Jerry Seinfeld made history in 1997, when he was the first television actor to negotiate $1 million per episode (per The New York Times) for playing a fictionalized version of himself in his self-titled sitcom, "Seinfeld." This is probably where the cast of "Friends" came up with their number, but Seinfeld negotiated individually and his supporting cast, while still making a pretty penny, didn't break the $1 million dollar mark per episode.
Warren Littlefield, the former President of Entertainment at NBC, told Fox News that when Seinfeld was ready to end the show, "We offered him $5 million an episode. We didn't mess around. What we put on the table was unheard of. We went in there with a staggering sum and there was tremendous confidence that no one could walk away from it." Seinfeld turned down over $100 million to do another season of "Seinfeld." If the comic had taken the offer, it would have been and still would be, the highest-paid role in television history.
In 2018, The New York Times asked Seinfeld if he ever regrets turning down the most lucrative deal in television history. He responded, "No. It was the perfect moment, and the proof that it was the right moment is the number of questions you're still asking me about it." Despite walking away from the series, Seinfeld still makes money hand over fist in streaming and syndication, making Seinfeld one of the most expensive roles in TV history.
