Actor Ralph Macchio, the original “Karate Kid”, has earned a salary of $150,000 per episode for season 3 of Cobra Kai, which will be released in 2018. Here’s how it compares to the salaries of other famous actors, who went from unknown to bankable.
‘Cobra Kai’: the millionaire salaries of the actors of the Netflix series
Ralph Macchio has the highest salary in the ‘Karate Kid’ sequel series (but the rest of the actors are not far behind).
The success of Cobra Kai is being one authentic professional resurrection for its most veteran interpreters, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who are becoming idols for new generations again in the shoes of the characters we always remember them for: Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, the young karate apprentices and rivals in the famous 80s film saga Karate Kid.
The excellent reception of the sequel series of the franchise starring Pat Morita, which began as an original production of the YouTube Red platform, nobody expected it, but the revival of teenage dynamics in the setting of the rivalry between two karate dojos has turned out to have the same appeal that the movies once did. Now Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence are the senseis, leading their own karate schools and helping their students deal with the problems of any young person their age. And, although the rivalry between the two was still present in the first season, over time both characters have ended up becoming allies.
Now made into a full-fledged Netflix original series, the hit of Cobra Kai has multiplied. The story has reached new audiences, also as a result of word of mouth, and its future on the platform is guaranteed. They have just released their fourth season, yes, but the fifth installment has already been shot and the team of creators is already working on the scripts for the sixth. Whether or not it will be the last remains to be seen, but the team is determined to continue expanding the universe in new projects for which details are not yet known.
Thus, there is no doubt that Cobra Kai has made Ralph Macchio and William Zabka relive the success that the unforgettable Karate Kid, but it is also being a triumph for them economically. As published by our Brazilian sister website I love Cinema, the leading duo has the highest salaries in the series, of course, and, although they are far from being among the most exorbitant in Hollywood, the truth is that they are quite high numbers.
Ralph Macchio has a millionaire salary (but the rest of the actors are not far behind)
According to data published by Celebrity Networth Which collects I love Cinema, Ralph Macchio and Williams Zabka were paid $100,000 (each) for each episode of the first and second seasons of Cobra Kai. Thus, the total salary per season was 1 million dollars for each one, a figure that probably ended up being much higher, since the two actors are also executive producers of the series.
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We do not know if the salary has increased after seasons, but what the publication does offer is an estimate of the earnings accumulated by the actors -in the interpretive field- throughout the four seasons of production: Macchio would take first place, with $4 million, followed by Zabka, with $3 million. But the young stars of the cast of Cobra Kai They are not far behind either.
The best paid? Xolo Maridueña, who plays Miguel and is ready to play DC’s Blue Beetle, has earned 2 million dollars, while his co-star and fictional partner, Mary Mouser (Sam LaRusso) would also move in the same figures. Interestingly, the same amount as Martin Kove, iconic veteran sensei John Kreese.
How much do actors on television usually earn?
It is not that what the actors of Cobra Kai be little. In fact, it is millionaire figures. But the salary of the cast of the Netflix series is far from being among the highest on television.
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In fact, an example can be found in its platform partner, The Witcher, in which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill charged $400,000 for each episode of the first season and more than a million for each of the eight episodes of the second.
Other names that appear among the best paid on television are Robert Downey Jr. as the protagonist of the new HBO series The Sympathizer, the trio of protagonists of And Just Like That… or the main actors of Succession.
CONCLUSION
Macchio’s agent, requesting a salary increase for his client, has stated that the motion picture industry is a “very competitive business.” He reasoned that while talent fees have been reduced across the board, their client still commands a $1,000 per day fee. His quote continues: “With over 8 million hits on YouTube and social media following growing daily we feel there is no one that can claim this honor at this time except for Ralph Macchio.” He concluded with an invitation to resume talks of an increase in pay for their client.
