With reports that the cast of Friends is still making around $20 million per year from the show, more than two decades after the sitcom ended, one might think the actors from other popular TV shows from around that time would also be making bank. One would be wrong. At least according to Jodie Sweetin.
Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner for eight years on the popular sitcom Full House, recently revealed just how little she now receives in royalties from the show.
Despite appearing on the show from 1987 to 1995 and in all 193 episodes, Jodie Sweetin revealed that she recently received a residual check for a penny.
“I got a one cent check the other day,” Sweetin admitted on The McBride Rewind podcast. “No, there’s no syndication anymore, because it’s all on streaming. Who gets paid for that? Nobody gets paid for that.”
Despite appearing on ‘Full House’ for eight years, Jodie Sweetin is far from being set for life
It wasn’t always that way, but unlike the main cast of Friends, Sweetin said the Full House residual money eventually ran out.
“People are like, ‘Oh, but you get the residuals.’ You’re like, ‘Well, maybe like the first like run of syndication when it, you know,’ I mean, sure, in my twenties, there would be money, but not reliable,” Sweetin said. “You don’t know how much it’s going to be or how often they’re going to run the show.
“So, sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh, cool. That was nice.’ And then sometimes you’re like, ‘All right, well, there’s a nice dinner out.’ You just kind of don’t know. So, it’s not something you can rely on.
“Like I always say, people think I live some extravagant life, I’m like, honey, I drive my 2023 used Hyundai Sonata that I love. I rent my house. I have credit cards that are maxed out. I live a normal life,” Sweetin continued. “And yeah, there are moments when you’re like, ‘This is going well.’ And there are times when you’re like, ‘I need a day job.'”