Jon Cryer says “Two and a Half Men” is still earning him big bucks.
“It still is an engine that’s producing an astonishing amount of money,” he told Page Six in a recent exclusive interview.
“But it’s not [from] residuals as much,” Cryer added. “Although, there is still, there are still residual payments that are substantial. It’s mostly because over the course of the years, I was able to get some percentage of the show.”
The actor, 61, played Alan Harper on the sitcom, which ran from 2003 to 2015, opposite Charlie Sheen and, following Sheen’s dismissal, Ashton Kutcher.
Cryer shared that being a part of such a successful show is “absolutely life-changing” and “astonishing good luck,” stressing that he never grew up with enormous wealth, “so I am very aware of how lucky I am.”
The “Pretty in Pink” star added that it’s wonderful “not having to worry about making your rent every month” and “it transforms the way I deal with things on a daily basis. I really look for work that makes me joyful. I am daily aware of how lucky I am to be able to do that.”
In last year’s Netflix documentary “aka Charlie Sheen,” Cryer revealed that while the “Platoon” star was making close to two million dollars per episode, he was earning at least two-thirds less than that, and it wasn’t until Sheen left that he began making $620,000 an episode.
Cryer promises he wasn’t bothered by the massive pay disparity, but found it “really interesting” that Sheen’s messy private life, drug addiction, dalliances with porn stars and arrests helped Sheen procure more money.
“The tumultuousness of his personal life, and the court proceedings, and the divorces, and all that stuff,” he noted. “That actually enhanced his negotiating stance. I thought it was very, very funny at the time. And I still find it very notable, because, you know, the deal he negotiated was the single largest pay for an actor in broadcast television history, I believe, and it was because his life was a mess.”
Cryer jokes that he did ponder driving a car off a cliff to bump up his salary, but noted that “the perks of having your life a mess vastly outweigh the monetary advantages.”
The Emmy winner is currently in the Off-Broadway revival of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
“It’s incredibly touching, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of it after I saw it,” Cryer explained about the musical, which, yes, takes place at a school during a spelling bee. Tony nominee Lili Cooper and “Glee” alum Kevin McHale are also in the show.
“This production has really mined something really beautiful,” he shared, adding that he believes it’s the perfect show for families to come see during the summer months.
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