10 Highest-paid TV Actors of All Time

Ashton Kutcher was already extremely successful before he joined the cast of the TV ratings gold mine “Two and a Half Men.” Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

Ashton Kutcher replaced the star of one of the hottest shows on television. No sweat. Charlie Sheen's lead character, also named "Charlie," was killed off on CBS' "Two and a Half Men" in 2011. The network tapped TV and movie actor Ashton Kutcher ("That '70s Show," "Personal Effects") to take over for both Charlies. Kutcher appeared as billionaire Walden Schmidt, who buys Charlie's heavily mortgaged home and lets grieving brother Alan stick around.

The ratings stuck around as well. Initially, they were huge. Kutcher's first episode drew the biggest audience ever for the series [source: The Huffington Post]. Viewership dropped a bit after that but remained solid. Kutcher's reward: $750,000 per episode [source: TV Guide]. Told you not to worry.