Rachel Brosnahan, the lead of Amazon’s breakout comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has renegotiated her deal, landing a big salary increase, Deadline has learned. Deadline hears co-star Tony Shalhoub also has completed his contract renegotiation with Amazon Studios while fellow co-star Alex Borstein is in the final stages of hers.
No one would comment, but Deadline hears that Brosnahan will more than triple her previous salary, making about $300,000 an episode in the upcoming third season. She was lesser known than her co-stars at the outset, and Deadline hears she had to audition for the role, which has since made her a household name (and an “SNL” host). In addition to her salary, Deadline hears Brosnahan is poised to get a piece of the series’ backend, among other things.
Shalhoub was a very accomplished screen and stage actor, a three-time Emmy winner, when he was cast in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” so he started higher on the pay scale. Deadline hears he is getting a significant salary bump to more than $250,000. Borstein is still finalizing her agreement, but Deadline hears she will end up in a similar range.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” has been on a roll since its launch, winning a best comedy series Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Brosnahan has won two Golden Globes, an Emmy and a SAG Award; Shalhoub has earned a SAG Award and an Emmy nomination; Borstein, an Emmy Award and SAG and Golden Globe nominations. Additionally, the trio shared a comedy ensemble SAG Award with the rest of the cast, which also includes Michael Zegen, Kevin Pollak and Marin Hinkle. (The remaining cast members also are believed to be getting salary bumps.)
It was at the SAG Awards last month that Shalhoub referenced the renegotiations in his acceptance speech.
“I want to thank everyone in Amazon, Jen Salke, and especially James Sterling in legal affairs and not just because I’m in the middle of renegotiation,” he quipped on stage while accepting his third SAG Award in the actor in a comedy series category, first for “Mrs. Maisel.” (He previously won twice for “Monk.”)
Salke is the head of Amazon Studios, while Sterling is senior business affairs executive.
It’s been a longtime TV industry tradition for the cast of successful series to renegotiate their contracts and get salary bumps after the first two seasons.
The practice has been employed by the broadcast networks for decades, with NBC’s “This Is Us” as a recent example, and also has been adopted by the streaming platforms, illustrated by the recent salary bumps after Season 2 for the actors of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and “13 Reasons Why.”
Originally picked up with a two-season order, “Mrs. Maisel” was renewed for a third season in May, months ahead of its November premiere.
In addition to their accolades for “Mrs. Maisel,” while on the Amazon show, Shalhoub won a Tony last year for “The Band’s Visit,” and Borstein won an Emmy last year for her voiceover work on Fox’s “Family Guy.”