Two and a Half Men's Conchata Ferrell made millions from the show she wasn't supposed to be a major part of.
When fans look back at Two and a Half Men these days, the vast majority of people focus on the myriad of controversies that surrounded the show. Of course, that is a shame in a lot of ways since the show had loads of devoted fans.
That said, it makes perfect sense that so many people focus on the scandals since it can be hard to believe all the things that happened on the show's set. That is to say nothing about the well-documented feud that took place between the series' creator Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen.
Despite the drama that surrounded Two and a Half Men, it is important to note that most actors were excited to be a part of the show which is why so many stars made cameo appearances. On top of that, most of the show's stars got a lot out of their time starring in the sitcom.
One of Two and a Half men's most consistent stars was the person who brought Berta to life, Conchata Ferrell. Considering how big the role Ferrell played in Two and a Half Men was and how much money she made from the show, it is fascinating to know she originally wasn't supposed to be a part of the sitcom for long.
What Were The Original Plans For Conchata Ferrell's Two And A Half Men Character?
Throughout all twelve seasons of Two and a Half Men, Conchata Ferrell's character Berta could always be depended on to get some laughs. Known for her sarcastic sense of humor, Berta never put up with anyone's crap, even if they were supposed to be her boss.
By the time Two and a Half Men came to an end, most of the show's fans had come to care about Berta. Considering that very little was ever revealed about Berta's character throughout the show's twelve seasons, that is truly incredible.
The reason why most people invested in Berta as a character is pretty simple, Ferrell imbued the character with so much humanity. Sure, Berta always wanted to keep everyone at an arm's length, but the fact remains that Ferrell always made it clear that her character had more to her than meets the eye.
Considering that Ferrell became a big part of Two and a Half Men's success, it is amazing to know how her time on the show began. As it turns out, Ferrell's take on Berta completely flew in the face of what the people behind the show envisioned.
Back when the last season of Two and a Half Men's first episode was set to premiere in 2014, Conchata Ferrell was interviewed by AV Club. During the resulting conversation, Ferrell described what the people behind Two and a Half Men envisioned for the maid character.
"The best story about Berta is my audition. I think they wanted her to be the ethnic character. They asked me to come with an Eastern European accent."
Despite the way Two and a Half Men's producers envisioned the character that became Berta, Ferrell decided she was going to go a different way during her audition.
"I liked the material very much. I love playing women who have the nerve to do things that I don’t have the nerve to do, and Berta is certainly one of those. So I worked it like they wanted, but I also worked it in my own voice, and I thought to myself, 'You know, this really works better for me in my own voice, so what I ought to do is ask them if I can do it both ways.' "
"So I planned on that. And then I got there, and there were 32 women auditioning for this role." Ferrell went on to reveal that once she learned there was so much competition, Conchata realized that she just had to go for it.
After auditioning in her own voice, Ferrell won Two and a Half Men's co-creator over to her vision for the character. The reason for that is Ferrell says that Lorre "really liked the idea of this woman being a trailer-park person".
During the same interview, Ferrell revealed that Berta was originally envisioned as a very short-term character.
"It was supposed to be a two-part arc, and my character was going to quit because Alan and the boy were moving in."
Fortunately for Two and a Half Men fans who grew to love Berta and Ferrell, Lorre clearly liked her take on the character enough to keep her around until the series ended.
How Much Money Did Conchata Ferrell Make From Two And A Half Men?
During Conchata Ferrell's life, she became a mother of three and she entertained the masses for many years. As a result, there was a lot of sorrow when it was learned that Ferrell passed away at the age of 77 years old in 2020.
When Ferrell passed away, she was able to leave behind a significant nest egg for the people she left behind. After all, celebritynetworth.com reports that Ferrell's estate is worth $10 million as of the time of this writing.
Since Ferrell worked as an actor for decades before she joined Two and a Half Men's cast, some of the fortune she left behind stemmed from other projects. That said, there is no doubt that the majority of Ferrell's fortune was from her years starring in the hit sitcom.
According to celebritynetworth.com, Ferrell was being paid $150,000 per episode by the time Two and a Half Men ended. Even if Ferrell only received that salary for the final episode of Two and a Half Men which lasted 16 episodes, she would have received $2.4 million.
Considering that Ferrell appeared in 211 Two and a Half Men episodes according to IMDb, there is no doubt that the show made her rich. That is all the more amazing once you know that Ferrell's character was originally only going to appear in two episodes.
