12 Celebrities Who Said They Never Got Residuals From Their Hit TV Shows: From Jodie Sweetin to David Krumholtz and More

After starring on Breaking Bad for five seasons, Aaron Paul revealed he never received residual payments from Netflix, which was "insane to [him]."

"Shows live forever on these streamers and it goes through waves," he told Entertainment Tonight Canada. "And I just saw the other day that Breaking Bad was trending on Netflix, and it's just such common sense, and I think a lot of these streamers, they know they have been getting away with not paying people just fair wage and now it's time to pony up, and that's just one of the things we're fighting for."

While on "The McBride Rewind," Andrew Keegan confirmed he got a residual check for just one cent.

"I think it's really funny because I'll get different shows obviously, but I'll get one cent checks and it costs like 40 cents to send," he said. "One cent is not worth my time."

On the other hand, he shared his biggest earnings come from 10 Things I Hate About You, which was released in 1999.

Sharing his experience with residual checks, David Krumholtz told Page Six he collects "minimal" earnings from The Santa Clause over three decades after its 1994 release.

"This is how residuals work: every time it plays, you make less. It's a grade scale," he explained.

While he initially received "good" residuals, Krumholtz now reportedly receives about "$150 bucks a year" from the holiday film.

Even Drake Bell did not receive a share of the profits when Drake & Josh debuted on Netflix in 2023.

"That's the perception of the world — it's always been this way: It's like, you know, 'Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. I saw you on TV, you're rich,'" Bell pointed out on "The Unplanned Podcast." "That's far from the case. And especially — which is the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon — we don't get residuals for our shows."

According to Bell, Nickelodeon stars received only a one-time payment, unlike actors on other networks.

"It's a lot of evil, corrupt people...that is the answer. There's no other answer. Do everything that they do to us mentally and emotionally, and then throw us to the wolves. And we're like, 'Okay, cool. I got rent this month,'" he continued.

Drea de Matteo claimed no one in The Sopranos cast earned any residuals from the HBO hit.

"I didn't spend enough time on the show to really make money," she told Page Six in February 2021.

In a July 2023 TikTok video, Giovonnie Samuels divulged she "never got paid for any residuals for doing All That.

"Now, I'm fighting for residuals," she added. "I don't own a home. I barely own my car, so I don't know what money y'all think I have, but I don't."

Samuels shared a follow-up update, in which she said the public must understand that "not all child stars are rich."

"Not all of us are balling. The leads of the cast, they get the big money checks. The supporting cast, like myself, we don't get that," she shared of her experience with residuals.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Jake Johnson said he and the New Girl cast did not receive streaming residuals.

"We don't get the residuals the way we used to, but there are so many other opportunities now," he clarified. "I feel really kind of mixed. I wish we still got those old checks, but they don't advertise on those shows the way they used to. It's not the clean line that old TV and syndication used to be, and I hope the new deal helps with that."

James Van Der Beek told Today in April 2012 that there was "no residual money" after playing the role of Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek.

"I was 20. It was a bad contract," he said. "I saw almost nothing from that."

Jodie Sweetin was a huge part of the Full House universe — but it didn't translate into residual checks.

"I got a one-cent check the other day. No, there's no syndication anymore because it's all in streaming. Who gets paid for that? Nobody gets paid for that," she revealed during the April 21 episode of the "McBride Rewind" podcast.

According to Sweetin, she received larger residual checks in her 20s, though those payments have since diminished significantly.

Like Bell, Josh Peck did not make money from Drake & Josh reruns despite its continued success.

"It aired from 2004 to 2007, but — fun fact — because kids' TV doesn't have residuals, it's still on every day," he shared on the "BFFs" podcast.

Hart of Dixie actor Scott Porter said he and his costars did not receive meaningful residuals from the hit series.

"That's the other thing — Hart of Dixie had a wide reach internationally because of Netflix, which Friday Night Lights never really did," he told YouTuber Joe Vulpis in August 2025.

In a post on X, Stephen Kramer Glickman said he never received residuals from the hit Nickelodeon sitcom Big Time Rush.

"For those of you trying to understand the SAG strike…here is a little info for you. Big Time Rush played on Netflix for two years and then got moved to Paramount+. Any guesses on how much I was paid by Netflix and Paramount+ in residuals? I'll give you a hint. It's $0," he wrote.