Jodie Sweetin recently got a stark reminder of how much television fame pays in the modern era. The former Full House star revealed that she received a residual payment of exactly $0.01 for her work on the beloved 1980s sitcom.
A Penny for Her Work
Speaking on the McBride Rewind podcast, Sweetin, now 44, shared the surprising news. She played Stephanie Tanner for all eight seasons from 1987 to 1995, starting when she was just five years old. She later returned for the Netflix revival Fuller House from 2016 to 2020.
“I got a one-cent check the other day,” she said. “There’s no syndication anymore because it’s all in streaming. Who gets paid for that? Nobody gets paid for that.”
How Residuals Used to Work
Sweetin explained that when she was in her 20s, there was still some money coming in from reruns, but it was never steady. Payments depended on how often the show aired, and there was no way to predict the amount.
“Sure, in my 20s, there would be money, but not reliable,” she said. “You don’t know how much it’s going to be or how often they’re going to run the show.”
The Shift to Streaming
In the past, actors could count on solid payouts from cable reruns, syndication deals, and DVD sales. Now, with shows living mostly on streaming platforms, those residuals have shrunk dramatically. Sweetin keeps a sense of humor about it, noting that sometimes the payments are a nice surprise, and other times they barely cover a meal.
“Sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh, cool. That was nice.’ And then sometimes you’re like, ‘All right, well, there’s a nice dinner out.'”
Open to Returning
Despite the dwindling paychecks, Sweetin hasn’t ruled out revisiting the role that made her famous. She said she would happily return, even if it’s decades down the line.
“I will never say never to anything,” she said. She joked that a future reboot might feature an aging cast needing care from the next generation, adding she’d still be on board if it meant working with her longtime co-stars again.
“I mean, we always joke that it’ll be, you know, Fuller Fullest House and we’ll just be ancient and the kids will be wiping our asses,” Sweetin said with a laugh.
Contrast with Friends
The cast of Friends, meanwhile, continues to earn massive residuals more than 20 years after the show ended. The core cast still pulls in about $20 million annually. Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, recently reflected on the show’s success after the death of co-star Matthew Perry.
“After Matthew died, I watched the show again,” she said. “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.”
She praised her castmates, calling Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox “amazing,” and said Perry “was just beyond (them) all.”
