Dylan Sprouse: 5 Cents for Suite Life Residuals

Dylan Sprouse, known for his role in Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," recently shared details about his compensation from the popular series. Speaking on his podcast, Sprouse disclosed that he received a mere five cents as a residual payment for a crossover episode with "Hannah Montana." He described the show, which ran from 2005 to 2011 including its spinoff "The Suite Life on Deck," as popular yet "underfunded."

Co-star Phil Lewis explained that their contracts stipulated that numerous episodes could be filmed within a year and still count as a single season, a measure Sprouse believes was designed to avoid paying additional bumps. Lewis also pointed out the show's extensive global reach, airing in approximately 90 countries and being frequently rewatched by audiences, indicating significant viewership.

Despite the show's success and constant airings, Sprouse noted the lack of substantial residual income during a time before streaming services dominated. He expressed surprise that despite being a flagship program for Disney Channel, which then prided itself on ad-free, kid-safe programming, the financial returns for the actors were not commensurate with its popularity.