Inside the Secret Negotiations: The Shocking Truth Behind 'Glee' Salary Talks Revealed - You Won't Believe What Happened!
Glee stars Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz reminisce about their attempts to secure better contracts after the success of their $44 million tour Get an inside look at the cast's salary negotiations and the challenges they faced in this revealing article
(L-R) Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz attend the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Greg Doherty/Getty Images
The Glee cast achieved significant success throughout the show's six seasons. However, some of the stars now express regret for not negotiating higher salaries after the immense financial success of the Glee Live tour. Kevin McHale, 35, shared his recollection of the tour's significance during an episode of the "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast on Monday, October 9. He revealed that at the time, they didn't fully comprehend the tour's potential and simply signed the contract without seeking a better deal.
Ushkowitz, who is 37 years old, mentioned that nobody even considered the idea of not signing the agreement. This was because the majority of the cast members were in their early 20s and struggling financially. She clarified that signing the contract meant committing to a record deal, a tour, and six seasons of the show, among other things.
Following the debut season, the initial ensemble, consisting of Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, and Mark Salling, performed a series of theater shows known as a "pilot program" to prepare for a potential larger tour.
As Glee gained increasing popularity, a second, more extravagant tour was organized in 2011. However, an "amendment" to the cast's contracts was necessary to ensure the group could resume touring and continue filming the Fox show promptly.
“Due to our nine to 10 month shooting schedule, Fox stipulated in our contract that we could go on tour for four weeks,” McHale disclosed. “However, realizing the significant cost involved in organizing a tour, they later determined that we needed to extend our touring period to six weeks in order to recoup the expenses and ultimately turn a profit. Essentially, it was necessary for them to make the effort worthwhile and beneficial for us to embark on these tours.”
During rehearsal, creator Ryan Murphy excitedly informed the 'Glee' cast about the exciting new plans for an international tour. He mentioned that the network was fully on board and saw it as a great opportunity. McHale recounted how they were promised a "private chef" and the luxury of flying on a "private plane" for this tour.
"I wanted to share this information with you beforehand so that you don't perceive us all as spoiled individuals just because a few things didn't work out," McHale revealed. "You still had several months of filming ahead, and I understand that it must have been tiring."
McHale acknowledged that not everyone was enthusiastic about the new plans, as most of them were already drained from filming the show, and the upcoming tour would further encroach on their personal time. To address these concerns, McHale and Ushkowitz extended an invitation to the "original eight members of the glee club" to discuss and negotiate their salaries at their home.
“This is their sole chance to modify the contract, and we could seize this opportunity to request more," he reminisced. "The tour dates have been unveiled, alongside the ticket prices."
McHale informed everyone that he anticipated the tour to generate "$40 to 50 million." Nevertheless, at that moment, the cast refrained from pursuing negotiations as their primary focus was ensuring financial security with a guaranteed outcome.
"We were young and naive, alright?" McHale joked. "Half of us just wanted the assurance of security and a personal chef, which, of course, comes with the tour package. The rest of us were hoping for a higher salary. It turned into a chaotic situation where everyone had different opinions, and we couldn't reach an agreement."
According to McHale, the tour ultimately made a staggering $44 million. He admitted, without revealing any specific names, that a few of his fellow cast members approached him during the tour to acknowledge that he had been "correct" in his stance.
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