Key Takeaways
- Dylan Sprouse says his only residual check from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody was for 5 cents and came from the 2006 crossover episode “That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana.”
- Sprouse expressed frustration over the lack of residuals despite the sitcom’s popularity during the mid-2000s.
- Suite Life showrunner Danny Kallis once claimed the show had surpassed ratings of former HBO show The Sopranos.
Dylan Sprouse says his time spent acting in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody paid out in pennies.
The actor and Wildmen podcast host recalled only receiving one residual check from the former Disney Channel sitcom for one episode, a 2006 crossover with Hannah Montana. Around the 13-minute mark of the video above, Dylan said he was paid only 5 cents in residuals from the episode.
“I’m not joking,” he said. “[A] 5-cent check.”
The episode, titled "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana," was a three-part special that connected That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Hannah Montana during Season 2 of Suite Life.
The series, which starred Dylan and his twin brother, Cole Sprouse, ran for three seasons in the mid-2000s and was succeeded by spinoff The Suite Life on Deck, which also lasted for three seasons from 2008 to 2011.
“In a time where residuals would have been great, not a single paycheck for being arguably one of the most popular shows [on television],” Dylan continued.
The actor also recalled Suite Life showrunner Danny Kallis informing the cast and crew that Suite Life had surpassed HBO crime drama, The Sopranos, in ratings at the time.
“That pops in my head every once in a while when I go, ‘And we still didn't get a single fucking residual,’” Dylan continued.
According to a 2018 Business Insider report, Dylan and Cole earned $20,000 per Suite Life episode, making them among the highest-paid child actors of the 2000s and early 2010s.
