We can all agree that, when most people get into a TV show, they really get into it, becoming deeply involved with the characters and their storyline. So it can come as a great shock to viewers when a character suddenly disappears from the show.
Sometimes these people are written out in a dramatic fashion, sometimes the other characters on the show pretend like nothing happened or occasionally the character is recast with a different actor. Here are some of the most sudden and unexplained disappearances from popular TV shows.
Sometimes these people are written out in a dramatic fashion, sometimes the other characters on the show pretend like nothing happened or occasionally the character is recast with a different actor. Here are some of the most sudden and unexplained disappearances from popular TV shows.
Robert Downey Jr - "Ally McBeal"
Prior to his return to fame as a Hollywood star, actor Robert Downey Jr. was spending time on the small screen in the hit television show Ally McBeal. His character Larry Paul was one of the many love interests of the lead character, but he was supposed to be different from the rest: the producers had plans for Ally and Larry to get married.
But these plans were changed due to the actor’s personal life getting in the way of his onscreen persona. At the time he was given the role, Downey Jr. had recently been in jail and was recovering from drug addiction. It was hoped the work would give him the motivation to stay clean, but sadly the addiction took hold and the producers were forced to let him go.
Steve Burns - "Blue’s Clues"
From 1996 to 2002, Steve Burns had been the friendly face of the Nickelodeon show Blues Clues. Then without any kind of warning at all, Donovan Patton appeared as the host, and Burns was never mentioned again. The show retained its popularity, but many fans were left wondering what had happened to the original presenter.
Despite the sudden departure, it turns out there was no scandal attached to the change of staff. Burns later revealed in an interview that it had simply been the right time for him to leave. He was getting older and wanted to move on to something new.
Topher Grace - "That ’70s Show"
It’s not just supporting characters that suddenly disappear from a program’s cast. Topher Grace played Eric Forman, the main character on That 70’s Show, but wanted to leave the television format for bigger opportunities. He had his eyes on Hollywood and a role in Spiderman 3.
Surprisingly, the producers of the show obliged and wrote him out of the show, with a storyline that sent his character off to college. The show suffered somewhat from the loss of one of the fans’ favorite characters, and sadly Grace’s career never took off further after Spiderman 3 bombed at the box office.
Michael O’Hare - "Babylon 5"
The character of Jeffrey Sinclair in Babylon 5 was one of the fans’ favorites before he disappeared from the show. At the time there was a great deal of secrecy about the departure, mainly at the request of the actor who played the part, Michael O’Hare. He was suffering from a number of psychological issues including paranoia and hallucinations and felt he could no longer work on the show.
The producers valued the actor so much that they offered to put the show on hold until he recovered, but O’Hare refused and asked to be written off. The cast and crew managed to keep his health problems a secret until the actor died in 2012 and the truth was finally revealed.
Janet Hubert - "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
Sometimes when an actor leaves a show, the character doesn’t disappear with them but instead carries on with a new actor. This was the case of Aunt Viv in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who was originally plated by Janet Hubert. The actress violated her contract by falling pregnant over the course of filming and was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reed for the final three seasons of the show.
Hubert surely wasn’t the first actress to have got pregnant while filming, but there are rumors that there were other reasons she may have been fired. She later revealed that she was constantly arguing with lead actor Will Smith, whom she claimed had made comments about her being too dark-skinned to realistically play the mother of her on-screen children.
Dominic Monaghan - "Lost"
The TV show Lost was the subject of much discussion, scrutiny and hypothesizing during its six-year run, but most of this was about the plotline and not the cast. However, the departure of the character Charlie, played by Dominic Monaghan, was always something of a mystery.
The show’s storyline saw him drown while trying to help his friends off the island, but it didn’t seem an appropriate end for such an important character. Theories abound as to the real reason the actor left the cast, with many suggesting it his break-up with co-star Evangeline Lilly, while others hinting he wasn’t happy with the time he was getting on screen.
Lauren Socha - "Misfits"
Arriving on screens in 2009, Misfits went on to become a huge hit in the UK. It followed the story of a group of young offenders who gained supernatural powers during an electrical storm while performing community service. One of the fan favorites was Kelly, played by Lauren Socha, who left the show abruptly after season 3.
The actress had run into her own trouble, echoing that of her on-screen character, as she was required to serve jail time after assaulting a taxi driver. The show’s producers claimed that her departure had nothing to do with her leaving the show and that the decision for Lauren to leave had been a mutual one.
Dan Stephens - "Downton Abbey"
Even in a large ensemble cast, there are still characters that can have a bigger place in the hearts of fans than others. Dan Stephens was one such character, winning over viewers with his sweet demeanor and his match-made-in-heaven marriage to the character Mary.
So, fans were left reeling when Dan was killed suddenly, leaving Mary a young widow expecting a baby. The reason behind the character’s early demise was at the request of the actor Matthew Crawley – who wanted to leave to take on bigger roles elsewhere. With Dan being such a big part of the show, there was no subtle way to write him out and the character was sadly killed.
B. J. Novak - "The Office"
It seemed unlikely that BJ Novak would leave the show The Office. As well as playing the character Ryan, Novak was also one of the show’s writers and executive producers. His character did dip in and out of the show but eventually left in season nine.
The reason? “For me, it was more [the worry of] seeming distracted from my main work by a side project I was oddly passionate about," Novak said. "And side projects – especially from celebrities – don’t tend to be successful either, they tend to be distractions.”
Mandy Patinkin - "Criminal Minds"
Fans of Mandy Patinkin might have been surprised when he joined the cast of Criminal Minds, as the actor was previously best known for starring in comedies such as The Princess Bride. This change of genre didn’t end up being a good fit for Patinkin as he left after just two seasons of playing character Jason Gideon.
He later revealed that the dark subject matter of the program was too much for him personally, and that he regretted ever joining the cast. Although he knew the premise of the program before he started, he hadn’t expected such unwavering violence and said it eventually became very destructive for him.
Lisa Edelstein - "House"
The character of Dr. Cuddy was an integral part of the medical drama House. Not only was she the Dean of Medicine in the show’s hospital, but she was also the love interest of the lead character, Dr. House. It seemed unthinkable that she wouldn’t remain a part of the storyline right through the show’s run.
It turned out the reason for the departure was a financial one. The entire cast was asked to take a pay cut at the end of season 8. The actor who played her, Lisa Edelstein, decided that she was not happy with the new arrangement. She did not ask for more money but simply decided not to sign a new contract with the show.
Jo Marie Payton - "Family Matters"
The 1980s sitcom Family Matters started out as something quite different from the way many people may remember it. The main character was supposed to be Harriet Winslow, played by Jo Marie Payton, in a spin-off from the hit show Perfect Strangers. The premise was to follow the ups and downs of life as a middle-class black family.
But even before the first season had come to an end, the whole plot of the show began to shift. The character Urkel, played by Jaleel White, was introduced and he quickly became the focal point for the program. This change was too much for Payton, who ultimately left before the show finished its run.
Jeffrey DeMunn - "The Walking Dead"
While The Walking Dead is now famous for killing off many of its key characters, back in the early days of the show these departures were more unexpected. This is the case with the character of Dale, played by Jeffrey DeMunn, who at the time was fairly central to the plot.
The actor was involved in some disputes with the network and quit the cast abruptly. The death of the character was not only a shock because it happened so suddenly, but also because it was a diversion from the plot as written in the comics that the show was based on.
Shannen Doherty - "90210" and "Charmed"
While most actors on this list have only one sudden departure from a hit TV series, Doherty is unlucky enough to have been written out of two hit shows. The first was Beverly Hills 90210 in which she played the character of Brenda, who was written out of the show after season four.
The second was the supernatural drama Charmed, in which she played Prue Halliwell for the first three seasons. In both cases, it appears the reason for her leaving was purely personal. She apparently got in a fight with co-star Jennie Garth on 90210 and didn’t get along with Alyssa Milano on Charmed.
John Rhys-Davies - "Sliders"
If an actor is a key part of a show’s storyline, it might seem unlikely that they would suddenly be fired. But having a fight with one of the network heads is an effective way to have your character killed off. This was the case for John Rhys-Davies, who played the professor on Sliders. He apparently insulted one of Fox's executives at a network party.
The insult was taken so badly that the man insisted the network fire him from the show, regardless of how it affected the storyline. In the end his character was given an elaborate send-off, shooting him through the heart and sending him to an exploding planet.
Kal Penn - "House"
Another member of the House cast was written out partway through the show’s run. The actor Kal Penn actually left the show to go and work in another kind of ‘house’: he took a job at The White House during the Obama administration.
Although the actor had left voluntarily, he was upset about the way his storyline ended. The writers had his character Lawrence commit suicide, which Kal thought was an unfitting end but, unfortunately, he no longer had any say in the matter.
David Yost - "Power Rangers"
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was an extremely popular show for its original three-year run in the 1990s, following the adventures of the Yellow, Pink, Black, Red, Green and Blue Power Rangers. Among these was the Blue Ranger, played by David Yost, who was sent to another planet at the end of season three.
Though the official story was that Yost had left the show due to a pay dispute, the actor revealed later that it was due to homophobic treatment from the cast and crew. He said he was often asked inappropriate questions about his sexuality and even suffered verbal abuse. Yost was so affected that he even attempted gay conversion therapy but eventually came to accept his sexuality.
Will Lee - "Sesame Street"
Another children’s show that lost one of its main characters is the long-running Sesame Street. Mr. Hooper, played by Will Lee, was one of the first four human characters on the show, joining the cast way back in 1969. In the show, he ran Hooper’s Store, which became a meeting place for many of the puppets and human characters.
Sadly, the actor passed away in December 1982, and the character had to be written out of the show. Rather than sugar-coating his demise, the producers decided to see it as a way to teach children about death, tackling the issue head-on in a special episode.
John Francis Daley - "Bones"
John Francis Daley first rose to fame in his role as Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks, before later landing the role of Lance Sweets on Bones. He was nominated for a Prism award for the role but left the show suddenly at the start of season 10.
The actor had wanted to take some time off to film the new National Lampoon movie, but still planned on returning to the show. However, the producers didn’t expect that he would really return, and either way would be too much time for the character to be out of the storyline. So, they killed off Sweets completely.
Nicollette Sheridan - "Desperate Housewives"
Nicollette Sheridan played the controversial Edie in Desperate Housewives and whether you enjoyed her character or not, she was an interesting one for sure. But when she died after her car hit a telephone pole, Sheridan was not pleased. There were rumors that Sheridan displayed a poor attitude on set, however, Sheridan never went down without a fight.
Sheridan claimed that she was told that her job was safe and therefore when she was written out, she sued for millions of dollars. Marc Cherry, the creator of Desperate Housewives, had his own clear reason for getting rid of Edie, saying, "the primary reason I killed off the character was I thought creatively it was the best thing for my show." Courts never ruled in favor of Sheridan.
Chad Michael Murray - "Gilmore Girls"
The character of Tristan appeared on Gilmore Girls as something of a bad boy and a bully but somehow ended up as a would-be love interest for Rory. The pair shared a kiss, but never got the chance to get together as Tristan was sent off to military school. In the show, this was put down to his bad behavior, but it was due to the actor wanting to leave the cast.
Chad Michael Murray, who played the role of Tristan, had landed a role in Dawson’s Creek and the filming schedules weren’t compatible. He had no regrets about leaving the show, however, as it was on good terms. He then went on to get a role on One Tree Hill, so it looks like it was the right move for Murray.
William Hartnell - "Dr. Who"
Sci-fi fans will now be used to the famous doctor changing appearance from time to time, but back in the beginning, there was only one actor who played the part: William Hartnell. Sadly, he suffered from arteriosclerosis, and his failing health meant that he could no longer cope with the long hours and busy schedule. In a bold move, the producers and writers came up with the idea of regeneration!
With the doctor as the lead character, there was no way to continue the show without him, so they developed a way to introduce a new actor in the existing role. The sci-fi genre meant they could easily explain why Hartnell was suddenly replaced by actor Patrick Troughton, and it’s a storyline they continue to use today.
Lawrence Tierney - "Seinfeld"
While George’s parents were recurring characters on Seinfeld, Elaine’s dad showed up in just one episode. Alton Benes, played by Lawrence Tierney, was fairly unpleasant as a father, but it wasn’t this reason he never appeared again. Word has it that it was the actor himself that made other people uncomfortable.
Some rumors say it was just Jerry himself who was creeped out by Tierney, which would be a good reason enough for him not to be invited back. But there were also more serious accusations of theft and even violence, which promptly put an end to any chance of this being a recurring character.
Charlie Sheen - "Two and a Half Men"
At one stage, Two and a Half Men was one of the highest rating shows on television, and Charlie Sheen was TV’s highest-paid actor. Sheen, who played the role of Charlie, claimed in an interview that the had turned the show into ‘pure gold’, which was perhaps reflected in his $2 million per episode paycheck.
But despite the success, producers were forced to fire the actor after he could no longer perform his ‘essential duties’. His drug addiction and destructive behavior, along with an assault charge from his ex-wife, led to him suddenly being written out of the show. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher for the rest of the show’s run.
Soleil Moon Frye - "Punky Brewster"
The premise of the ‘80s show Punky Brewster was an unlikely one, but somehow became a cult favorite. The lead character, played by Soleil Moon Frye, was a sassy young girl who was abandoned at a grocery store by her mother, then adopted by a loving but grumpy old man, Henry.
When the show ended after just four seasons, many fans were left wondering why. The truth only came to light many years later when Frye revealed that she had needed a breast reduction surgery, despite her young age. She needed to take time off to recover and the show couldn’t go on without her.
Paz De La Huerta - "Boardwalk Empire"
The character of Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson’s mistress, Lucy Danziger, had plenty of troublemaking moments of her own. But it was the actress who played her, Paz De La Huerta, who eventually got the part cut from the show. She had previously been charged with assaulting a fellow actor, but one incident was just too much for producers.
During the filming of a nude scene in one episode of Boardwalk Empire, De La Huerta apparently had a tampon string hanging out from between her legs. While this was no reason for anyone to get upset, what she did next was unforgivable. When asked to hide it, she allegedly pulled the tampon out and threw it on the floor, demanding that an assistant pick it up.
Yvette Nicole - "Community"
Sadly, it’s not just bad behavior that gets a character written out of a show. This was the case of Shirley on Community, who was played by the actress Yvette Nicole. Nicole had been on the show since the first season, but made the difficult decision to leave at the end of season 5.
Her father had become very ill and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with him. On top of this, he required round-the-clock care and she felt she could not be apart from him at this time. Obviously, the producers let her go and she was lucky enough to be able to return for the show’s final episode.
Lecy Goranson - "Roseanne"
The story of Becky from the TV show Roseanne is often brought up when you talk about actors suddenly leaving a show. For the first 8 seasons of the hit series, Lecy Goranson had played the part of Roseanne’s oldest daughter. But fans were shocked when she was suddenly replaced by another actor, Sarah Chalke.
There was no explanation given at the time, and fans just had to adapt to the new face. The reason for the switch was that Goranson had wanted to leave to attend university, and the producers didn’t really see how to write her out of the show. Goranson did come back for several episodes, which perhaps made the switch even more confusing.
Lisa Bonet - "The Cosby Show"
The character of Denise on The Cosby Show was something of a special one. The part was based on the real-life daughter of Bill Cosby, who was head of the family on this hit ‘80s show. Denise was also a fan favorite, so it was a surprise to many people when she suddenly left the show.
So what happened to Denise? It was more a case of what happened to the actor who played the part, Lisa Bonet. During the filming of the show, Bonet got pregnant and she was abruptly fired - Bill Cosby thought it would be inappropriate to have a teen mother on the family-friendly show. She did have the chance to return, however, after the baby was born.
Mischa Barton - "The OC"
Sometimes a character disappears from a show and there’s no real reason. This was the case for Marissa Cooper in the teen drama The OC. The slightly messy character was one of the four original cast members, so it was something of a shock when she was not simply written out, but killed off completely.
The producers made the decision to have Marissa die in a car crash at the end of season 3, saying it was the right thing for her character. Even the actor who played the part, Mischa Barton, agreed by saying, “My character has been through so, so much and there's really nothing more left for her to do.”
Northern Calloway - "Sesame Street"
The character of David was the first human to appear on Sesame Street, that is to say, he was the show’s first non-puppet character. And when the actor who played Mr Hooper died, David took over the running of Hooper’s Store and became one of the fan’s favorite characters.
Sadly, the actor who played David, Northern Calloway, suffered from mental health issues which began to worsen as the show went on. He went on several manic rampages, though they were not publicized at the time and he continued to appear on the show. Eventually, his behavior became too much and the producers were forced to fire him. His issues continued to worsen and he eventually died in a mental hospital.
Maggie Roswell - "The Simpsons"
Despite being on air for more than 30 years, not many characters have been killed off The Simpsons. So when Maude Flanders was written out of show, it was done so in a spectacular style. Ned’s wife met her death when she fell off of a grandstand after being hit by a t-shirt cannon at the Springfield Speedway.
So what was the reason for this inventive demise? Like many other situations we’ve seen, it was a matter of money. The actor who voices Maude, Maggie Roswell, tried to negotiate a raise. She was not living in LA at the time, and instead opted to fly in each time they were filming, and she hoped to get more money to cover her travel costs.
Jared Padalecki - "Gilmore Girls"
Leaving a show to follow other offers can be a bit of a risk for an actor, but sometimes it really pays off. This is the case for Jared Padalecki, who had a main role on the hit TV show Gilmore Girls. He played the character Dean Forster, who was Rory’s love interest for a number of seasons.
He left the show when he was offered the part of Sam Winchester in Supernatural, which went on to be the role he is best known for. So this move was certainly the right one for Padalecki. It worked out well for his personal life too – he met his future wife Genevieve Cortese on the set of Supernatural.
Scarlett Pomers - "Reba"
Starring the country singer Reba McEntire, Reba was a sitcom based around the life of a single mother and her three children. The middle of these was a daughter, Kyra, who was played by the actress Scarlett Pomers. With her sharp wit and good looks, she was a favorite character but disappeared suddenly during season 5.
The reason for her abrupt departure was an unfortunate one. Scarlett had been suffering from anorexia for some time and at one point weighed only 73 pounds. She left the show to enter rehab for her disorder and was able to rejoin the show in season 6.
Jay Thomas - "Cheers"
The sitcom Cheers had a lot of beloved characters, one of which was Eddie LeBec. He was the husband of Carla, played by Rhea Perlman, who worked behind the bar in the show. They were both big-hearted characters and fans and production alike loved the dynamic between the two of them.
Offscreen, however, it turns out one of them was not so nice. The actor who played Eddie – Jay Thomas – revealed during an interview that he thought it was brutal that he should have to kiss Rhea Perlman. An insult like that wasn’t going to go unnoticed, and Thomas was instantly dismissed. As a payback, his character was given a suitably brutal ending when he was run over by an ice Zamboni.
Tommy Chong - "That ’70s Show"
Tommy Chong found his fame in the 1970s doing stoner comedy as part of Cheech & Chong. So when he had to take time off from his role of Leo in That ‘70s Show to serve a nine-month jail sentence for selling drug paraphernalia, no one was really surprised.
What was a surprise, however, is who he found himself in jail with. While doing time he shared a cell with Jordan Belfort, who is know known better as the Wolf of Wall Street. It’s said that Tommy’s influence during this time was one of the major factors in Belfort continuing to write his book. Tommy did alright out of it too, scoring more acting roles on his release, including parts in Miami Vice and Nash Bridges.
Ashton Kutcher - "That ’70s Show"
That ‘70s Show seems to have lost a number of its characters during the eight-season run, including several key cast members. One of these was Michael Kelso, who was played by Ashton Kutcher. He was written out during season eight with the character taking a job in Chicago.
There was nothing dramatic about Kutcher’s departure, he simply decided that with Topher Grace also leaving the show, it was time for him to move on too. He said that he really grew as an actor during his time on the show, and his career had certainly not suffered since.
Katherine Heigl - "Grey’s Anatomy"
The character of Izzie was one of the fan favorites on Grey’s Anatomy, but sadly the actor who played her, Katherine Heigl, was not such a favorite with the show’s cast and crew. She was apparently very difficult to work with and even publicly disrespected the writers. It must have been something of a relief when she asked to leave the show, telling producers she wanted to spend more time with her family.
There was some speculation as to whether this was the real reason for her departure. One of her co-stars, Ellen Pompeo, revealed in an interview that it was much more likely Heigl left after being offered $12 million for a movie role. Heigl asked to return to the show to tie up her character’s storyline, but the writers refused.
David Duchovny - "X-Files"
When a TV show features only two main characters, it’s hard to imagine it continuing without one of them. But that’s exactly what happened with the smash hit X-Files. David Duchovny, who played Agent Mulder alongside Gillian Anderson’s Agent Scully, simply decided he was sick of playing the same role and the producers had no choice but to let him leave at the end of season 7.
With a show that is all about the supernatural, it was easy enough for the writers to incorporate his disappearance into the storyline – they had him abducted by aliens. Scully got a new partner played by Robert Patrick, but Duchovny eventually returned to the show during season 9.
John Ritter - "8 Simple Rules" and "Scrubs"
John Ritter has starred in many hit shows and movies but, in 2003, he obtained a lead role in 8 Simple Rules, Dating My Teenage Daughter and a recurring part in Scrubs. So when he died suddenly in September of that year from an aortic dissection, he left behind a noticeable absence.
Any celebrity death can be devastating, especially when it is someone still reasonably young, but even more so when it could have been prevented. Ritter’s wife Amy believes that the hospital who treated him did not do the right thing, and attempted to sue them for wrongful death.
T. J. Miller - "Silicon Valley"
HBO’s hit show Silicon Valley received plenty of critical acclaims, and the actor TJ Miller, who played Erlich Bachman, won an award for Best Supporting Actor. So it was something of a surprise when he and the producers both announced that he was leaving the show on good terms.
It was revealed later that fans were right to be surprised by the news, as the agreement wasn’t so mutual after all. Sources from the show’s production later told the press that Miller’s behavior was hard to tolerate. They said the actor was self-medicating with a number of substances and was prone to explosive episodes.