Few actors in television history have come close to matching the success that Jason Bateman has found during his career on the small screen. It’s already hard enough to have success on a single show, but to have it happen multiple times is almost impossible. Despite the odds, Bateman has pulled this off successfully.
Ozark has been the actor’s most recent television hit, following his stint on Arrested Development. The success of the show has people wondering just how much the actor is making each episode, which is undoubtedly a sizable amount.
Let’s take a closer look at how much Jason Bateman is banking from Ozark and the road he took to get there.
Bateman Became A Television Star In The 80s
Thanks to Ozark being a success on the small screen, it would seem quite obvious that Jason Bateman would be taking home a nice salary for the series, but there is far more than meets the eye here. One of the main reasons why Bateman is making the big bucks on Ozark is because he has been an established star on television for decades now.
A much younger and greener Bateman actually got his start on television back in the 80s, and it was his work during the 80s that established him as a television star. After being featured in 21 episodes of Little House on the Prairie, Bateman would soon find himself in 21 episodes of Silver Spoons. Both of these were popular shows that got the young star a ton of mainstream exposure. This soon gave way to 18 episodes of It’s Your Move, which led to another major hit series.
The Hogan Family, which ran from 1986-1991, starred Bateman in all 6 seasons and 121 episodes, and this was a major turning point for the actor. After years of playing a recurring character, he was now a proven television star thanks to The Hogan Family, and this helped set him up for what was to come down the line.
Bateman would balance film and television work during the 90s and early 2000s, and it would be just a matter of time before he struck gold on television once again.
‘Arrested Development’ Landed Him Up To $125,000 Per Episode
Back in 2003, Arrested Development made its way onto television screens everywhere, and the show would go on to earn rave reviews and a loyal following that helped propel the show to success. After years of other projects, Bateman was suddenly thriving on television in a major role once again.
Arrested Development is a rare example of a show that was cancelled and subsequently brought back years later. Its original end came in 2006, and the series would make a return on Netflix in 2013. After another extended break, the series would get more episodes in 2018 and in 2019, which helped continue its legacy. It was an unusual path, but the series was another hit for Bateman.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bateman was making up to $125,000 for starring episodes of Arrested Development back in 2013. While there are stars on other shows making far more, a six-figure salary for starring in an episode of a television show is still a sweet deal for any actor.
All of his past television success helped Bateman land the lead in Ozark, and paired with the subsequent success of the show, his salary reached an incredible level.
He Cashed In With $300,000 Per Episode Of ‘Ozark’
According to reports, Jason Bateman is currently making $300,000 per episode of Ozark, which is considerably more than he was making for Arrested Development back in 2013. This was a huge win for the actor, who was once again taking part on a hit television series for audiences to enjoy.
Ozark made its debut back in 2017 and was able to find a large audience and a fair amount of critical acclaim in no time. Bateman is no stranger to success, but this must have felt great for the actor. Over time, the series has been nominated for some truly impressive awards, and Bateman himself has even won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing for his work on an episode of Ozark. What’s more is that Bateman received an Emmy nomination for his acting on the series, as well.
The show will be concluding after its fourth season, and while this is bittersweet for the fans, it does give Bateman the chance to land a role on another hit show in the future. If he successfully pulls that off, then he will certainly go down as one of the most successful actors in television history.