They really wanted him "to come back and do more Supernatural, even be on the series, but his Manager charges an exorbitant amount of money for his services." (His words not mine.) In other words, as Marsters put it, he's expensive.
Most actors don't enjoy doing television. Particularly if they are theater trained actors. I can understand why -- after walking through and seeing various television and film shoots. Also watching raw footage -- the raw footage just looks painful. They spend 75% of their time sitting around waiting for so-and-so to get the lighting right, the camera angle right, etc right -- then they came in, go to their mark, say their line. Then do it again. And again. And again. And again. Often it's a line no longer than "Hello" or "I didn't want to hurt you much" and if they say it "I didn't want to hurt you too much" -- they have to say it again. And the shot they liked the best, most likely the first one, and that they were wonderful in -- is on the cutting room floor, while the shot they hated and did horrible -- gets on screen because everything else is great. Add to all of this - each scene is shot out of sequence. And your acting partners aren't always on screen with you.
So -- once an actor gets a name for him or herself in the television industry or makes enough -- they get increasingly expensive. Guest stars on television can cost anywhere between $10,000 - $60,000 or more an episode. Some are paid by the hour, most by episode, depending on the contract price. They don't negotiate it -- their agents or manager's do. And you want a really good manager, who will fight for you. Because otherwise, you are doing a fight scene in the rain for twenty hours...and seeing next to nothing for it. I don't know about you, but if I had to do twenty-takes of a fight scene (and guest stars often have to do their own stunts), I'd want to be paid a lot to do it.
no subject
(His words not mine.) In other words, as Marsters put it, he's expensive.
Most actors don't enjoy doing television. Particularly if they are theater trained actors. I can understand why -- after walking through and seeing various television and film shoots. Also watching raw footage -- the raw footage just looks painful. They spend 75% of their time sitting around waiting for so-and-so to get the lighting right, the camera angle right, etc right -- then they came in, go to their mark, say their line. Then do it again. And again. And again. And again. Often it's a line no longer than "Hello" or "I didn't want to hurt you much" and if they say it "I didn't want to hurt you too much" -- they have to say it again. And the shot they liked the best, most likely the first one, and that they were wonderful in -- is on the cutting room floor, while the shot they hated and did horrible -- gets on screen because everything else is great. Add to all of this - each scene is shot out of sequence. And your acting partners aren't always on screen with you.
So -- once an actor gets a name for him or herself in the television industry or makes enough -- they get increasingly expensive. Guest stars on television can cost anywhere between $10,000 - $60,000 or more an episode. Some are paid by the hour, most by episode, depending on the contract price. They don't negotiate it -- their agents or manager's do. And you want a really good manager, who will fight for you. Because otherwise, you are doing a fight scene in the rain for twenty hours...and seeing next to nothing for it. I don't know about you, but if I had to do twenty-takes of a fight scene (and guest stars often have to do their own stunts), I'd want to be paid a lot to do it.