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Cable-bound L&O Stars: Salary Freeze Is Criminal
Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Chris Noth by Virginia Sherwood/NBC
Speaking of fireworks....
Series stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Noth and Kathryn Erbe have until 5 pm today to accept a non-pay raise for the new season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which will be airing on the more budget-conscious USA Network. Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter, however, that the prospect of a salary freeze is not sitting well with the cast members, who typically enjoy at least a five percent year-to-year bump. Reps for Dick Wolf's production house and NBC Universal declined to comment on the talks.
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Jun 8, 2007 9:52 AM
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While I adore Vincent D'Onofrio's character (and the others, too), I think they are biting the hand that feeds them. At least the show (which is my fave of the 3 L & Os) wasn't cancelled entirely. Something IS better than nothing...or looking for another gig. I'm surprised and disappointed they are airing their dirty laundry. This seems wrong. It would have been more prudent to let the #s skyrocket on USA then ask for a huge raise when the parent network is panting for it to come back. Greedy b*stards.
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Jun 8, 2007 10:23 AM
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I hate to hear this--I like this show.
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Jun 8, 2007 11:18 AM
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They have a job. Consider the alternative..... Raise.... unemployment..... Should be a no-brainer.
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Jun 8, 2007 12:01 PM
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Wouldn't it be nice if we all had the luxury of leaving a job just because we didn't get the raise we wanted?
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Jun 8, 2007 12:28 PM
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I feel the same way, anthrobruin! I am not really surprised by this news but c'mon guys! You make more money than most people will see in a year - or a lifetime.
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Jun 8, 2007 12:48 PM
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I really hope they work something out. While part of L&Os longevity has been it's ability to move characters in and out of the series without changing the show itself, CI has always been a bit different. The show was initially grounded very firmly in D'Onfrio's wonderful Bobby Goren, and Katherine Eames has managed to make a strong imprint even from within his shadow. Adding Chris Noth was absolutely brilliant, and even though that's meant taking a bit of the focus off Goren, it's worked because the character of Logan comes in with so much L&O history that it essentially justifies giving him the same kind of focus that's been on Goren. If they'd brought in someone new off the streets, I think there would have been a feeling of "so, how does this guy rate?", where that question just doesn't exist with Logan.
Given all of that, I think trying to throw new leads into the show would be very difficult because there wouldn't be anything with the new characters for viewers to hook into the way Goren's worked to gain our loyalty and the way that Logan already had it before Noth walked onto the set.
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Jun 8, 2007 1:08 PM
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If they can pay Hargitay and Meloni a million dollars a year for the next two years...They sure as hell can give the Criminal Intent stars a 5% pay raise.
I hope the 3 of them stick together and stick to their guns....They deserve a raise! Shame on Dick Wolf and NBC Universal.
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Jun 8, 2007 1:12 PM
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Ugh. No one likes to hear about people wealthier than them griping over their salary issues.
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Jun 8, 2007 1:16 PM
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Amen, anthrobruin and smoothspace
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Jun 8, 2007 1:55 PM
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You can't compare this to SVU - they don't perform the same way.
As others said - they should be happy CI survived.
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Jun 8, 2007 2:13 PM
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I don't agree with other posts admonishing the stars. I think it should be the actors' decision as to whether they want to settle for no raise (which to me is like a pay cut with the cost of living going up). It seems like doing the show is a lot of hard work and effort, very demanding.
If I did not get my raise each year, I would not be happy about it and maybe I would look for something else. I doubt I'll watch if D'Onofrio is not back.
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Jun 8, 2007 2:38 PM
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It doesn't take much for people to start insulting the actors on C.I. does it! Lets try it this way and see how YOU might feel.
You get an annual raise of 5% each year. Your colleagues, who do the same job, are given a wheelbarrow full of money, whilst you are told that things are tight and you will not be getting a raise at all this year. Who are the greedy b******ds now eh??
C.I without Vincent D'Onofrio is no C.I. at all, and if this is the way Dick Wolf does business, he should be ashamed of himself. I hope all 3 actors stick together and nail him to the floor!
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Jun 8, 2007 2:52 PM
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It doesn't take much for people to start insulting the actors on C.I. does it! Lets try it this way and see how YOU might feel.
You get an annual raise of 5% each year. Your colleagues, who do the same job, are given a wheelbarrow full of money, whilst you are told that things are tight and you will not be getting a raise at all this year. Who are the greedy b******ds now eh??
C.I without Vincent D'Onofrio is no C.I. at all, and if this is the way Dick Wolf does business, he should be ashamed of himself. I hope all 3 actors stick together and nail him to the floor!
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Jun 8, 2007 2:55 PM
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wow - I really don't understand that position. The actors on SVU may have similar jobs, but their show performs better and therefore makes more money.
The company I work for didn't do well last year and therefore I only recieved a 0.5% raise. My friend who works at a competitor (or does the EXACT same thing), not only got a 6% raise - she was already making more.
NBC and Dick Wolf are just running their businesses as any other organization would.
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Jun 8, 2007 3:01 PM
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