Even if an acting job proves to be lucrative and popular, sometimes stars of television shows have no problem walking away from a series if they’ve simply had enough. Whether it’s due to behind-the-scenes drama, a salary dispute, or a dissatisfaction with the overall direction a character is going, many actors have shockingly departed fan-favorite programs and left viewers devastated.
Film and television great Mandy Patinkin famously left Criminal Minds after only two seasons despite it becoming a buzzed-about hit, and Katherine Heigl left the acclaimed drama Grey’s Anatomy after a well-publicized feud with creator Shonda Rimes. Let’s take a look at some actors who left a show because they were completely fed up — with their roles, the show, and more.
10 Sophia Bush (Chicago P.D.)
After four sensational seasons portraying the street-wise, fiercely independent and determined detective Erin Lindsay on Chicago P.D., actress Sophia Bush shocked fans of the hit drama when her character surprisingly departed the series in 2017, leaving Hank Voight and the rest of her Intelligence Unit behind.
She would later claim that the extreme working conditions and a hostile on-set environment led to her finally quitting the show, with many speculating co-star Jason Beghe's behavior was part of the reason.
Bush Finds Her Voice
When sitting down with Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert in 2020, Bush got candid on her departure from Chicago P.D. and revealed the harsh winter conditions and filming outside in the intense weather also contributed to her frustrations. However, it was harassment on set that led her to reaching her breaking point, expressing to Shepard:
"It was a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior...[W]hen your bosses tell you that if you raise a ruckus you'll cost everyone their job, you believe them. I quit because what I've learned, I've been so programmed to be a good girl and to be a workhorse and to be a tugboat that I have always prioritized tugging the ship for the crew, for the show, for the group, ahead of my own health."
Stream Chicago P.D. on Peaco*ck
9 Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds)
Despite the subject matter of the long-running, fan-favorite series being quite evident based off the name alone, Mandy Patinkin found great displeasure starring in the crime drama Criminal Minds.
The decorated performer headlined the CBS hit as seasoned profiler for the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) Jason Gideon from 2005 to 2007, but abruptly left before filming began in the third season. Producers seemingly had to scramble to accommodate his request, as the character's sudden departure was difficult to write into the show.
Too Much Disturbing Violence
While at the time Patinkin simply cited creative differences as the reason for his departure, his true feelings about Criminal Minds and his feelings regarding the program were revealed nearly five years later.
In an interview with New York Magazine in 2012, he called his decision to even accept the role his "biggest public mistake" and that the dark and violent nature of the show quickly became too much to handle. Patinkin told the publication:
"I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and r**e all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality. I’m not making a judgment on the taste [of people who watch crime procedurals]. But I’m concerned about the effect it has. Audiences all over the world use this programming as their bedtime story. This isn’t what you need to be dreaming about.”
8 Stream Criminal Minds on HuluMichael Learned (The Waltons)
Set in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II in the fictional community known as Walton's Mountain, the '70s historical drama The Waltons features the eponymous family as they experience the financial hardships and struggles that plagued the country.
From 1972 to 1979, Michael Learned portrayed matriarch Olivia Walton, winning numerous accolades, including an impressive three Emmy Awards and an additional four Golden Globe nods. However, after seven years, Learned grew restless with the role and series.
Learned Was Bored and Tired of the Role
The actress would later speak out on her decision to leave the popular program in the ensuing decades, as fans of The Waltons were devastated by her choice to walk away, with many even petitioning in an effort to make her stay.
Learned told Fox News in 2017 that she departed the show after growing bored with its direction. She also found that the constant grind and commitment to a TV series took its toll and stopped becoming enjoyable, revealing:
“There’s been times when I’ve regretted it only in that it probably would have been better to complete the whole show. But frankly, when John-Boy came back with a new face and a new voice [when actor Robert Wightman replaced Richard Thomas in the part], it was like something happened. I just couldn’t do it anymore. And also, I felt a lot of the times I was sitting around for 14 hours saying, ‘More coffee, John.'"
Buy The Waltons on Prime Video
7 Skeet Ulrich (Riverdale)
'90s heartthrob Skeet Ulrich skyrocketed to fame when he appeared in classic hits like Scream, The Craft, and As Good as It Gets, and he caused a frenzy among fans once again when he starred as Jughead's father F.P. Jones in the mystery teen drama Riverdale.
The former Southside Serpents gang leader-turned-town sheriff appeared throughout the show's first five seasons, but eventually became uninspired with the character and decided to depart in 2021.
Ulrich's Social Media Confession
During an Instagram live video, the actor revealed why he felt his time with the show had run its course, admitting, "I'm leaving Riverdale because I got bored creatively. That’s the most honest answer."
Ulrich wasn't the only cast member to leave the drama before its conclusion, as Marisol Nichols (Hermione Lodge) also left the Archie comics adaptation prior to its final curtain call in 2023. Ulrich seems to be doing just fine post-Riverdale, as he famously reprised his Scream role recently, much to the delight of moviegoers.
6 Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)
One of the most buzzed-about and highly controversial instances of an actor leaving a show was when Katherine Heigl walked away from the medical drama Grey's Anatomy following a very public feud with series creator Shonda Rimes in 2010.
Though she ultimately took home an Emmy Award in 2007 for her exceptional performance as the compassionate Dr. Izzie Stevens, Heigl famously withdrew her name from Emmy consideration the following year while ruffling more than a few feathers.
"I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention. In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials."
Related: Every Main Character Who Left Grey's Anatomy and Why
Heigl Made Her Disapproval Known
The actress had reportedly felt underwhelmed and displeased by the storyline she was given for season five and, despite her Emmys decision, Heigl returned for her sixth and final season.
She continued to vocalize her frustrations with the show and the grueling filming hours, and during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman she bluntly quipped, "Our first day back was Wednesday, and it was — I'm going to keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them — a 17-hour day, which I think is cruel and mean."
Heigl swiftly developed a reputation as being "difficult" after expressing her opinions about her treatment on the hit drama, and she reportedly did not show up for work during filming in 2010.
She was subsequently released from her contract by Rimes, and made her final appearance in the twelfth episode of the sixth season, later shifting her focus from the small screen to the big screen, though one of her most famous recent appearances was in the Netflix show Firefly Lane.
Stream Grey's Anatomy on Netflix
5 Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)
Hot off the heels of his popular run on Lost for six years, Daniel Dae Kim continued finding immense success on television and in 2010 began starring alongside Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan as Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly in Hawaii Five-0.
Grace Park portrayed his cousin, Officer Kono Kalakaua, on the show and fans thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry and banter on screen, yet many were left perplexed when it was revealed that the pair would be leaving after seven seasons.
Kim's Fight for Equal Pay
Both stars advocated for themselves to receive equal pay to their co-stars, with Kim wanting to receive the same salary as his white cast members O'Loughlin and Caan, as they were reportedly making 10 to 15 percent more than Kim.
CBS and the actor were unable to properly negotiate a new contract, and he announced he was departing the series as a result of the dispute, taking to Facebook to post a lengthy farewell to fans in 2017. After joining The Good Doctor later that year, Kim was asked about Hawaii Five-0at a press tour and stated:
"That said, it’s possible to be grateful for the opportunity and respectful of the colleagues and the people that I work with and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth. All good things come to an end. I close that chapter on Hawaii Five-0 and I begin this new chapter on The Good Doctor."
Stream Hawaii Five-0 on Paramount+
4 McLean Stevenson (M*A*S*H)
Widely regarded as one of the most beloved and groundbreaking shows in television history, the war dramedy M*A*S*H ran for eleven acclaimed seasons and memorably followed a team of doctors and medical staff at an Army hospital during the Korean War, with Alan Alda leading the series as the wise-cracking Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce.
McLean Stevenson appeared as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Black for the first three seasons, entertaining audiences as the laid-back and mellow leader.
Jealousy Rears Its Ugly Head
Like his co-star Wayne Rogers (who also ended up leaving), Stevenson began to resent being second fiddle to Alda, and felt Hawkeye had emerged as the leading man of the series.
Though he won a Golden Globe for his contributions to M*A*S*H, the actor had a hard time not being the center of attention on the program and felt uneasy competing for screen time alongside his talented cast members.
This caused Stevenson to not renew his contract when it expired after the third season, and he allegedly told co-star Loretta Swit, "I know I will not be in anything as good as this show, but I have to leave and be number one."
3 Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who)
When it was revealed that the adored sci-fi extravaganza Doctor Who would be returning to the small screen after sixteen years off-air, fans were thrilled at the idea of the series finding a second life, and many wondered who would star as the titular Time Lord.
Christopher Eccleston was cast as the Ninth Doctor in the highly-anticipated revival, though viewers were left stunned when he swiftly left the fan-favorite program after just one season and was then replaced by David Tennant.
Related: 60 Years of Doctor Who: 10 Episodes That Made Us Fall in Love with the Franchise
A Strained Professional Relationship
Over the years, Eccleston has touched on why he departed the celebrated series, stating that he did not enjoy the on-set environment and was unable to get along with the Doctor Who producers. His relationship with the show and overall feelings regarding his time as the Ninth Doctor also seems strained, as he revealed to The Guardian in 2018:
"What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career. I gave them a hit show and I left with dignity and then they put me on a blacklist. I was carrying my own insecurities as it was something I had never done before and then I was abandoned, vilified in the tabloid press, and blacklisted."
He remained vocal about the mistreatment he allegedly received during and after production of the series, reiterating his thoughts on why he left so abruptly to Radio Times:
"My relationship with my three immediate superiors — the showrunner, the producer and co-producer — broke down irreparably during the first block of filming and it never recovered. They lost trust in me, and I lost faith and trust and belief in them.”
2 Mischa Barton (The O.C.)
Mischa Barton became a bonafide Hollywood It Girl when she was cast as the troubled and beautiful Marissa Cooper in the smash hit teen drama series The O.C., captivating viewers with her vulnerability and complex performance of the rebellious teen.
The show quickly became one of the most popular and highest-rated new dramas of the year, and it sparked a massive pop culture phenomenon, thanks in large part to Barton. Though it seemed like the actress was on top of the world, avid viewers were dismayed when her character Marissa tragically died at the end of the third season.
Tension Behind the Scenes
There were multiple factors that led to Barton's decision to walk away from the television sensation, with the actress revealing she faced on-set difficulties and bullying from some men behind-the-scenes, causing her to feel like her place on the show was unprotected. Barton also felt like her character's arc was going nowhere, and she had grown restless in the role. She told E! News in 2021:
"My dream was to be offered those lead roles, so that's what happened. It just felt like it was the best thing for me and my health and just in terms of not really feeling protected by my cast and crew at that point."
1 Christopher Abbott (Girls)
Though he is now perhaps best known for his exceptional work in indie films like Piercing, Black Bear, and Sanctuary, Christopher Abbott first made a name for himself when he portrayed Charlie Dattolo in the HBO dramedy Girls.
His character was the easy-going boyfriend of Allison Williams' Marnie and appeared in thirteen episodes of the series in a recurring role. Despite the revolutionary show bringing in big ratings for the network, Abbott quit the show after the second-season finale, coming back later in season five for one episode.
Abbot Couldn't Connect with His Character
Abbott had a hard time relating to his character Charlie and allegedly had creative differences with series creator and star Lena Dunham, not enjoying the direction the dramedy was going in. He felt a desire to grow as an actor and pushed to leave the dramedy, and in 2013 told the New York Times, "The world that Lena wrote was very real, especially in New York," adding:
"But it wasn’t as relatable for me on a personal level. It’s not that I only like to play roles I know to a ‘T’, but there’s something satisfying about playing parts where you really relate to the characters."
