Jim Parsons at the top of Forbes’ list of highest paid TV actors

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23 (UPI) — Big Bang Theory lead Jim Parsons is at the top of Forbes’ list of highest paid TV actors, earning $25.5 million in a one year period.

Parsons’ Big Bang castmates take over the second, third, and fourth spots in the CBS-dominated list.

Johnny Galecki who, like Parsons, commands a $1 million per episode pay check, comes in second place on the list with a yearly total of $24 million.

Simon Helberg — who almost turned down his role on the show — is in third with $22.5 million, and Kunal Nayyar takes fourth with $22 million.

Fifth place is held by fellow CBS star Mark Harmon who took home $20 million for his work on NCIS, for which he is also an executive producer.

New to the list are X-Files star David Duchovny and CBS’s Michael Weatherly, who played Tony DiNozzo on NCIS and now stars as Dr. Jason Bull on the network’s new series, Bull.