Stars Who Left Their Hit TV Shows And Fans Still Can't Get Over The Loss

One thing about TV shows is that they appeal to us for much more than movies do—especially if everything about is worthwhile, that people won't have any problem sparing some of their time just to follow along with the story. TV shows have this particular pacing (well, this still depends on the writing), that just makes it more inviting and addicting, making the viewers go into a frenzy of wanting more and feeling not satisfied enough, in a good way.

When we find ourselves watching a show, we tend to get attached to the characters, the plotline, and all the other little details that make it such a great creation. Not only that, but we also tend to get attached to the actors, especially when we dive much deeper into the production of the said show we have also come to love all the quirks and personalities of the actors that play the characters we love.

That being said, we also tend to get affected so much by sudden disappearances or deaths of our favorite characters in these shows. And well, it's one thing to mourn the death of a character, but it is also a whole other story if the actors themselves leave their shows indefinitely.

Here's a roundup of some actors that departed their shows somewhat unexpectedly:

1. Damian Lewis, Billions

Damian Lewis departed Showtime's Billions after five seasons in October 2021.

JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME

2. Emily VanCamp, The Resident

Emily VanCamp had exited Fox's The Resident for good in August 2021.

Fox

3. Madeleine Mantock, Charmed

Madeleine Mantock, the actress for sister Macy for three seasons, has exited the CW's Charmed reboot just ahead of season four.

The CW

4. Megan Boone, The Blacklist

Megan Boone left NBC's The Blacklist just at the end of the eighth season. Her character was killed off just before she would've read a letter that would have revealed everything.

NBC

5. Rege-Jean Page, Bridgerton

Hearts were broken when it was revealed that the Duke of Hastings won't be back for the second season of Bridgerton. All is well, though, because, with the chemistry between Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley in Season 2, you would totally almost forget the Duke!

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

6. Ruby Rose, Batwoman

Rose played Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, in the CW drama. She exited the show just two days after the finale of season one aired.

CW

7. America Ferrera, Superstore

America Ferrera exited the show Superstore at the end of the fifth season, leaving Cloud 9 managerless and the show was left without a lead. However, she did end up appearing in season six's first two episodes because of the pandemic.

She then returned for the series finale to give Amy and Jonah (Ben Feldman) their well-deserved happy ending.

NBC

8. Jason Ralph, The Magicians

While The Magicians still feature dead characters, Jason Ralph did not return for the next seasons.

Syfy

9. Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow

"Felicity and I are a very tight two | But after one through seven we will be saying goodbye to you," she wrote in a poem, referring to her departure. She did return, however, for a guest appearance in the show's finale.

CW

10. Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead

Cohan appeared in some season nine episodes, however, after a six-year time jump, her character Maggie Greene wasn't appearing anymore. Cohan then returned in last season's 16th episode that aired in October 2020.

AMC

11. Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead

Gurira made her last appearance in an episode in season 10 that aired in March 2020.

AMC

12. Nicollette Sheridan, Dynasty

Sheridan exited the show ahead of season three to spend time with and care for her ailing mother.

CW

13. George Eads, MacGyver

Eads left the show midway through season three in 2019. His departure was said to be because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

CBS

14. Damon Wayans, Lethal Weapon

"I'm going to be quitting the show in December after we finish the initial 13, so I really don't know what they're planning, but that's what I'm planning," he said. "I'm a 58-year-old diabetic and I'm working 16-hour days… Murtaugh said, ‘too old for this.'"

The show was then canceled at the end of season three.

Fox

15. Cameron Monaghan, Shameless

When Monaghan left Shameless during season 9, his character was made to be locked up. The actor in real life was ready to explore new projects after so many years of being on the show.

Showtime

16. Emmy Rossum, Shameless

After 9 fruitful seasons as Fiona Gallagher, Rossum has also announced her plans to leave Shameless.

Showtime

17. Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The ever-iconic Gina Linetti, played by Chelsea Peretti, left Brooklyn Nine-Nine after a series of tweets in 2018 where she announced her plans to leave the show. She did say she would be back and even used Rossum's farewell note to Shameless.

NBC

18. Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead

Andrew Lincoln left The Walking Dead during season nine. "These guys have been the best surrogate family I could have hoped for, but I do have a real family and it is time for me to go home," Lincoln said at San Diego Comic-Con.

AMC

19. Pauley Perrette, NCIS

Pauley Perrette left NCIS in 2018, after 15 years. "I believe in God and the universe so firmly, and it just suddenly became blindingly apparent that now was the time," she said.

"After a lot of thought, I decided to announce it myself on Twitter because I didn't want it to be turned into anything 'shocking. Abby leaving is more than a cheap TV ploy."

Sonja Flemming/CBS

20. Willa Holland, Arrow

Holland's exit from Arrow had been planned for a while, said boss Marc Guggenheim to TVLine. She asked to reduce her episode count and her character be written out in season six.

CW

21. Grace Park, Hawaii Five-0

Park left Hawaii Five-0 ahead of its eighth season. She and her costar Daniel Dae Kim left after their failed negotiations to reach pay parity with their co-stars.

CBS

22. Daniel Dae Kim, Hawaii Five-0

Kim and costar Grace Park left the show between seasons seven and eight. Kim said in a Facebook post that the choice to leave was difficult and that he made himself available to come back, but "CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract."

CBS

23. Sophia Bush, Chicago PD

In December 2018, the actress said that she quit the series after "a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior."

NBC

24. T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley

After four seasons on the show, Miller exited, having it called an "organic ending." He told Entertainment Weekly, "Also, in a weird way, it's interesting to me to leave a show at its height."

"It's interesting to me to see how the show will grow and change with the exit of this character."

HBO

25. Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait

"True, I've been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1," Hayes said on Twitter. "Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans."

Shortly after, CBS canceled the show altogether.

CBS

26. Jennifer Morrison, Once Upon a Time

Jennifer Morrison exited from Once Upon a Time but then appeared in a season seven episode to help say goodbye to her character, who simply went off to have a happy ending in another universe.

ABC

27. Connie Britton, Nashville

Britton's character Rayna died from injuries from a car accident. She posted on Instagram to pay tribute to the character and the show after that particular episode aired.

"It has been an honor to be a part of that creation. And as I know she would want it, the show must and will go on. Long live Rayna Jaymes," she wrote.

ABC

28. Stana Katic, Castle

"Rather than distract from what was an amazing experience I would just like to say that I'm very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans," says Katic. The series did not end up returning.

ABC

29. Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow

Beharie confirmed that her character, Abbie Mills, was really dead, and no supernatural resurfacing would happen. It was then canceled after one season without her.

Tina Rowden/FOX

30. Michael Weatherly, NCIS

After 13 years with the show, Weatherly announced he would be leaving NCIS after being there right from the very start. "He is a valued part of the CBS family, and the immense charm and talent he brings to the screen as 'Very' Special Agent Tony DiNozzo has helped make NCIS what it is today—the No. 1 drama in the world," CBS said in a statement.

"We thank Michael for all of his contributions to this successful franchise and look forward to continuing to develop projects with him as part of our ongoing development deal."

CBS

31. Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries

"I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six-season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime," Dobrev wrote in an open letter. "I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever."

Dobrev then returned for the finale to give both her characters Elena and Katherine a final ending.

The CW

32. Kal Penn, House

Kal Penn quit the show because he got a job at the White House. His character was made to commit suicide.

Greg Gayne/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

33. Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: SVU

Meloni left the series after some tense contract negotiations.

NBC

34. Cote de Pablo, NCIS

De Pablo announced leaving the CBS series after close to 200 episodes, saying it was a personal decision. "As far as my decision to leave, that's a personal thing, and I'd rather leave it at that," she said.

"The idea of leaving was not something I toyed around with for a long time. It was an overwhelmingly hard thing—at times terrifying."

CBS

35. Christopher Abbott, Girls

Abbott left the show between seasons two and three, saying that he simply was just unable to relate to the world Lena Dunham crafted. He briefly returned in season five, giving Marnie and fans a glimpse on how his character was doing.

HBO

36. Kellie Martin, ER

Martin gave some reasons for her exit after two seasons, which included having a personal tragedy mar her time on the series. Her character, Lucy, was brutally stabbed by a patient in season six.

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank

37. David Caruso, NYPD Blue

Caruso left NYPD Blue after one season due to some contract issues. To put it simply, he wanted more money.

Well, he didn't get it.

ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

38. Michael Vartan, Alias

The real reason behind Vartan's departure from the spy drama remains a mystery, but rumors have pointed that it was due to his break-up with co-star Jennifer Garner.

ABC

39. Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire

There were rumors about Pitt's on-set behavior causing issues (which eventually led to his exit), but the producers said that the death was a creative decision.

Macall B. Polay / HBO

40. Shannen Doherty, Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210

Doherty left the show after four seasons in the midst of rumors of bad behavior.

WB

41. Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy

Heigl's exit from the show was kind of expected because of her comments regarding not getting enough exposure to get nominations as well as her complaints about lying in a hospital bed for long hours because of her schedule. Contrastingly, Knight's departure was a little unexpected, but he highlighted that it was because of his character's lack of storyline and growth.

Vivian Zink/ABC

42. Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey

Stevens' Matthew Crawley finally landed the girl and had a baby, and then died.

PBS

43. Josh Charles, The Good Wife

Charles' exit from the show is one of TV's best kept secrets. His death was shocking, but it's impressive how producers were able to keep it a secret.

CBS

44. Crystal Reed, Teen Wolf

After three seasons, Reed asked the producers to have her character be written off the show so that she can pursue other opportunities. The viewers were stunned when Allison died without warning in Scott's arms in season three.

"It's an interesting thing when the actor says, 'Hey, I want to try something new,'" Jeff David said. "You to have to decide whether you're going to say, 'Can we convince you to stay?' And as a producer, I don't want anyone to work on the show who feels like they want to move on."

MTV

45. Colton Haynes, Arrow

Haynes signed only a two-year deal to play Roy, an unusual move for the studio. Arrow fooled the fans by faking his character's death at first, only to reveal it was a cruel joke.

The CW

46. Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy

"The decision to have the character die the way that he did was not a difficult one in the sense of what were the options?" Rhimes said at the 2015 Summer TCA press tour. "Either Derek was going to walk out on Meredith, and leave her high and dry, and what was that going to mean? That was going to suggest that the love was not true, the thing we had said for 11 years was a lie and McDreamy wasn't McDreamy. For me, that was untenable."

ABC/Kelsey McNeal

47. Mischa Barton, The OC

Rumors about whether or not it was Barton's own decision to leave the show have circled through rumors for years, but Josh Schwartz said that it was actually a mutual decision made to shake up the series.

FOX

48. Anna Faris, Mom

Faris announced in September 2020 that she'd be stepping away from the role of Christy Plunkett after seven seasons to pursue other opportunities. That leaves Allison Janney as the sole central mother.

The role was not recast, and the producers simply chose to write Anna's character out.

CBS

An actor leaving a show truly makes us realize that they do not owe us the kind of story we would want to happen in these amazing fictional worlds that we have engrossed ourselves in. One way or another, we are still so thankful for giving us a chance to get to know their characters and how they have enriched the stories they tell with their presence.

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