Melanie Lynskey reveals her real Two and a Half Men salary after $200,000-per-episode rumours

Melanie Lynskey has corrected online claims about how much she earned for playing Rose on *Two and a Half Men*, saying her pay was far below a rumoured $200,000 per episode.

Lynskey addressed the figure in a response to a social media user on October 25. She said she earned about one-tenth of the amount being claimed, starting at $20,000 per episode. She believes she received a 5% raise each season, and said her highest payment was about $43,000 for one episode during the sitcom’s final season.

The actress appeared on the CBS series from 2003 to 2015 as Rose, the neighbour of Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen, and Alan Harper, played by Jon Cryer. She was a regular during the first two seasons and returned in a recurring role. Lynskey said more than half of her appearances were in those first two seasons.

Lynskey says the reported figure was wrong

Lynskey said the rumoured salary had led people to assume she made millions from the show. She noted that the figures she shared were before deductions for agents, managers, business managers and taxes, which she estimated could leave an actor taking home around half of their gross pay.

She also said she was grateful for the job and what she earned. Lynskey was 25 when she landed the role, and said the income helped her pay her mortgage and bills while continuing to work in independent films and build her career.

She added that she had been comfortable with her compensation, describing *Two and a Half Men* as not being her show. Her frustration, she said, was with the inaccurate reporting of her salary.

Holland Taylor’s comments prompted her response

Lynskey spoke up after fellow cast member Holland Taylor discussed her pay on the sitcom. Taylor, who played Evelyn Harper, said she was not paid well and did not receive a raise during her six years on the series, despite receiving four Emmy nominations.

Lynskey said that Taylor deserved raises and that her comments encouraged her to address the claims about her own earnings.