With the production of the last episodes of the final season of Supernatural still on hiatus, for the time being, fans are eagerly awaiting its return so it can have a proper send-off.
The hit show has been around for 15 seasons, making it the longest-running CW show in history, and there is so much about it that fans love. Dean and Sam Winchester have literally been to hell and back to bring us one of the most complex shows on television.
But this whole time only one of the Winchester brothers has been making bank, while the other has been lagging behind. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are equally part of all the action in the show, so why is one of them making more money than the other?
The Pay Gap Between Ackles And Padalecki Is Pretty Big
Dean and Sam have driven Supernatural all these years. Without the other, there is no Supernatural. The brothers have spurred fans into creating some truly interesting fan theories, memes, and even fanfiction. They have made us laugh, cry, and appreciate brotherhood.
But apparently they aren't equal when it comes to their paychecks. Ackles makes a whole $50 thousand more than Padalecki per episode, with Ackles making $175 thousand and Padalecki making $125 thousand.
One Of The Biggest Reasons For The Pay Gap Is Because Of Ackles's Love For Directing
There has been some speculation on why there is this pay gap, but the biggest reason probably comes from the fact that Ackles has taken to directing some Supernatural episodes over the years (he isn't the only CW star who has turned to directing as Paul Wesley from The Vampire Diaries has also gone behind the camera).
Ackles has directed six episodes of Supernatural. He started all the way back in 2010 in season 6 and directed one episode a season after that until his last time in season 15 last year.
Since season 15 will be the last season, Ackles wanted to go behind the scenes once more. His ideas for that last episode he directed, "Atomic Monsters," turned out to be something like a full-scale action movie. So the show's creator had to tell him to dial it back a little to make it more television-friendly.
So, who knows maybe Ackles will be able to make really awesome action films when his time on Supernatural is up.
Whether Their Character Plays A Bigger Role In A Season Could Be A Factor
Sometimes, from season to season, either one of the brothers could play a bigger part than the other, and act as the 'savior.' Maybe this is what causes the pay gap?
There are a lot of examples of how each brother has been the savior in past seasons. For instance, there was the season where Sam lets Lucifer possess him to bring him to the cage. Then there was also the season where Dean goes to purgatory to kill the Leviathan.
While it is an interesting theory, it's not really probable that the payroll would fluctuate so often like that. The payroll hasn't seemed to change over the years either.
Their Net Worth's Are Similar Despite The Pay Gap
Even though Ackles makes more than Padalecki per episode, there is not much of a gap between each of their net worths. With Ackles worth $14 million, Padalecki comes up only a million short at $13 million.
If Ackles makes more money per episode why isn't his net worth larger than $14 million?
Ackles has been working since 1996 and started on soap operas. He landed roles on Days of Our Lives and entered into the CW (then the WB) when he was cast on Dawson's Creek and Smallville.
Along with his television work, he has starred in a couple of films over the years, including My Bloody Valentine, and has lent his voice for a couple of video games.
He also owns his own brewery with his family, called Family Business Brewing Co, and is in a band called Radio Company, who just dropped their first album.
Padalecki on the other hand has been working since 1999. Coincidentally he played Dean on another WB show, Gilmore Girls until he was cast as Sam in Supernatural. But he has also worked on some smaller movies, like House of Wax, during his time on Supernatural as well.
Padalecki was arrested last year for assault at a bar he owns in Texas, called Stereotype. No doubt he had to pay some hefty fines as a result.
Other than that, he also has a winery and a business with Ackles as well (like another CW brother duo, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, who own their own bourbon).
While it is sad that Supernatural is coming to an end after so many years, the pair of actors can now move on to other projects they might not have gotten time to do while on the show.
Last year Padalecki was cast in another CW show, a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, where he will also be the executive producer. It's set to air in 2021 after Padalecki's Supernatural role has come to an end.
As of right now, Ackles doesn't have anything lined up after Supernatural, but he'll probably pick something up eventually or just delve more into the directing world.
At least we know one thing for sure, the Winchester brothers will still be brothers in real life. Thank god the pay gap didn't form a real gap between them.