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T H E R U T L A N D E R S |
The
Tabloids: Ellen leaves the set! |
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The Rutlanders may be at the top of the ratings, but life is only
getting
harder for the characters on screen, as well as the actors on set. The
latest volley in the series troubled history came on September 29th as
Jenna Moreno stormed off the set is a fit of fury, pushing and shoving
people as she went
"She was quite upset," says one insider close to the star. "No, she was pissed off. She was a volcano ready to explode and she finally went off." So why exactly is Jenna so upset? The reason is not exactly clear, but the most likely culprit is  money.
In the first season of the series, while on the cash strapped ABN
network,
the actress reportedly made $9,000 an episode, which was bumped up to
$20,000
for the second season, which aired on ABC. When "The Rutlanders" became
the runaway hit of that season, it blew everybody away. The actors were
astounded, but it was ABC that was laughing all the way to the bank,
pocketing
an estimated $60 million in pure profit on that season. When the second
season came around, the actors smartened up and demanded raises; ABC
doubled
most of the salaries, but put series star, created and writer Doug Bush
at $150,000 an episode. Moreno currently makes $55,000. Her gripe is
that
she is the series main character and that she, in fact, carries many of
the episodes. For the highest rated show on tv to only pay its star
$55,000
an episode is a slap in the face, or so she contends.
The situation came to a boil on the morning of the 29th of September when she got into a  screaming
match with Bush.
"Why are you getting paid more than me," she screamed. "I'm the star of the show." "You're only as famous as I make you," Bush responded. "Don't forget that I made you." It's not clear whether Moreno returned to the set that day or not, but Bush has already gone to plan B. He's rewritten episodes of the third season to make them focus more on the secondary characters rather than on the character of Ellen. A major plotline will have a character getting pregnant, and it's not Ellen. Also, there will be money troubles which will focus the show more on Liz and John rather than on Ellen, who has born the majority of the storylines in the past two seasons. "This is not over yet, " Moreno was reported as saying. "If this doesn't change, I will leave the set for good at the end of this season." It'll certainly turn out to be an interesting season. Could the show be nearing an end already? |
