I mean they’re not all super rich but especially in the USA and especially with actors or TV personalities it seems like the well known ones make huge amounts of money. Just picking people at random and doing some searching online, apparently Scott Bakula got paid $120,000 for each episode of NCIS: New Orleans he was in which totalled over $18 million. Some sources say that Sarah Sherman, who’s been on SNL for 3 seasons, is worth around $4 million. Why do they get paid huge amounts of money when most people, even if they’re at the top of their industry, make a fraction of that?
Most are not.
This is IMO the most awful stuff in these economy,
You have a couple of actors/singers who earn insane amount of money.
Then you have a large chunk who by mixing teaching, local theatre/bars, and some extra, get from a living wage, to a well-paid job.
And finally you have a majority who struggle.
All of that mostly based on being at the right place at the right time, and having the right friends
Well known entertainers lose all their privacy. I find that terrifying - it’s not just normal fans and being recognised everywhere they go - they attract wierdos, sometimes unsettling ones, sometimes dangerous ones. It’s ok to have a compensation high enough to be able to afford all the necessary safety measures for both themselves and their famillies.
Can confirm from experience. I’m a freelance performance artist. Typical community shows pay maybe $100-200, festivals can pay $1-2k but are harder to get and fuck you over in other ways. The real money is in corporate gigs and weddings, but those kill your spirit.