Christine Taylor’s ‘Hey Dude’ salary was far lower than castmates remembered

Christine Taylor is looking back at her early Hollywood career — and revealing that her "Hey Dude" salary was far lower than her castmates remembered.

During an appearance on "The Secret World of Alex Mack" actress Natanya Ross’ "We’re Still Here, Babe" podcast Wednesday, Taylor — who played Melody Hanson on Nickelodeon’s western comedy series from 1989 to 1991 — said she earned approximately $3,500 per episode by the show’s final season.

"By the time ‘Hey Dude’ ended, we had this discussion amongst our castmates, and everyone seemed to think [that] by the last season, we were making $5,000 an episode," Taylor said.

"No, we were making $3,500 an episode, I’m pretty sure, because they would bump us up $500 every season," she added.

Taylor said all of the cast members earned the same amount, despite her co-stars’ shared belief that they were making $5,000 per episode.

"Everyone in their brain was like, ‘$5,000.’ I was like, ‘No way, no way.

That would have … no, it did not happen,’" she recalled.

The actress said she was careful with the money she earned while working on the popular children’s series.

She also credited her family with helping her financially as she moved to Los Angeles and pursued acting.

JENNIE GARTH ADMITS ‘SCARY’ FINANCIAL SPIRAL AFTER ‘90210’ FAME Taylor remembered budgeting closely, using laundromats and monitoring her spending during the early stages of her career.

The actress went on to appear in "Saved by the Bell," "Blossom" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" before landing her breakout role as Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie." ‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR SHARES THE SIMPLE WORD THAT SAVED HER FROM HOLLYWOOD TRAPS Taylor also revealed that she was asked to lose 10 pounds before playing the iconic character in the 1995 film.

"Of course, I was embarrassed when that ask came my way," she said, adding that the request reflected the attitudes of the 1990s and "would never happen today." FORMER DISNEY STAR DYLAN SPROUSE SAYS ACTING AS A KID WAS ‘CHILD LABOR’ Taylor later starred alongside her husband, Ben Stiller, in films including "Zoolander" and "DodgeBall." The couple married in 2000, separated in 2017 and later reconciled.

They share two children, Ella and Quinlin.

GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE Taylor’s experience is part of a broader pattern in Hollywood, where a recognizable television role does not always guarantee financial security.