Who were the highest paid guests stars? Did their salaries approach Shatner or Nimoy?
Highest paid guests
- Thread starter Ronald Held
- Start date
Somehow I doubt it.
Robert Lansing has a unique opening Act One special guest star credit. But it's speculation at this point.
Might have gotten backdoor pilot money.
I'm guessing Ricardo Montalban would have commanded a nice fee.
He was a popular guest-star. Not sure if that translates into more money though.
1966
The Wild Wild West Colonel Noel Bartley Vautrain Episode: "The Night of the Lord of Limbo"
Dr. Kildare Damon West 4 episodes
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Delgado Episode: "The King of Diamonds Affair"
Daniel Boone Count Alfonso De Borba Episode: "The Symbol"
I Spy General Vera Episode: "Magic Mirror"
1967
Star Trek Khan Noonien Singh Episode: "Space Seed"
The Longest Hundred Miles Father Sanchez Television film
Mission: Impossible Gerard Sefra Episode: "Snowball in Hell"
Combat! Barbu Episode: "Gadjo"
1968
Ironside Sergeant Al Cervantes Episode: "The Sacrifice"
The High Chaparral El Tigre Episode: "Tiger by the Tail"
It Takes a Thief Nick Grobbo 2 episodes
The Virginian Louis Boissevain Episode: "The Wind of Outrage"
Hawaii Five-O Tokura Episode: "Samurai"
The High Chaparral
I know that on the first season of Mission: Impossible, Martin Landau ended being paid more than leading actor Steven Hill, because he was only contracted for four episodes, but then was brought back again and again as a 'Special Guest Star' because the writers liked him and Steven Hill was suspended, and his 'Special Guest' credit paid more.
You left out the Bonanza episode "Day of Reckoning," in which Montalban's wife is played by Madlyn Rhue. I'd love to know if that's why she got the job in "Space Seed."
I suspect a more likely reason would be that both were represented by the same agency. You tend to see a certain cross-section of actors all working on shows produced by the same studio because that studio frequently contracts with a particular casting agency to fill their roles, while a different studio may have a similar arrangement with a different casting agency.
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