Equal pay is paramount for ‘Big Bang Theory’ stars

The five original stars of the hit US drama plan on taking pay cuts.

Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), and Kunal Nayyar (Raj) all earn a cool million per episode but for the upcoming two seasons, they've agreed to take a $100,000 pay cut. According to Variety, it's so Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) and Mayim Bialik (Amy) can get significant raises. [caption id="attachment_335741" align="alignnone" width="464"] Melissa Rauch (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)[/caption] The Big Bang Theory has been running for ten seasons. The two actresses joined later than the original five but are now integral parts of the storyline, with a huge fan base. They each earn $200,000 per episode, but this pay cut would bump their earnings up to  $450,000. [caption id="attachment_335742" align="alignnone" width="395"] Actress Mayim Bialik (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)[/caption]   We think it's great that the stars are all trying to stay on a level playing field, but it seems like the ladies still have a bit to go before they reach the million dollar club. Meanwhile, CBS are reportedly hashing out a deal to give Jim Parsons a prequel show that will focus on Sheldon's early life in Texas. Sheldon as an awkward teenager? We're predicting great things from that one.