's The Santa Clause co-star David Krumholtz has joined the pulling back the curtain on Hollywood's surprisingly tiny residual checks.
Showbiz
Santa Clause Star Shocks Fans with Huge Residuals
Tim Allen's The Santa Clause co-star David Krumholtz has joined the growing chorus of actors pulling back the curtain on Hollywood's surprisingly tiny residual ...
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The actor, 48, who played fan-favorite head elf Bernard in the beloved 1994 holiday blockbuster, revealed that despite the film's enduring popularity, the payments he receives today are far from magical.
In fact, the star says the movie's status as a staple may actually be part of the problem.
According to Krumholtz, residual payments shrink over time on a sliding scale each time a movie airs - a reality that has left fans stunned, given The Santa Clause remains a fixture of the festive season more than 30 years after its release.
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'They’re minimal because the movie plays so much,' he explained to Page Six. 'This is how residuals work: every time it plays, you make less. It’s a graded scale.'
Krumholtz recalled that when he first started receiving residuals from The Santa Clause, ‘it was good’.
Tim Allen's The Santa Clause co-star David Krumholtz has joined the growing chorus of actors pulling back the curtain on Hollywood's surprisingly tiny residual checks
The actor, 48, who played fan-favorite head elf Bernard in the beloved 1994 holiday blockbuster, revealed that despite the film's enduring popularity, the payments he receives today are far from magical; Above, in March
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Fast forward to today, and he estimates the holiday franchise now brings in a festive '$150 a year.'
As one surprised fan put it simply, ‘Ohh wow!’
, , , and the late .
The cast famously , skyrocketing from $22,500 per episode in the first season to a staggering $1million each by the final two seasons.
They later reunited for a one-off special on Max in 2021, reportedly earning a cool $2.5million apiece for the nostalgic return.
But according to Kudrow, even those astonishing paydays pale in comparison to the steady stream of income the cast continues to receive from the show's global syndication.
Speaking to The Times, the actress, 62, who is currently starring in a new season of The Comeback, revealed the cast still rake in an astonishing $20million a year in residuals.
In the same interview, Kudrow reflected on why the series continues to generate such enormous residual income, suggesting its enduring success is more than justified.
‘After Matthew died I watched the show again. Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better, but for the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was,’ Kudrow explained, referencing the tragic passing of Perry, who died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54 from the acute effects of ketamine.
'Because there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.'
She added, 'I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew – he was just beyond us all.'
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