Did Matthew Fox Deserve His Pay Raise???

[Gale243]

Ok, thanks to Abbott for putting up a thread about this, but I went on the internet to see if he got more money and he did!

"ABC have given LOST star Matthew Fox a pay rise. He was getting $150,000 per episode but in a new deal he's getting $225,000 per episode. Matthew is now earning the same amount as the stars on Desperate Housewives. Evageline Lily currently gets $150,000 per episode.

[Him]

The thing is, I don't think many of us are in a position to judge whether he does or doesn't, in the sense that I've no idea what the going rate is. I mean, it sounds terrible at first -- but ABC agreed to it, and the Desperate Housewives actresses already get what he's now getting...

So relatively, maybe.

Objectively, I seriously doubt it.

[Miss Austen]

Whether you like the Jack character or not, I think Matt Fox is a good actor and yes I think he deserves a raise but then I think many of the actors on Lost give fine performances too.
Cheers, MA

[Gale243]

Nope, they still get $80,000 to $90,000. I mean Locke didn't get a raise and he's the reason I watched the darn show in the first place . Not for JACK, I thought he would die the first episode... or maybe I was hoping.

[D-Roc]

Yeah, saw the news the other day.

Well i'll be honest, I think Fox is a damn fine actor - from what I can tell he works his socks off and is very dedicated to Lost and to Jack. If the going rate is 250K (or whatever he snagged) then yes, I feel he does deserve it. The TV industry is paying far less talented actors (i.e. the cast of DH, IMO) far more for far less gruelling work.

Of course the man in the street in me thinks that very few people deserve this sort of money anyways. I mean, i'd work on Lost for free if I had my bills taken care of and could live on a tropical island for 8 months out of the year. So in that respect, it kinda feels odd for me to say he 'deserves' it. I mean, there are nurses and people in other professions who deserve far more..but of course this is not the way that the world works - Entertainment is a big business..it may not save lives, but it sells.

anyway, i've kinda strayed from the point. In terms of the business he's in, yes, he does deserve a pay rise if he was shrewed enough to challenge for it. Should Tel and Emerson be paid more in relation to Fox? Yes, in my opinion they should - they are the ones who are the best actors, heck, they're the ones who actually receive EMMY noms..when was the last time Fox or EL received such an honour??

Again, i'm getting sidetracked

Another point is ABC - now I'd far rather my favourite actors (on LOST, Fox is one of them) be getting that money than those fatcats in suits. Don't get me wrong, i'm sure some of them are decent hard-working folk, but i'd rather give the dosh to the troops out on the field than the suits, so to speak. That said, I'd far sooner more money from the industry getting pumped back into the grass roots - helping to create and foster new opportunities to talented young actors, directors etc. The Internet has already helped these people get a foot in the door, but there's more than can be done to help nurture tomorrows film-makers and actors. By that I mean genuine talent..thought i'd say that before someone uses the EL argument against me!

[Gale243]

Rofl, very well put D-Roc. I never really said he didn't deserve it, but I would've liked to see other characters get more money too for their hard work.

[Toby]

Your lining your pockets
For no other reason
Than to buy up the things
That I gave without reasonable pay...

-Simon Fowler, Lining Your Pockets, 1996.

[freckles08]

I pressed hell no because yes his is a great Actor but there are sooo many unaprecitated actors on lost. Like Emilie de ravin i dont really like Claire but i think she is a really good actress when she has the chance to act!

I think Micheal Emerson should get more and Terry O Quinn and...
Josh Holloway but that one is just me really!

[-x-madegurl-x-]

I do agree that he is one dam fine actor, and yes, I think he does desere his pay rise. Although that said, if he gets the pay rise then I believe some of the other good actors i.e O'Quinn, Emerson and Holloway esp. deserve the same treatment.

[KatesFate]

Matthew Fox does deserve the pay raise because he is a great actor. I cant think of anyone else who could play the role of Jack the way he does. I feel he does deserve to make a bit more than the rest of the cast for the show does seem to be centered around him. However, Terry and Michaels paycheck should be much closer to what Matt is making. The others being paid at 80-90,00 such as Des, Sun, and Sawyer seems quite small now compared to Foxys take home pay and theirs should be upped to 125,000 an epi at least.

But as Roco stated, as a working stiff it is hard to imagine making even 80,000 an episode. Lets face it, how many years would we have to work to bring that home. Maybe one, for most two and for even more 3-4. Scary isnt it? They do about 14 to 15 eps a season right now. You do the math! Okay I will. Thats $1,200,000! Plus perks!

I am a student but I waitress and have for years. That is a job that requires a lot of acting. I must be a very bad actress. lol Teachers, firemen and cops should make as much!

[D-Roc]

Good point, KF, about there being less episodes now and essentially they're having to work less but for more money. I don't doubt that the story is getting even more complicated (from a story-telling perspective) and so that perhaps evens things up, but it is rather interesting to consider their reduced work-periods..which essentially means that they can do more movies and stuff throught the year, which in turn means even more money-making opportunities.

Like most here, I don't really care how much the man earns, as long as it delivers in front of the camera. Has Foxy's acting improved over the years? Has he become a more believeable actor? Why yes, he's prolly the most talked about actor on the show, after Tel and Emmy (that's Emerson btw ), and I rarely fault him for his acting. Whilst there are other actors on the show, as fine as they may be, who deliver on less occassions.

But yeah, take DH out of the equation and I certainly wouldn't champion anyone earning that sort of money..not when there are teachers, nurses, other hard-working people and starving children scraping to..not only earn a living..but to live.

Again, this is nothing to do with Foxy, each of us what prolly ask for the same amount (or our agents would), the problem that I see is the industry itself. The same industry that was, 6 or so months ago, so unwilling to pay it's writers a decent cut from DVD sales. So you can see that the money is not being proportioned fairly. There's just no way in hell that a DH actor should be earning such sums. That said, there are those in the industry who I would advise to cut their cake quick, because I seriously doubt they'll be dining at anymore feasts in 2 or 3 years time

[D-Roc]

Here's a slightly related/unrelated question for y'all - do you think it's right that the actors get paid more than the creators of the show?

[JB Sawyer]

Originally Posted by D-Roc

Here's a slightly related/unrelated question for y'all - do you think it's right that the actors get paid more than the creators of the show?

Nope.

Other actors can be found and actors can be replaced with minimal impact to the product. You can't change the creators.

[D-Roc]

I would agree. It's a shame that the industry doesn't recognise this.