Dylan Sprouse says his years starring in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody didn’t exactly translate into big residual payments.
The actor and Wildmen podcast host recently revealed that he received just one residual check from the former Disney Channel sitcom, covering a single episode from its 2006 crossover with Hannah Montana. Around the 13-minute mark of the video above, Dylan recalled receiving only five cents in residuals for the episode.
“I’m not joking,” he said. “[A] 5-cent check.”
Titled “That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana,” the episode was a three-part crossover special that brought together That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Hannah Montana during the second season of Suite Life.
The series, which starred Dylan alongside his twin brother, Cole Sprouse, ran for three seasons in the mid-2000s before spawning the spinoff The Suite Life on Deck. The follow-up series also lasted three seasons, airing from 2008 to 2011.
“In a time when residual payments would have been especially valuable, I didn’t receive a single paycheck despite being part of arguably one of the most popular shows [on television],” Dylan continued.
The actor also remembered Suite Life showrunner Danny Kallis telling the cast and crew that the Disney Channel series had surpassed HBO’s 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 added.
According to a 2018 Business Insider report, Dylan and Cole were earning $20,000 per episode of Suite Life, placing them among the highest-paid child actors of the 2000s and early 2010s.
