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Highlights

• Cole Sprouse's role as Ben Gellar on Friends was his first big solo role and earned him a significant paycheck for two seasons.
• Cole appeared in just seven episodes of Friends due to scheduling conflicts, but he could have made more appearances if showrunners had wanted it.
• There are conflicting reports about Cole's salary on Friends, but his $8 million net worth does not include any earnings from the show or potential royalties.

Before his stint on Disney's Suite Life franchise, which had its fair share of big-name guest stars and starring role in Riverdale, Cole Sprouse was a young child actor trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. But instead of going to castings as a solo actor, Cole got to share the spotlight with his twin brother, Dylan. The two were so similar-looking that they initially booked roles written for one actor, be it in commercials or in their film debut, Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. But when it came to casting the role of Ben Gellar on Friends, Cole was cast without Dylan which meant the first big solo role for Cole and a decent paycheck to come with it.

By the time that Cole was cast for the role of Ross' son, Friends the character had been played by three other actors. However, Cole was the first one who had any speaking lines as Ben. This meant that he got a larger paycheck to appear on the show as well for the two seasons that the older Ben was featured on the hit sitcom.

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Not only did Cole make a good deal of money for his time on Friends, but based on his $8 million net worth, he may still be making money from the hit show today nearly two decades after the season finale ended.

Cole Sprouse Appeared On Seven Episodes Of Friends

While the character of Ben Gellar was essentially in Friends from nearly the first time the show aired, seeing Ross and Carol's son did not happen often. When Cole was cast in the role, it looked like fans might see more of Ben than they had in the past. But, it was not meant to be with Cole appearing in just seven episodes over the course of Seasons Six to Eight of Friends.

The reason that Cole was in just seven episodes has reportedly had to do with the fact that he was becoming very in demand and scheduling problems arose as a result. But, after a quick look at Cole's resume, it appears that from 2000 to 2002 when he appeared on Friends, his schedule would have allowed for more appearances if showrunners and executives had wanted it. Perhaps this is why Cole came up with a theory of his own to explain his character's disappearance from Friends.

"Critics would agree that Ross was never really the most present father," Cole explained. "And so it doesn't surprise me too much."

Cole went on to discuss why he was the only one to get a role on Friends versus his brother being cast in the role as well.

"Honestly, our appearance as the same character was sort of dependent on how much screen time we had," Cole said. "In Friends, for example, my role was not too present."

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Those who saw the video interview tended to agree that Cole did not get a bigger part on the show as a result of Ross not being that present of a father in his son's life. Some even went on to speculate that Ross "lost custody" of Ben and that was why Cole was not asked back to the show after Season Eight.

That does not mean that Cole did not make a good deal of money for his short time on the sitcom. Money which really helped to start building the net worth that Cole has today.

Cole Reportedly Earned $20,000 Per Episode Of 'Friends'

There are conflicting reports about how much Cole made while he appeared as Ben on Friends. Some sources claim that Cole was paid $5,000 per episode while others have the figure much higher at $20,000 per episode. Cole has never publicly spoken about what his salary was for his time on the series.

Trying to conclude just what Cole made from Friends is tricky to do. This is because, according to Cole, anything that was made prior to his days on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody was essentially spent by his mother, whom he does not have any contact with these days.

To make ends meet, Cole's mother put himself and Dylan into acting. However, when money started to come in, mental health issues and addiction were things that Cole and Dylan's mother were suffering from. As a result, she spent just about all the money the boys had worked hard for in their young careers and lost custody of her sons.

"When my father was given forced custody, we had pretty much lost everything from the youngest parts of our career," Cole explained. "That would be Friends and Big Daddy."

Cole went on to say, "My mother was an incredibly wonderful and artistic woman, but she was financially the most irresponsible woman ever."

As such, what comprises Cole's $8 million net worth does not include his work from Friends. As such, unless or until Cody expressly states what it was that he made on Friends, it is nothing more than speculation as to what he made when on the show.

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However, this salary does not include any royalties that Cole could make from Friends, and with some stars making quite a pretty penny in residuals, Cole could be as well.

How Much Does Cole Sprouse Make In 'Friends' Royalties Today?

When it comes to royalties, those who used to get them were only stars who had ownership rights in a show. However, the main six cast members of Friends were able to negotiate for syndication profits, profits that now bring in tens of millions per year.

While guest stars are not fortunate enough to make millions per year, they still receive a residual for their time on the show. As such, it would be expected that Cole receives the same, likely amounting to somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 per year for his work on Friends.

While there are not any reports of Cole making any royalties from The Suite Life With Zack & Cody or with Riverdale being syndicated on streaming platforms, it is very possible he has negotiated to receive something from these successful shows as well.

It is estimated that for his work on The Suite Life franchise, Cole made $3 million. For his time on Riverdale, Cole made a reported $40,000 per episode after the third season aired. It is not known how much was made prior to those contract negotiations.

However, with the 137 episodes of Riverdale that aired, it would bring Cole close to his $8 million net worth. Throw in the other projects that Cole has worked on over the years this would bring his net worth higher. But after purchasing a multimillion-dollar home and other expenses, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Cole's net worth had remained steady over the last several years.

With all of this in mind, if Cole does receive royalties for his shows, they likely are not much. At least not enough to cause any real change in his net worth. But, as an actor, any little bit helps and if Cole's net worth remains constant even with big-ticket purchases, he is doing something right.

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