Yahoo News 8 times stars were forced to leave TV shows
Surprise character exits from TV shows are not exactly new phenomena, but every now and then, an exit feels like it comes out of nowhere, where it's clearly no 'end of a long run' actor opt out.
Even just this week, The Walking Dead delivered an exit that, while rumoured, was unexpected. But we won't spoil that here for you, just in case.
Be it Hollywood calling or commitment clashes, here's a round-up of stars who left their shows when it seemed there was no good story reason for them to.
1. Luke Pasqualino, Our Girl
This one is still probably too raw for Our Girl fans after the latest series closed with the shock death of Luke Pasqualino's popular character Elvis. For Pasqualino, it was his commitment to the Snatch TV remake that meant he had to leave Our Girl.
"Sony would only release me for four episodes initially," he told Digital Spy. "Obviously, Snatch got pushed [with season 2 being delayed by hurricanes] so I probably could've done more, but that was initially what it was."
2. Topher Grace, That '70s Show
Another star who saw Hollywood beckon, but at least Topher Grace starred in seven seasons of That '70s Show before calling it a day, leading to his character Eric being written out by taking a teaching job in Africa.
That big Hollywood break turned out to be playing Venom in Spider-Man 3, arguably one of the most derided superhero movies – well, until DC started to build their Extended Universe anyway. Since then, Grace has played bit parts in the likes of Interstellar, Predators and War Machine, so it hasn't exactly led to bigger things just yet.
3. David Caruso, NYPD Blue
Despite enjoying a successful run on CSI: Miami, David Caruso's choices earlier in his career weren't the best. After only one season on NYPD Blue, he left after he got what appeared some choice roles in the movie business.
However, those turned out to be Jade and Kiss of Death, neither of which exactly kickstarted a big-screen career. "It's like, I have to go this way," he had explained from the set of the movie. "This is the direction. Jade was calling me, and it wouldn't go away."
Too bad it was a call he probably should have ignored.
4. Stana Katic, Castle
Now this is a weird one, since how can you be forced out of a show that no longer exists? It was announced that Stana Katic would not be coming back to Castle for season 9, despite co-lead Nathan Fillion being in negotiations for a new contract.
However, as it turned out, Castle was cancelled anyway, so whether Katic would or would not have been in the new season is a moot point. So, in the end, what we were left with was a dodgy flash-forward epilogue, hastily wrapping up the Season 8 cliffhanger.
5. Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey
We need a success story and here's one, even if it meant ruining Christmas 2012 for all of us. Choosing not to renew his contract after three seasons, Stevens's character Matthew Crawley was killed off in a car crash in Downton Abbey, devastating fans everywhere.
In a later interview, Stevens explained that it "felt like a good time to take stock, to take a moment", adding that he wanted "a chance to do other things". And since that has eventually led to starring opposite Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast, as well as leading FX's Legion, you'd have to say it was the right call.
6. Sonequa Martin-Green, The Walking Dead
Sasha was still alive and kicking on The Walking Dead when Sonequa Martin-Green was approached by Bryan Fuller about Star Trek: Discovery. "The script was brilliant and I said, 'Oh! I need to do this. I need to do this'," she recalled to Digital Spy.
As a result, Sasha's time was numbered, although Martin-Green was initially unaware that Star Trek was waiting for her to finish filming on The Walking Dead, which was why the CBS series got pushed back to September this year. It was worth the wait, though.
7. Steve Carell, The Office US
It was largely due to Steve Carell that the US remake of The Office turned out to be such a hit, but after seven seasons, and his movie career starting to take off, Carell decided it was time for Michael Scott to exit.
The show only lasted for two more seasons, anyway, while Carell has been nominated for an Oscar for Foxcatcher and could be in contention next year for Battle of the Sexes. So, as much as it was painful to see Michael leave, you can't argue the outcome.
8. Joe Cole, Peaky Blinders
Series 4 of Peaky Blinders kicked off with the biggest shocker to date as John Shelby was gunned down by Luca Changretty's Mafia goons. While we can't be sure why Joe Cole had to leave, creator Steven Knight has hinted that his rising star was part of John's demise – Joe will soon be seen in season 4 of Charlie Brooker's anthology Black Mirror.
"Sometimes it's to do with the character," Knight explained. "Sometimes it's to do with… you know, Peaky is getting a huge amount of attention, in the States and here [in the UK], so our actors are being picked up for other things. All our people are free to leave whenever they want. We wouldn't have it any other way, but we have to factor that in."
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