Veteran actress Holland Taylor has opened up about her departure from a full-time contract on the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, revealing that she chose to let her agreement lapse after Season 6 because she no longer wanted to be tied down by a long-term deal and faced a stalemate over compensation.
Best known for playing Evelyn Harper, the overbearing mother to characters played by Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, Taylor recently discussed her exit on the Alchemy with Anthony Mason podcast.
Reflecting on the conclusion of her initial six-year contract, Taylor explained, “When the six years were up, I said, ‘I don’t want to be on a contract anymore, but I will visit the show occasionally if you want,’” she was quoted as saying by Deadline.
Despite her four Emmy nominations for the role, Taylor noted that the network’s financial offers did not reflect her contributions or the show’s massive financial success, which famously saw star Charlie Sheen pull in a reported $1.8 million (Dh6.61 million approximately) per episode during his tenure.
“In fact, they were astonished because when your contract runs out is when people usually back up the Brink’s truck,” Taylor recalled, adding, “And they never paid me very well on that show. I was paid on that show what I had made on a series like eight years before or something,” she was quoted as saying by Deadline.
Standing her ground
When negotiations stalled over pay increases, Taylor stood her ground. “They said, ‘We can’t pay you any more money.’ First of all, I said, ‘You could actually pay me the cost of this building, but don’t bother because I don’t want to continue on under contract.'”
While others on the series secured substantial salary bumps, noting that co-star Jon Cryer “quadrupled his salary or something like that”, Taylor ultimately opted for the freedom of guest appearances rather than extending her full-time commitment.
“I loved a lot about that show,” she said. “But they were not full of courtesies.”
Source: Khaleej Times