ASHTON KUTCHER IS NOW THE HIGHEST PAID SITCOM STAR

When the 33-year-old actor steps into character as Walden Schmidt on Two and a Half Men's September 19 premiere, he'll also take on the role of TV's highest-paid sitcom star.

According to a new TV Guide report -- featured in the magazine's August 11 issue -- Kutcher will earn approximately $700,000 per episode of the CBS hit. While his take is impressive, it's far less than that of his predecessor, Charlie Sheen, who enjoyed a payday of $1.2 million per episode of the half-hour comedy.