‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ cast seeking raises in contract renegotiations

It’s been a longtime TV industry tradition for the cast of successful series to renegotiate their contracts and get salary bumps after the first two seasons.

The practice has been employed by the broadcast networks for decades, with NBC’s This Is Us as a recent example, and also has been adopted by the streaming platforms, illustrated by the recent salary bumps after Season 2 for the actors of Netflix’s Stranger Things and 13 Reasons Why. Add Amazon’s breakout dramedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” to the list.

Originally picked up with a two-season order, the period series from Amy Sherman-Palladino was renewed for a third season in May, months ahead of its November premiere. Since its launch, “Mrs. Maisel” has been an awards juggernaut, winning a slew of top awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes.

At Sunday night’s SAG Awards, where the show had another sweep with statuettes for Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rachel Brosnahan, co-star Tony Shalhoub and the cast in the comedy ensemble category, Shalhoub referenced the renegotiations. It was the first time since 30 Rock in 2008 that one series won all three comedy categories.

“i want to thank everyone in Amazon, Jen Salke, and especially James Sterling in legal affairs and not just because I’m in the middle of renegotiation,” Shalhoub quipped in the acceptance speech for his third SAG Award in the actor in a comedy series category, first for “Mrs. Maisel” (He previously won twice for Monk.) Shalhoub went on to “thank my incredible cast and crew.”

Salke is the head of Amazon Studios, while Sterling is Senior Business Affairs Executive. According to sources, the renegotiations are ongoing with no major issues, and the deals, which are said to include sizable salary increases for the main actors, are expected to close to pave the way for Season 3.

In addition to Brosnahan and Shalhoub, the core cast of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” includes Emmy winner Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Kevin Pollak and Marin Hinkle.

Source: Read Full Article