Ashton Kutcher, Jon Cryer Offered New ‘Two and a Half Men’ Deals, But No Raises

Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer have each been offered new two-year deals to continue making hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. However, negotiations are proving tricky, as the respective offers provide no raises on what the stars currently make per episode.

The Hollywood Reporter claims that neither Kutcher or Cryer are keen about shooting another two seasons of the show, and series co-creator Chuck Lorre is similarly apathetic.

Yet a raise for the two stars of the comedy may work wonders. Kutcher currently struggles by on a mere $700,000 per episode, or $15.4 million for a 22-episode season. Cryer, who has been with the show since its inception, makes “slightly less,” according to a Reporter source. Neither man makes as much as former star Charlie Sheen – before he was fired after the eighth season for his erratic behavior, Sheen scooped $1.25 million per episode.

Sources say the new proposals from CBS and Warner Bros. are likely to lead to a long period of negotiations, with TV Guidereporting on Tuesday that Kutcher had asked for a straight $1 million per episode to return for one more year. Insiders say that Kutcher, Cryer and Lorre would all prefer to wrap the show up after its next season, the tenth, but more money may gee them up.

CBS and Warner Bros. are likely to be flexible, according to industry experts. The ninth season has had a higher average audience than the eighth (helped by Kutcher’s much-hyped arrival in Fall 2011), and the show is still highly lucrative.

A CBS spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, “We decline to comment on rumor and speculation.”

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]