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For the fifth year in a row, Sophia Vergara of Modern Family has secured the place as television’s highest paid actress. And in a refreshing fact, she earns more than her male cast members with an annual salary of $43 million (before management fees and taxes), says Forbes.
Vergara was $20 million ahead of Kaley Cuoco who earned $24.5 million in the last year for her role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory and a long way ahead of Mindy Kaling in third place with $15million. The reason Forbes says Vergara is so far in front is partly due to her many lucrative endorsements outside television, these responsible for a reported 66% spike in her earnings over the past year. This is compared with Cuoco who solely earns her money from TBBT demanding $1 million per episode. Both Cuoco and Vergara negotiated their salaries with their cast members to ensure a narrower pay gap between women and men. Last year, Kaling placed eighth. This is how the top 15 placed:
1. Sofia Vergara — $43 million
2. Kaley Cuoco — $24.5 million
3. Mindy Kaling — $15 million
4. Ellen Pompeo — $14.5 million (tie)
5. Mariska Hargitay — $14.5 million (tie)
6. Kerry Washington — $13.5 million
7. Stana Katic — $12 million
8. Priyanka Chopra — $11 million
9. Julianna Margulies — $10.5 million
10. Julie Bowen — $10 million
11. Pauley Perrette — $9.5 million
12. Patricia Heaton — $8.5 million
13. Emily Deschanel — $7.5 million (tie)
14. Julia Louis-Dreyfus — $7.5 million (tie)
15. Zooey Deschanel — $7 million
