What would you do if your co-workers offered to take a pay cut so you could get a raise? That's exactly what the big stars of The Big Bang Theory just did for co-stars Melissa Rauch (Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz) and Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler), who both joined the show in season three and became regulars in season four.

The original five cast members currently make about $1 million per episode, but as Bialik and Rauch enter salary negotiations, the stars of the show each agreed to give up ten percent of their pay - as long as that money goes to their supporting cast.

It worked for Friends, the first sitcom cast to try the collective bargaining approach. By the end of their 10-season run, all salary negotiations were conducted as a group and each of them ended up making $1 million per episode in the final two seasons. (They also negotiated for and won syndication rights.)

Now in its 10th season, The Big Bang Theory was just renewed for two more and there's no end in sight. "We’ll put it on for as long as everyone wants Big Bang on the air,” said the network's chief Glenn Geller. “I hope it lasts forever.”

We do, too.

Your "Equal Pay for Equal Laughs" Gift Guru,
Linda