Holland Taylor reveals the sad reason why she left Two and a Half Men
Holland Taylor has opened up about why she decided to step away from the TV sitcom that made her an international household name.
The 83-year-old played Evelyn Harper, the sharp-tongued mother of Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) on the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men for 12 years.
Taylor had been on the Hollywood circuit in the years prior to accepting the position as the Harper family matriarch, with her role as Ruth Dunbar in the 1980s comedy Bosom Buddies - where she starred alongside Tom Hanks - serving as her breakout role.
In the years that followed, she also played Judge Roberta Kittleson on ABC's The Practice, and accumulated small film credits in the likes of Romancing the Stone, and its sequel The Jewel of the Nile, as well as One Fine Day, George of the Jungle, and The Truman Show.
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Despite this, Taylor didn't achieve recognition on a global scale until she began playing Evelyn Harper in 2003.
Two and a Half Men ran for 12 seasons between 2003 and 2015, becoming one of the broadcaster's most successful sitcoms.
According to Taylor, however, the paycheque she received following her first six years on the show never reflected her success - something which eventually spurred her not to renew her full-time contract one day in 2009.
Instead, she chose to return for occasional guest appearances for the half-a-decade that followed.
Speaking on the Alchemy with Anthony Mason podcast this week, Taylor explained that her salary had remained disappointing despite the recognition she received for her performance.
"They never paid me very well on that show," she alleged. "I was paid on that show what I had made on a series like eight years before or something.
"And I got four Emmy nominations and they never gave me a raise.
"They usually do."
As we say, Taylor received a staggering four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Evelyn, but said the experience was not without its frustrations.
"I loved a lot about that show, but they were not full of courtesies," she added.
The TV veteran explained that when her six-year contract came to an end, she made the decision to walk away from being a regular cast member.
"In any case, when the six years was up, I said, 'I don’t want to be on a contract anymore, but I will visit the show occasionally if you want'.
"I mean, I did play the boys' mother."
Taylor said the producers were astonished by her decision, apparently expecting her to renew her contract rather than turn down a permanent role.
She also recalled how the conversation about her future on the show unfolded, with the team telling her they could not afford to increase her salary.
"I said, 'You could actually pay me the cost of this building, but don’t bother because I don’t want to continue on under contract'," Taylor continued.
When the team insisted they could not offer her more money, Taylor said she was happy to return on her own terms.
"And they said, 'But we can’t afford to give you more.' I said, 'I’m cool with it. I just will come back as a guest from time to time'."
Taylor also suggested that salary negotiations were handled differently for her co-stars, noting that Cryer's pay had increased significantly.
"I don’t know, Jon [Cryer] quadrupled his salary or something like that," she claimed.
Despite her frustrations, Taylor's decision allowed her to pursue other opportunities, including her one-woman play Ann: An Affectionate Portrait of Ann Richards, which went on to earn her a Tony Award nomination.
Topics: Celebrity, US News, Entertainment, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson