackpink, each and every cast member is paid roughly $US40,000 per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In an interview with the masthead, the show’s producer David Bernad revealed that no one star is given preferential treatment on the series, which is currently streaming on BINGE, Foxtel and Max – the new Aussie home of HBO shows. And creator Mike White and Bernad have stuck by this rule since Season 1 in 2021.

The White Lotus cast each reportedly make $US40,000 per episode. Picture: Max

“Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus,” Bernad told THR. “They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons, not to quote The Bachelor.

“It’s a system we developed in the first season because there was no money to make the show.”

THR reports that the show had a budget of less than $US4 million ($6 million) per episode and in the current Season 3, they have up to $US7 million ($11 million) to play with per episode.

“It makes it so much easier,” casting director Meredith Tucker explained of the salary.

“You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it – and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living. Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”

Some of the cast are currently in Sydney to promote season 3: Morgana O'Reilly, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Natasha Rothwell and Leslie Bibb. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Dylan Coker

Bernad stressed that the salary is “not negotiable” – and if it means saying goodbye to a star they had their eye on, so be it.

Sources tell THR that Woody Harrelson was initially considered for the role of Rick Hatchett in Season 3 – a man with a mysterious past who wants to avenge the death of his father.

Harrelson reportedly went all the way to the head of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to see if his salary could be negotiated. But he was met with a flat-out no.

Harrelson still signed on for the role, only to drop out later due to scheduling conflicts.

Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood film in Thailand. Picture: Max

Natasha Rothwell returns for Season 3. Picture: Max

The role of Rick eventually went to Walton Goggins.

It appears Season 3 has experienced some controversy behind the scenes with news that the show’s composer Cristóbal Tapia de Vee has quit, citing creative differences with White.

“I can’t really talk about it,” he told the New York Times this week.

“There was a French movie La Cage Aux Folles. You know how there’s Albin, which is like the star, and there’s Renato, who is the producer who is always taking care that Albin doesn’t lose his mind about something, because Albin is the diva and Renato is the guy who is trying to make everything work. To me, the show felt very much like that.”

Originally published as Salaries of The White Lotus cast revealed