News | Entertainment
15 Jul 2025 19:55
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Jason Earles "got f*****" by his Disney Channel contract

    The 48-year-old actor found fame when he was cast as Miley Cyrus' older brother on the hit sitcom 'Hannah Montana' in the late 2000s and while he earned "good" money at the time, the technicalities of his contract meant that he didn't make as much as he necessarily should have done through royalties


    Speaking on the 'Night School' podcast, he said: "This is the reality of the situation. They are really good-paying jobs. Before being on 'Hannah', I was an extra, a stand-in and a substitute teacher, and being on 'Hannah' paid significantly more than those jobs. That being said, when 'Hannah' was on, the contract was before SAG and AFTRA merged, so it was an AFTRA basic cable agreement.

    "So, because of that, that is like the worst television contract that you can be under.

    "One of the ways you make your money is through residuals. So if they air the episode a bunch of times, you make money on the back side.

    "For 'Hannah', because it was that agreement, whatever they pay you above scale, they can credit back in your residuals.

    "Let's for easy numbers, say that scale as a series regular is $5,000 an episode. And then, because you're whatever, you sign your deal and they pay you $10,000 an episode.

    "So what happens is, they pay you $10,000, they air the episode, and the first $5,000 of residuals you should have gotten, they keep because they paid you upscale.

    "The double whammy was, at the time, usually a reuse, is that they aired it once, and it counts as one.

    "The after agreement said that if the episode was aired at noon, there was a full 24 hours to air as many times as they wanted, and it counted as one use. So I got f*****.

    "You're getting double d*****."

    Despite this, Jason is still "grateful" for the progression that the series gave him in his career and while he doesn't have the "generational wealth" that he feels he deserves after being a part of the billion-dollar franchise, he is "doing better" than others.

    He said: "All that being said, we did 101 episodes, we did a feature film, that show led to 'Kickin It', which was another 88 episodes. So on volume alone, and I'm a frugal guy, I saved money, and I'm doing fine.

    "I live in an apartment instead of a house, I feel like I should have generational wealth based on the 'Hannah' success. I don't. "But "I'm doing better than a lot of people, I'm doing better than my parents. So in some ways, I could be bitter or I could be grateful. "And I choose to be grateful.

    "I hope that I have more opportunities to make up the difference now that the contracts are better."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     15 Jul: Richard Dreyfuss has been diagnosed with viral bronchitis
     15 Jul: Justin and Hailey Bieber are celebrating his new album Swag together
     15 Jul: Aides for King Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex held secret talks in London last week
     15 Jul: Jason Kelce says his brother Travis is his "best friend on the planet"
     15 Jul: Oasis are planning a £200,000 party to celebrate their UK reunion shows
     15 Jul: Cheryl Tweedy found it "heartbreaking" when Liam Payne's final TV show was released on Netflix
     15 Jul: Ariana Madix feels like the "Glam Reaper" on Love Island USA
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Black Sevu Reece has declared himself ready to return to the test arena More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Tax experts on the 20 per cent HECS-HELP discount and your tax return More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Richard Dreyfuss has been diagnosed with viral bronchitis 19:40

    Entertainment:
    Justin and Hailey Bieber are celebrating his new album Swag together 19:10

    Rugby:
    All Black Sevu Reece has declared himself ready to return to the test arena 18:57

    Entertainment:
    Aides for King Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex held secret talks in London last week 18:40

    Law and Order:
    The paediatrician who treated Malachi Subecz says more medical consultation's needed in child abuse cases 18:37

    Business:
    Tax experts on the 20 per cent HECS-HELP discount and your tax return 18:17

    Entertainment:
    Jason Kelce says his brother Travis is his "best friend on the planet" 18:10

    Rugby League:
    Kurt Capewell will replace Rocco Berry in the centres for the Warriors' NRL visit to the Newcastle Knights on Sunday 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Oasis are planning a £200,000 party to celebrate their UK reunion shows 17:40

    Rugby League:
    Sonny Bill Williams has weighed in six kilograms heavier than Paul Gallen 24 hours out from their boxing bout in Sydney 17:37


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd