Baywatch Cast Reflect on Their Meager Earnings from the Show (Exclusive)

One star recalls being “very wounded” when she learned — years later — that they weren’t all paid the same, as the cast opens up about pay, exposure and whether they ever felt “disposable.”

Baywatch was a worldwide phenomenon in the ’90s, giving its stars massive exposure. However, fame did not necessarily translate into substantial financial gain for everyone involved.

The show originally launched in 1989 but faced cancellation at NBC after just one season. However, it found new life in the first-run syndication market the following year, introducing new cast members but with a significantly smaller budget.

In ABC News Studios’ After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun docuseries, which premiered on Hulu, both Erika Eleniak and Billy Warlock confirmed they had to take pay cuts after the first season. Nicole Eggert claimed they made $3,500 per episode. “I remember freaking out seeing my first paycheck after the taxes were taken out … how am I gonna live on this money?” Eleniak exclaimed in the documentary.

Warlock humorously noted that “there’s not one rich actor on Baywatch,” adding that “everybody was disposable and if you didn’t fit into their brand at the price they were paying you, you were gone.”

Contract Players

Alexandra Paul, David Chokachi, and Erika Eleniak (above, left to right) spoke with TooFab about the documentary, sharing more about the money talks behind the scenes.

“I feel like the experience that you have on the show and working and that you have off the show with fans and people that appreciate you, it’s a world apart, you know?” Eleniak said. “I remember the pay was not good. It was low, low, low pay.”

She added, “I have such a different perspective of the whole thing and such a deeper appreciation for it, really since this documentary. To see that everyone went through similar struggles was eye-opening.”

“I never got paid less than when I was on Baywatch, but I knew that when I went on,” added Paul. “The riches that came from it are so much more than the actual money. I don’t feel like I should have gotten a piece of the pie.”

She continued, “I was an actor, I signed a contract, and I get residuals and I’m grateful for them,” before revealing that she recently learned from Nicole Eggert’s podcast that not everyone was paid equally. This revelation left her feeling “very wounded.”

“When I first went on the show, I was told it was favored nations, meaning all new cast members would get the same pay. But that wasn’t the case,” she said. “Hearing that Nicole got more and was told not to tell anyone was a real wound to me.”

Paul added that while this was a painful realization, she couldn’t complain too much because she had also been paid flat fees and additional fees for publicity in other projects.

Hustling for Screentime

For Chokachi, landing the role of Cody Madison was his first significant Hollywood role. His initial offer was for a 5-year deal, but he was only guaranteed payment for about seven of the 20+ episodes of the first season.

“It was kind of like a probation,” he said. “I had an acting coach I worked with every night, and I went to the gym every night after shooting to ensure I was fit and ready.”

“The more fit you are, the more fans you have, leading to more episodes written for you,” he explained. “Even if you’re not making what Pam and David are making per episode, if you get in more episodes, it adds up. I ended up doing 18 out of 22 my first year.”

However, there came a point when he wondered about a raise. But, because a “very small step up each year” was already in the contract, there wasn’t much he could do. “If you try to renegotiate, they’ll quickly point towards the door,” he added.

Feeling Disposable

With a show featuring numerous new faces throughout its 11-season run, did the stars ever fear being replaced?

“We did the first season at NBC and then the first season of syndication before I left,” said Eleniak. “When we went into syndication, things rapidly changed, and it felt like we were becoming disposable.”

Paul, however, never had that fear. She said she was only told she’d be let go if she didn’t get her own publicist during the show’s fourth season. “I already knew I was gonna leave, so I didn’t get a publicist,” she said.

After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun is streaming now on Hulu.

Source: ABC News, TooFab