‘Shrinking' Star Ted McGinley Says He's ‘Super Cheap' Because ‘Happy Days' Residuals Pay Pennies

Ted McGinley says reruns of Happy DaysandMarried... With Children still generate residual checks-but not enough to get him to the bank. The Shrinking star revealed the payments are so small he's never cashed them.

The actor, who was a ubiquitous presence on television throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, revealed that he has a "whole stack" of residual checks at home-each worth just a penny. McGinley told Page Six that residual payments "step down" over time until "it doesn't become that much." Rather than cashing them, he kept the checks as mementos of his long television career.

Were any of the checks worth depositing? "I'd say about $2," he laughed, adding, "$1.89, it's going on!"

Thankfully, McGinley didn't consider financially depending on residuals. "I'm super cheap," he laughed in a separate interview with Page Six. He said both he and his wife, Gigi Rice, are frugal.

"We're both very thrifty and have been…I'm a massive saver," he explained. "I've worked since I was in third grade, cutting lawns and doing paper routes, and I've saved it."

McGinley was seemingly everywhere on television in the '80s and '90s, but after spending years out of the spotlight, his turn as Derek-the sweet, scene-stealing husband on Shrinking-has made his career resurgence all the more satisfying.

"I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I [would] get this shot," he said about his role on the Apple+ hit series. "I remember always going in on films and whatnot and thinking, ‘I wonder what it would be like, I'd just give anything to see what it would be like to work opposite a guy like Harrison Ford, just the biggest movie star in the world. What is it like?"

He added, "It's amazing. This has been that gift. It's been that opportunity to just watch." And "I never thought I would be on a show like this," McGinley said. "I'm so honored that they would allow me to be a part of it."

Seasons 1 through 3 of Shrinking are currently streaming on Apple+.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 1:44 PM.