Jon Cryer Made Much Less Than Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men'

Jon Cryer

Fans of Jon Cryer know him as the down-on-his-luck Alan Harper from Two and a Half Men, a role that helped him amass an enormous net worth over the years. Soon enough, however, they might know him as the character he's playing on the new NBC sitcom Extended Family, premiering Dec. 23.

In an echo of his Alan Harper role, Cryer acts as Jim, a man content with co-parenting and cohabitating with his ex-wife Julia (played by Abigail Spencer). However, things get complicated when Julia starts dating the owner of Jim’s favorite sports team, Trey (Donald Faison).

“Jim is more certain of his wrong opinions than Alan,” Cryer told TV Insider, comparing the two characters. “Alan was tentative and felt the victim in his relationship with his ex-wife.”

Here’s a closer look at Cryer’s acting history and net worth as he takes on a new project.

Related: ‘Extended Family’ Is Set To Bring the Laughs to NBC: All About the New Sitcom

How did Jon Cryer get famous?

Cryer was never meant to be behind the scenes. He took inspiration from his parents, Gretchen and David Cryer, who were both actors.

"When you're a little kid and you're backstage seeing all these crazy, magical people floating in and out of your life, it can't help but cast a spell on you," Cryer said in a 2015 interview with CBS Sunday Morning. "I wanted to be a part of that."

In 1983, he made his Broadway debut and followed it up with the ‘84 film No Small Affair, opposite Demi Moore. But it wasn’t until the 1986 hit Pretty in Pink that Cryer’s career really took off. In it, he played Duckie Dale, best friend of Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) and an underdog in the running for her heart. America fell in love with Duckie’s quirky charm and, in turn, with Jon Cryer.

What is Jon Cryer's net worth?

Jon Cryer is worth an estimated $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

While Cryer scored a few big movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s, his large net worth is likely down to the 12 years he spent on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. His first impression of Alan, his character? “I thought this guy is so uptight and anxious and that’s not me,” Cryer told The Associated Press. “Then I gave the script to my wife and she said, ‘This script is so you!’”

How much money did Jon Cryer make doing Two and a Half Men?

Cryer was the only character to appear in every single episode of Two and a Half Men—and he was well paid for it. While it’s not known how much he made in earlier seasons of the show, in the middle of its 12-year run (from 2003 to 2015) he was making about $550,000 per episode. In Season 6 alone, which had 24 episodes, his salary totaled about $13 million.

The later seasons, which saw the exit of leading man Charlie Sheen in exchange for the charismatic Ashton Kutcher, also came with a pay bump for Cryer. According to Celebrity Net Worth, at that point he was making about $620,000 per episode. Which would’ve been just under $10 million for Season 12, which ran for 16 episodes, including a two-part finale.

Who was the highest-paid actor on Two and a Half Men?

Although Cryer was undoubtedly important to the Two and a Half Men cast (he was one of the two and a half men, after all), he was not the main character. That role was billed to Charlie Sheen for most of the show’s run.

Sheen was by far the highest-paid actor on the show, commanding a sky-high $800,000-per-episode salary from the very first season. Before his untimely (and dramatic) exit from playing Charlie Sheen, he was making close to $2 million per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Cryer recently told Entertainment Tonight that he would be up for a Two and a Half Men reunion with Sheen. “I’m not going to rule anything out, but I haven’t talked to Charlie," he said, adding that he was glad to hear that his former costar and Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre had reconciled after a massive falling out.

“I’m really glad they made up … I can only say for Chuck, clearly,” Cryer said. “He has the enormous relief of somebody who’s been able to rekindle a friendship that was really meaningful to him.”

For his part, Cryer has not spoken to Sheen in what sounds like quite some time. “I have not spoken to Charlie. I don’t know that he knows my number anymore," he said. "But anything could happen.”

Related: How Chuck Lorre Put Aside a Decade-Long Feud with Charlie Sheen

Does Jon Cryer get paid for Two and a Half Men reruns?

Like many TV actors, especially sitcom actors, Cryer makes a tidy sum from reruns. According to one source, he makes about $6 million per year from rerun royalties alone, although this figure is unconfirmed.

How much does Jon Cryer make in residuals?

Residuals, royalties, rerun checks—whatever you want to call it, it’s just another term for the money actors make when their old episodes are aired. As long as reruns are playing on TV, the actor might be getting paid, depending on their contract.

How much Jon Cryer makes in residuals isn’t widely known, but one source estimates it at about $6 million a year.

Related: Who Gets Matthew Perry's 'Friends' Residuals After His Death?

What did Jon Cryer make for Pretty in Pink?

Cryer’s salary for Pretty in Pink hasn’t been reported on, but it likely wasn’t a ton of money since he was a young actor and the real star was Molly Ringwald.

However, the movie itself was a huge commercial success. It earned around $40.5 million worldwide on a budget of just $9 million.

How much is Jon Cryer getting paid for his new show Extended Family?

Although Jon Cryer’s new salary isn’t public information quite yet, it’s probably an impressive number as he moves up to the role of leading man. He also brings with him more than a decade in TV sitcom success and the kind of face recognition that money can’t buy (or can it?).

Has Jon Cryer won any Emmys?

For his performance as Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men, Cryer earned a very impressive seven total Emmy nominations and two Emmy Awards.

"Don't panic people. Something has clearly gone terribly wrong," he said in his 2012 speech. "I'm stunned. I didn't actually win this. This did not just happen."

Next, Angus T. Jones Is All Grown Up for 'Two and a Half Men' Reunion With Charlie Sheen