Ray Romano, star of the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, is reportedly still earning around $18 million a year from syndication and streaming residuals, nearly 20 years after the show ended. The series, which aired from 1996 to 2005, continues to generate revenue through platforms such as Paramount+ and Peacock.
According to reports from Forbes and Vanity Fair, the 68-year-old actor's ongoing earnings have shocked fans online, with many joking that he 'never has to work again'. At the height of the show's success, Romano secured a $40 million deal, making him the highest-paid TV actor in history at the time, earning close to $2 million per episode in the final season.
The pay disparity reportedly caused tensions behind the scenes, particularly with co-star Brad Garrett, who played Ray's brother Robert. Garrett threatened to leave the show after learning how much more Romano was earning. Other cast members, including Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle, supported Garrett during negotiations, leading CBS to renegotiate contracts tied to syndication profits.
Romano is now believed to be worth around $200 million, largely from reruns and backend profits. Earlier this year, Lisa Kudrow revealed that the cast of Friends also continues to earn around $20 million annually from residuals, highlighting the lucrative nature of successful sitcoms in syndication.
