Posted Friday, February 2, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Deadline.com came out with a story today that has set off alarms for "The Walking Dead" fans: actress Lauren Cohan, who has played Maggie since season two, is now fielding offers for jobs with other television series.
Her contract expired after season eight and Deadline says there "have been rumblings" she is seeking pay parity with Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus.
Nellie Andreeva, the Deadline.com reporter, wrote that Cohan understands actual pay parity is not likely given that Maggie isn't necessarily as popular as Rick and Daryl. But Andreeva said she rejected the opening offer of a modest pay increase in exchange for a long-term contract. (Of course, the creators can kill her character off at any time. She can't necessarily just voluntarily walk away.)
I wonder: after Reedus and Lincoln, who is paid the most? I would think Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne, should be paid more than Cohan given her relatively level of popularity. And there's Melissa McBride, who plays Carol, and is universally beloved. But let me post a poll and see if my judgment is right or wrong:
If anything, by leaking this story to Deadline.com, it sounds like Cohan's agent is using as much leverage as possible. If it's clear she is in demand, that might draw "The Walking Dead" back to the table with a better offer.
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