The Richest This Is Us Cast Member Might Surprise You
On November 24, 2021, just prior to its sixth and final season airing on NBC, "This Is Us" was dubbed "one of the highest rated and most critically acclaimed broadcast drama series of the past decade," according to Deadline. In other words, the network and 20th Television put their proverbial money where their mouth is by granting the seven series regulars — Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Chris Sullivan — bonuses of an almost inconceivable $2 million each.
These whopping bonuses were well deserved. While making wealthy main cast members even wealthier, the extra dosh was doled out in the spirit of parity, a relatively new concept for television show participants that the central "The Big Bang Theory" characters' real-life performers fought to earn in 2017. So, in putting "This Is Us" in the parity sweepstakes, this highly acclaimed program spawned a new crowd of actors who can now stake a claim with their fellow "BBT" multi-millionaires.
The stellar "TIU" roster is pretty comfortable when it comes to money, but just who earns the title of richest cast member?
This is how much money Justin Hartley has made
Justin Hartley has amassed at least a $7 million fortune, calculates Celebrity Net Worth. The Illinois-born actor, who plays Big Three "This Is Us" cast member Kevin Pearson, had already had plenty of television face time before booking that lucrative job. Hartley was a popular soap star, playing Fox Crane on "Passions" for four years and Adam Newman on "The Young and the Restless" for two, per IMDb. These gigs alone could have earned him up to $5,000 an episode. The man with the pretty face also showed up in primetime prior to "TIU," in recurring roles in "Smallville," "Emily Owens M.D.," "Revenge," and "Mistresses," among others.
A person who obviously appreciates life's finer things, Hartley dropped nearly $4.7 million in 2019 on his Encino spread, according to Variety. Situated in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, the massive home offers 6,762 square feet of space and is a new build based on the look of a classic farmhouse. To add to its charm, this chic manse features a climate-controlled walk-in wine cellar and a sprawling chef's kitchen. Meanwhile, Just Jared published photos of the actor getting his Porsche — apparently the Cayman S model — ready for the road. This enviable ride typically comes with a sticker price of more than $70,000. Even his pet dog — which appears to be a bernedoodle — is expensive, especially when bought from a breeder who charges as much as $5,000. Bow wow!
Sterling K. Brown earned big bucks on This Is Us
Sterling K. Brown, who portrays Randall Pearson on "This Is Us," has raked in a total fortune of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But "TIU's" Randall was far from his first big television gig. Acting steadily for years, he was featured on long-running "Army Wives," and he played the seminal role of Christopher Darden in "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story." This latter performance, seen on FX, earned Brown an Emmy, one of three. That said, you can see why this winning thespian has earned his stripes to stand among the ranks of fellow A-listers.
So how does Brown spend his money? The answer is somewhat of a mystery, as boasting isn't Brown's strong suit. However, Architectural Digest allowed us to look in on the 2017 makeover of the garage in his Los Angeles home (valued at $2.1 million) The renovated space was turned into the "ultimate office man cave," a "creative workspace" that became a chic hideout for the actor who often reads scripts at his desk or simply chills out on his bright yellow wraparound couch, an item he was initially reticent to include in the lair. That changed once the challenged furniture element was in place. The TIU star told the outlet, "When I saw it in the space, I was like, 'Yo, this is kind of baller. I'm digging it.'"
Chrissy Metz made bank
The story goes that when multi-talented Chrissy Metz was cast on "This Is Us" as Kate Pearson, her bank account balance had dipped to less than $1, recalls The Hollywood Reporter. Metz had put acting on the sidelines when she needed to bring in money, working as a nanny and eventually, as an agent. As for the latter, Metz told NPR, "... if I couldn't do what I wanted to do, I could at least help people do what they wanted to do." She did have the good fortune of being cast in an "American Horror Story" arc, but that was nearly the extent of her television career prior to booking "TIU." This lack of airtime caused the star to reconsider acting in Hollywood as a career and instead return to her native Florida to become a preschool teacher.
But that was then and this is now. Metz's earnings have stacked up to at least $7 million as of 2018, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This assessment does not include the "This Is Us" final season bonus in 2021 of $2 million, along with a few more years with a paycheck at $250,000 per episode. With some of her money, the star purchased a sprawling Tarzana home in 2019, reports Architectural Digest. The purchase price for the tony manse located in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley was $1.62 million, a mere drop in the bucket for this accomplished thespian.
This Is Us helped Milo Ventimiglia become an ultra-rich man
Milo Ventimiglia has become a prime-time television staple in a career that harkens back to his first small screen experience in an unnamed role on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Celebrity Net Worth says he has an accumulated $12 million in personal wealth and is now tops among A-lister dramedy actors, owning long-term roles on celebrated shows like "Gilmore Girls" and "Heroes." Ventimiglia, who plays the coveted part of "This Is Us" patriarch Jack Pearson, has also worked on "Gotham" as a character which the venerable actor no doubt cherished. Yes, playing the DC universe role of Ogre the serial killer must have been a blast for this man whose life-long love of comic books resulted in a valuable collection.
Ventimiglia is also proud owner of a big boy collection: that of motorcycles. He is partial to Harleys, having built up quite a stable of them, per Heavy. The star purchased his first one after admiring this American brand due to "the styling of the bike ... the ride, and the technology in the bikes [that push] the limits of engineering." Ventimiglia is also partial to Airstreams. He purchased of a 22-foot Bambi (cost starting at $66,100) bought during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually upgraded to a 27-foot Flying Cloud, according to Architectural Digest. Both trailers helped Ventimiglia take epic road trips, allowing him to continue yet another avocation as a keen-eyed photographer. What a guy!
Chris Sullivan's role has paid off big time
Chris Sullivan, who portrays Kate's husband Toby Damon on "This Is Us," has also earned big bucks during the course of the show. In fact, he earned a whopping $2 million bonus prior to the show's final season that began airing in January 2022, reports Deadline. Although we couldn't find a solid source for how large his total fortune has grown over the years, we know the big guy brought in even more money beyond his "TIU" acting salary by directing an episode during Season 6, as revealed by co-star Justin Hartley on Instagram.
So how does Sullivan spend his money? One way was by buying a sleek Venice, California, home in 2019 for $2.33 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The very modern manse, located a few blocks from the luxe Los Angeles area's marina, is light and airy and features an open plan, with one room blending into the next. Another extravagance: At the advice of his lawyer, Sullivan hired a private investigator to help him locate his rare, poppy red 1965 Mustang, reports The Wall Street Journal. The car is (miraculously!) exactly the one the actor's dad bought him when Sullivan was a teen growing up in Southern California, but had been sold when this thespian needed a more reliable car in order to pursue his acting career. Talk about a win-win! P.S. '65 Mustangs are priced as high as $40,000.
Susan Kelechi Watson was among the series' original cast
No doubt Susan Kelechi Watson is a millionaire twice over and then some, given her job as a series regular playing Randall's serene, scene-stealing partner on "This Is Us." After all, Watson was given a Season 6 bonus of $2 million, according to Deadline. Although we could not find an exact figure for her total net worth, we did discover that she received a healthy amount of extra income when she co-wrote the "TIU" Season 6 episode "Our Little Island Girl: Part Two" with staff writer Eboni Freeman. Watson announced in a now-deleted Instagram post, "[Show creator] Daniel Fogelman ... called me up and said 'I know you wanna write ... wanna write this episode?'"
Meanwhile, the accomplished performer used some of her "This Is Us" money (price unknown) to redo her entire house in 2018, according to House Beautiful. The floor-to-ceiling refresh included the purchase of a colorful painting by Jamaican artist Kitwana Robinson. This Brooklyn-born actor has also put big bucks into sunglasses, as reported by New York Magazine, who reported that Watson dropped $350 on her selection of "funky" and "classic" tortoiseshell shades from Los Angeles-based emporium Oliver Peoples. The mirrored cat-eye sunglasses acted as such a perfect present that the "This Is Us" star presented them to herself as a well-deserved gift!
Jon Huertas earned big bucks as an actor and director on the show
Air Force Weapon Specialist veteran Jon Huertas likely has a net worth somewhere in the millions, partly due to his work on "This Is Us," which earned him a $1 million acting bonus prior to filming the hit show's final season, states Deadline. But that's only part of the picture. Not only does Huertas play Miguel Rivas (Jack's co-worker and his wife Rebecca's second husband) for the top NBC show, but he directs, too. That said, prior to working on "TIU," the popular actor spent time witch-hunting on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and investigating homicides on "Castle," per IMDb.
This former New Yorker has spent a considerable amount of money to co-own Clutch, his Venice, California restaurant. As the star explained to Variety in 2019, "It's our neighborhood roadhouse," which, in that spirit, means patrons dine at communal tables on divine Tex-Mex cuisine, including dry rub barbecue, wings dipped in bitter orange sauce, and hearty surf-and-turf. Huertas, a self-described DIYer, is also into gardening at home. As he shared on the Hallmark Channel in 2013, not only does he enjoy the pursuit, but Huertas also said — in what hopefully was a tongue-in-cheek remark — that he does this to save money. Whaaaaaat?
Alexandra Breckinridge maintains an enviable bank account
Alexandra Breckinridge may have made a modest wage as a nurse on "This Is Us," but that was not the case in real life. In fact, Celebrity Net Worth puts the Connecticut-born star's fortune at a robust $2 million. Breckinridge, who intermittently appeared on "TIU" as Kevin's ex-wife Sophie, has been working in television for years. She starred in "Dirt" from 2007 to 2008 and in "The Ex List" from 2008 to 2009. The ravishing redhead has voiced for the "Family Guy" (per IMDb), and she has taken on a number of recurring series' roles, including "American Horror Story," "Medium," and "The Walking Dead." In her latest part, the prolific performer appears as Mel Monroe in "Virgin River," an ongoing Netflix hit based on Robyn Carr's Harlequin book series.
Since this modest actor does not flaunt her wealth in terms of what she earns and what she buys, we can place no exact amount on either of these actualities. That said, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Breckinridge abruptly up and left Hollywood — after living there for nearly two decades — to quickly settle on a big-ticket item: a Georgia farm (price unknown) with her husband and two children, reports Atlanta magazine. "The rural areas of Georgia have an amazing sense of community we were lacking in L.A. We wanted our children to grow up in a place where they could play and ride their bikes that didn't feel like a big city."
Griffin Dunne earns plenty of dosh on This Is Us
Griffin Dunne may appear to be a poverty-stricken loafer living in a rundown trailer for his role as crusty Nicky Pearson on time-traveling "This Is Us," but the man who was cast as Jack Pearson's ne'er-do-well brother has had a lifelong love affair with show business. This has not only earned Dunne respect, but plenty of money, too. Highly accomplished, the son of producer/author Dominick Dunne is known for memorable roles in such venerable feature films as "An American Werewolf in London," "Dallas Buyers Club," and "After Hours." His body of work, which is diverse, has been applauded and earned nominations for Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Primetime Emmy awards, reports IMDb.
Dunne has also been awarded for his acting achievements with cold, hard cash. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor, producer, and director has earnings totaling $6 million. One of the show business heavy hitter's real estate deals involved a New York City condo he purchased for $2.8 million in 2010. A decade later, Dunne decided to let go of the primo property for $3.95 million, which, if he landed his price, will have earned this mover and and shaker a cool million in one single transaction.
Since her teens, Mandy Moore has been making a living
Drum role please ... "This Is Us" matriarch Mandy Moore tops this monetary list with a mind-boggling net worth of $14 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That massive fortune is not surprising given the woman who plays Rebecca Pearson through the ages has been employed in the entertainment industry since her youth. Her initial foray? Music. Yes, at 15 years old in 1999, the star made a big splash with her debut single, "Candy," which hit no. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and created a solid base for Moore's sweet success.
Adding to her resume, this celebrated performer began appearing in movies like "A Walk to Remember," "Saved!" and "The Princess Diaries." She also served as a voiceover artist for Rapunzel in "Tangled," and she has appeared in national advertisements, including a couple for Neutrogena.
Moore has wrangled some prime real estate while watching her wealth grow. At the age of 18, she chose a $1.725 million gated manse in Los Angeles's enviable enclave of Los Feliz, where she nested for 15 years. Then, in 2016, she sold the pretty Mediterranean-style property for nearly $3 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. Her next big purchase was a mid-century modern, hilltop spread in picturesque Pasadena. Moore endured an update of the manse, focusing on terrazzo flooring, a skylight in the kitchen, and a dreamy library. The price of her "dream house?" Approximately $2.6 million, reports Architectural Digest.