Bradley and Alex at their desk in “The Morning Show” – Apple TV+

“The Morning Show” packs some major firepower cast-wise. Featuring “Friends” legend Jennifer Aniston and film star Reese Witherspoon, it’s one of the more high-profile programs on Apple TV. And it turns out both actresses apparently pull down a hefty chunk of change for participating in the series. It was reported that they each made over $1 million during Season 1, and their salaries had doubled — and then some — by the time Season 4 rolled around. In fact, it cost $50 million just to pay salaries for that show’s cast alone. The series was reported to cost $300 million for just its first two seasons.

The extra money that both actresses earned was likely enhanced by the fact that they both serve as executive producers on the program and allegedly have ownership points, though neither Witherspoon nor Aniston have confirmed the latter. As for the size of both actresses’ salaries, Witherspoon in particular wasn’t afraid to speak her mind regarding how the press treated the revelation that they make a lot of money every time they appear on the show.

Reese Witherspoon defended the size of her salary to the press

Reese Witherspoon on the red carpet – lev radin/Shutterstock

Reese Witherspoon didn’t hold back when asked about her salary for “The Morning Show.” Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said, “There seemed to be a resentment, as if we weren’t worth it or it was bothersome, and I thought, ‘Why is that bothersome?’” She noted that everyone on the business end of the network know what they’re doing when they pay an actress this much cheddar. “I guarantee these companies are real smart, and if they agree to pay us, they’re doing it for a reason. They probably had a lot of lawyers and a lot of business people decide on that number because they knew that they were going to make more than that back. Does it bother people when Kobe Bryant or LeBron James make their contract?”

And it’s not as if the salaries Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston have earned didn’t pay off major dividends for Apple TV+. The show has been nominated for 27 Emmys and won four total. It also did well with viewers. It went from being the second most-watched show on Apple TV+, sitting behind “Ted Lasso,” to its most popular series during Season 3 (which we didn’t enjoy very much). However, other critics disagreed and put it at 75% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. While some fans think it jumped the shark in Season 2, it sounds like both women are definitely more than worth their weight in gold to the streamer.

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