For most actors, landing a hit series is the dream, but these stars decided they wanted something else.
Shelley Long: Cheers
Shelley Long formed one half of a key pairing that shaped the early days of Cheers. Her character, Diane Chambers, experienced ongoing romantic tension with Sam Malone (Ted Danson). However, Long elected to leave the series after its fifth season, by which point Cheers was an established success.
Long explained at the time that she wanted to focus more on her family and movie production company. The show went on for another six seasons after Diane’s departure, with Long eventually returning for the final episode.
George Clooney: ER
Before becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid movie stars, George Clooney played Dr. Doug Ross on ER. The show made Clooney a household name, but Clooney left in 1999 as a regular after five seasons because his film career was just taking off.
Leaving ER was a huge decision considering it was one of the biggest shows on television at the time, but Clooney had started to gain success in film. Clooney would return to ER for guest appearances, including one in its final season.
Topher Grace: That ’70s Show
Eric Forman was the main focus of That ’70s Show, which brought Topher Grace to stardom. Grace departed after season seven instead of remaining for an eighth season.
He has since said he grew tired of being on a successful sitcom and wanted to act in films without limitations so he could work with directors he respected. The show tried to adapt with a new leading man, though Grace did return for the series finale.
Katherine Heigl: Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy breakout star Katherine Heigl earned an Emmy playing Dr. Izzie Stevens. However, her relationship with the show soured after she publicly badmouthed some of her storylines.
Heigl later clarified that motherhood shifted her priorities and the long hours were getting tough. She requested to leave Grey’s Anatomy in 2010, while the series kept running for years.
Steve Carell: The Office
Michael Scott was the face of The Office for seven seasons. Steve Carell’s lovably awkward (and often inappropriate) regional manager became the face of an American sitcom.
Carell left the show in 2011, and Michael was given a heartfelt goodbye upon departing Scranton to start a new life with Holly. The show ran for two more seasons sans-Michael, and Carell made a cameo in the series finale.
Nina Dobrev: The Vampire Diaries
Nina Dobrev was more than just a cast member on The Vampire Diaries; she portrayed Elena Gilbert and various other iterations of the character, including Katherine Pierce. Still, she left the series after six seasons despite the series having two left in it.
Dobrev commented that she felt ready to step away from playing a teen on TV and try new projects. Dobrev would later return for the series finale to provide fans with one last look at Elena.
Donald Glover: Community
Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes character was a fan favorite on Community, especially for his friendship with Danny Pudi’s Abed. But Glover had bigger aspirations than starring on just one sitcom.
Glover left the show during its fifth season and began rapping under the alias Childish Gambino, also creating and starring in Atlanta. He would eventually work as an actor, writer, director, producer, and musician.
Dan Stevens: Downton Abbey
With his romantic storyline with Lady Mary stretching across numerous seasons, Matthew Crawley had become an integral part of Downton Abbey’s fabric. That made Stevens’ decision to exit after season three all the more impactful.
The writers opted to kill Matthew in a car accident, as his character couldn’t just leave his family at Downton stranded. Stevens himself described leaving the massively popular series as a courageous choice, going on to pursue work in film, television, and the stage thereafter.
Emmy Rossum: Shameless
Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher served as the glue that held the dysfunctional Gallagher family together for nine seasons. Rossum has since explained that after about 110 episodes, she felt she’d explored the character fully and was eager for new creative projects.
The character of Fiona left Chicago when Season 9 wrapped up, even though the show still had two more seasons to go.
Andrew Lincoln: The Walking Dead
Rick Grimes had been the protagonist of The Walking Dead since its pilot episode, so Andrew Lincoln leaving at Season 9 represented a big shift for the series. Lincoln filmed Walking Dead episodes in Georgia while his family remained in Britain, and said that wanting to spend more time at home with his family factored into his decision to leave.
While Rick wouldn’t appear in upcoming episodes, his arc wasn’t permanently wrapped up by the series. Lincoln later reprised his role in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
Christopher Meloni: Law & Order: SVU
Christopher Meloni starred as Detective Elliot Stabler for 12 seasons opposite Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson. He abruptly left the show in 2011 after being unable to agree on contract terms.
Fans never got to see the characters say an on-screen goodbye. For many years it seemed like Stabler’s character was gone forever. Ten years later, Meloni reunited with the franchise, starring in Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Connie Britton: Nashville
Connie Britton’s character Rayna Jaymes was central to Nashville from the series premiere, so her exit halfway through Season 5 shocked viewers. Britton wanted to pursue other creative projects, and the writers decided to kill off Rayna after a car accident rather than leave her story open-ended.
Nashville was able to sustain itself without its original female protagonist for a sixth and final season. Britton made a cameo appearance in the series finale in a flashback sequence.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas: Home Improvement
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a major teen idol of the 1990s, starring in the popular show Home Improvement. Despite the success of the show, Thomas quit after season eight because he wanted to focus on school instead of being a full-time TV actor. He eventually attended Harvard University and Columbia University.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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