Cast of 'Grey's Anatomy' Gets Raise

Several members of the cast of the hit ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" have agreed to new, more lucrative contracts.

Ellen Pompeo is the big winner, as she has come to a new deal for her services on the show that will pay her $200,000 per episode.

Also receiving new contracts are cast members James T. Pickens, Jr. and Chandra Wilson. Justin Chambers and T.R. Knight are also close to new contracts on the Golden Globe-winning series.

Pickens, Wilson, Chambers, and Knight's deals will be worth $125,000 per episode, according to sources. There are about two-dozen episodes per season.

The new terms are retroactive, meaning they will go back to the first episode of the current season.

The contract status for "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Isaiah Washington was not clear. Rumors are that he might continue to work on the show without a raise due to recent controversy surrounding his use of a homophobic slur. Communication with the show's producer, ABC TV Studio, has been kept private.

Both the studio and actors have declined comment.

"Grey's Anatomy" stars Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, and Katherine Heigl have yet to close new deals. Heigl's contract negotiations stalled last month after details were leaked to the media. ABC TV Studio then released a statement regarding the matter.

"Fortunately, we have a long-term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come," the statement said. "In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract."

All cast members on "Grey's Anatomy" are already under long-term contracts with ABC TV Studio. But because the show has been so successful it is traditional when this happens to renegotiate actors' contracts to receive raises after two seasons to reward for the success of the show. "Grey's Anatomy" debuted as a mid-season replacement in March 2005, so the cast is due for their renegotiations as it has now been two full years since the show debuted.

According to sources, most of the supporting actors when into the negotiations process as a group. That group quickly dissolved and lead to individual contract talks between each cast member and ABC TV Studio.

Kate Walsh, who joined the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" at the end of the first season, has a new deal as well as part of her central role in the show's potential spin-off series.

The "Grey's Anatomy" cast recently won a Screen Actors Guild Award for best drama series ensemble.

Sources:
http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Entertainment-News/Article/Default.aspx?idx=509991
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/greys-anatomy/greys-anatomy-stars-get-paid-4862.aspx
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/09/entertainment/e175212S71.DTL&type=entertainment