Sofia Vergara has been revealed as the highest paid TV actress in the world, according to the Forbes 2016 rich list.
The Modern Family actress topped the list of actresses after bringing in $43 million in 2016 before taxes and fees are deducted.
Forbes said the gender pay gap between actors is less pronounced than it is in film, where Dwayne Johnson, the highest paid actor, earned almost $20m more than the highest paid actress, Jennifer Lawrence.
This is because casts on series typically negotiate wages together, while those in films negotiate seperately.
Kaley Cuoco, the second highest paid actress, earned almost half of Vergara. Despite this, she was still earning a staggering $1m per episode. Her co-star Jim Parson topped the list of male TV actors in 2015 after earning $29m.
Madeline Berg, a spokesperson for Forbes, told the Independent:
“The gender wage gap between men and women on television is smaller than it is on film, as ensemble casts tend to negotiate their contracts together: Sofia Vergara makes the same amount as her male counterparts on Modern Family, for example, and Kaley Cuoco makes $1m per episode of The Big Bang Theory, just like Jim Parsons.
“However, there still aren’t nearly enough of these balanced ensemble casts and female leads to close the gap completely. Still, Sofia Vergara managed to beat out the earnings of all TV actors thanks to her business-savvy approach to her work; she makes the bulk of her money through lucrative endorsement and licensing deals.”
