Holland Taylor Claims She Was Never Offered a Raise on 'Two and a Half Men'

Veteran actress Holland Taylor has stated that she was never offered a pay raise during her tenure on the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men," despite earning four Emmy nominations for her role as Evelyn Harper. Taylor, 83, revealed on the podcast "Alchemy with Anthony Mason" that she was paid the same salary she had earned from a series eight years prior.

Taylor recounted that when her contract was up for renewal in 2009, she informed producers she did not wish to be under contract anymore. "They never gave me a raise," Taylor said. "They usually do, just as a courtesy. I loved a lot about that show, but they were not full of courtesies." She added that producers expressed astonishment at her decision to leave the regular cast, stating, "We can’t pay you any more money." Taylor responded, "You could actually pay me the cost of this building, but don’t bother, because I don’t want to continue on under contract."

She eventually made guest appearances on the show at her discretion, noting, "I did play the boys' mother [after all]." Taylor suggested that CBS was attempting to avoid significant pay increases, claiming they "didn’t want to" increase her salary. In contrast, she pointed out that co-star Jon Cryer reportedly had his salary "quadrupled" when his contract was renegotiated.

Taylor appeared in "Two and a Half Men" from its beginning in 2003 until 2015, though her role shifted to guest appearances after her contract expired. During its run, the show saw significant salary negotiations and changes.

Jon Cryer, who played Charlie Sheen's character's brother, Alan Harper, previously discussed the substantial pay disparity between himself and Sheen. In a 2025 interview, Cryer stated he earned approximately one-third of Sheen's salary. Forbes reported that at the show's peak, Sheen was earning $1.9 million per episode, while The Hollywood Reporter indicated Cryer made $620,000 per episode.

Cryer described the situation, noting that Sheen's contract negotiations were exceptionally high due to his personal struggles, comparing him to a dictator receiving aid due to fear. He explained that his own contract, secured when his life was more stable, was significantly lower. CBS had an incentive to spend heavily on Sheen, as the network had pre-sold additional seasons of the series.

Sheen was ultimately dismissed from the show in 2011 after public criticism of showrunner Chuck Lorre and was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.