This is just a random thought that I’ve had from time to time. I’m wondering if the guests on shows like Late Night (Carson, Leno, O’Brien, et al.) get paid by the show for their appearance? Or is it more that the Hollywood stars they book are contractually obligated to do some promotional marketing for their company or brand?

Anyone in the know?

My WAG is the “guests” are most always promoting a book, movie, event, or cause and this is just part of the “book tour” so to speak. I suppose it is possible that the money may be flowing into the show, not the other way around. Just a thought.

Going back to Carson's time, most "guests" were performers and part of a union. They got some required minimums of a few hundred bucks. But I'm talking thirty years and more ago.

If it was some Ordinary Joe who got famous for some reason, I'm sure there will be compensations. At least an all-expenses-paid trip while in town for them and their families.

I've had a few family members as well as friends on both daytime and late-night shows. It's always been all expenses paid.

For famous folks I'm sure it's the same but probably first class tickets, nicer hotels and meals.

If they are members of the Screen Actors Guild or AFTA I am sure they get paid at least some minimum union scale for an appearance.

Ah, interesting. I hadn’t considered the union angle. Thank you.

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If they are members of the Screen Actors Guild or AFTA I am sure they get paid at least some minimum union scale for an appearance.

Everybody gets an appearance fee regardless of how famous (or not) you are. This is how the show comes to own the rights to your appearance.

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Originally posted by a1abdj:
Everybody gets an appearance fee regardless of how famous (or not) you are. This is how the show comes to own the rights to your appearance.

Bingo.

I'm sure the compensation has changed as many celebrities are earning quite a bit more than celebs of 30-40-50 years ago when the talk-show circuit was in its heyday. Not to mention the revenue stream and market share dominance that networks had isn't what it once was either, there's just a lot more platforms today for celebs to get their face out to the public.

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Originally posted by mark123:
This is just a random thought that I’ve had from time to time. I’m wondering if the guests on shows like Late Night (Carson, Leno, O’Brien, et al.) get paid by the show for their appearance? Or is it more that the Hollywood stars they book are contractually obligated to do some promotional marketing for their company or brand?

Anyone in the know?

They get paid per the union scale (the Screen Actor's Guild) for their appearances. Their union deal requires it, but they take scale because they are promoting movies, books, etc. Their obligations to do the promotional appearance is part of their contract to be in the movie, or whatever. But they actually get paid the scale amount by the Tonight Show.

The winners of a duck calling contest may also get scale, but the Tonight Show also flies them out, puts them in a hotel, buys them dinner, etc.

I believe it can also be per "segment", if they're asked to stay on past x amount of commercial breaks, it counts as another segment and the pay goes up.

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Originally posted by jhe888:

The winners of a duck calling contest may also get scale, but the Tonight Show also flies them out, puts them in a hotel, buys them dinner, etc.

Aren't those the Coast Guard Recruiters who get the most new enlisted/officers to sign up?

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Originally posted by Ripley:
Going back to Carson's time, most "guests" were performers and part of a union. They got some required minimums of a few hundred bucks. But I'm talking thirty years and more ago.

That sounds about right. Back in 1985, Penn Jillette let slip the fee of "$390" for their appearance on Letterman. No idea if that was the actual amount, but mentioning the real fee sounds like something he would do. The current scale rate would be more, of course, but I'm guessing still in the hundreds-of-dollars range.

Letterman 1985