Larry Mathews Shares ‘Big Misconception’ About Residuals, Says “Dick Van Dyke Show” ‘Made a Lot of Money, but We Didn’t’ (Exclusive)

Tereza ShkurtajSun, October 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

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Larry Mathews in 2009Credit: T. Conrad/AdMedia/Alamy -

Larry Mathews played Richie Petrie, the son of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the ‘60s

While Mathews says everyone assumes the role made him “rich,” he says he doesn’t make “anything” from the series

Still, he has nothing but fond memories of his time on the set

The Dick Van Dyke Show remains a beloved television classic, earning critical acclaim and 15 Emmy Awards from 1961 to 1966.

Larry Mathews, who played Richie Petrie, the son of Rob and Laura Petrie, was part of the sitcom from a young age. But despite the show’s lasting popularity, Mathews says there is a “big misconception” about how much its cast members actually earned.

While the series generated money long after its original episodes aired, the 71-year-old says he hasn’t benefited from those later profits. “Everybody thinks that we’re rich because we were on a really hit show,” Mathews tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Yeah, [the show] made a lot of money, but we didn’t.”

Dick Van Dyke, Larry Mathews, and Mary Tyler Moore in ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show.’Credit: Courtesy of Larry Mathews

Although he spent five years of his childhood working on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mathews says payment structures in the ‘60s differed greatly from the residual system actors are familiar with today.

According to Mathews, he was paid per episode, regardless of “whether I was in it or not”; however, residual payments worked differently.

He says an episode had to air five times for actors to receive the “full residual” amount, with payments following a “receding scale” that decreased with each airing. After those five runs, the cast received no further payments for that episode.

“The people that made the money off of [the show] were the people who owned it when it went into syndication,” Mathews says, pointing to people like creator Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke and other producers.

“They would get the money for syndication, but the other actors, all of us, including Mary [Tyler Moore], by the way, we just got our five runs, and that was it.”

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After graduating from UCLA with a theater degree, Mathews built a decades-long career in post-production and sales while continuing to take on occasional voiceover jobs on shows like Family Guy.

“I still get some measly residuals for that, but I don’t get anything from the Dick Van Dyke Show,” he reveals.

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Mary Tyler Moore and Larry Mathews in ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show.’Credit: Courtesy of Larry Mathews

Nevertheless, Mathews speaks warmly about the friendships he formed with his castmates, particularly Rose Marie, with whom he shared a birthday and a close bond that continued for decades until she died in 2017.

He also recalls spending time away from the studio, including sleepovers with Jerry Paris’ son and trips to Pacific Ocean Park with the actor’s family.

Those experiences, Mathews says, helped create the closeness he believes audiences could see on screen. For him, the show’s family dynamic wasn’t simply something the cast performed; it was a reflection of the relationships they built while working together.

“We were like a family, and I think it showed in the show,” Mathews tells PEOPLE. “I think it came across really well because when people watch the show, you really believe Dick and Mary were a married couple. You believe we were a family.”

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”