John Francis Daley
Left: Bones
Reason: New Project
Estimated Salary Loss: $30,000-$40,000 per episode*
John Francis Daley was on the crime-drama show, “Bones,” for seven years. Daley played the role of Lance Sweets and, in season ten, his character was expecting a baby with his girlfriend, Daisy, when he was killed off of the show.
Within the plotline, the reason for the sudden death of Sweets was because he had become too involved in the FBI conspiracy, but in real life, Daley was ready to leave. He was preparing to take a leap in his own career and transition into directing and writing. Today, Daley is a successful comedy writer (he wrote “Horrible Bosses,” “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” and more).
Dominic Monaghan
Left: Lost
Reason: Long work hours
Estimated Salary Loss: $30,000 per episode*
Lost was one of the most gripping drama-thrillers on television that quickly garnered fans. Dominic Monaghan played Charlie on the show, but his role was short-lived when he was dismissed after just thirteen episodes. Monaghan didn’t like the pressure and, rather than push himself to perform, he decided to leave. Disney financiers and ABC execs agreed to allow Monaghan to leave early after season three.
The writers then worked an untimely death into the show’s plot for Charlie. Though Monaghan didn’t want to continue on the show, he still made quite an impact. The series director said that he cried over the loss of Monaghan’s character. Lindelof admitted he was surprised at the show’s success, crediting the loyalty of fans, which kept the ratings high.
Ruby Rose
Left: Batwoman
Reason: Long Work Hours
Estimated Salary Loss: $150,000 per episode*
When the CW Network launched the "Batwoman" series, it was shocking to learn that the lead actress, Ruby Rose, announced that she would be leaving after just one season.
Rose became a household name from her role in the edgy, Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black." Because Rose was accustomed to being a supporting role and wasn’t used to the long, grueling hours that came with a starring role, she wanted out. Although there was some friction on set, Rose was able to be released from her contract and the Batwoman role was recast with Javicia Leslie. Kudos to Rose for doing what was best for her!
Emily Bett Rickards
Left: Arrow
Reason: She Wanted to Move On
Estimated Salary Loss: $40,000 per episode*
Emily Bett Rickards approached the producers of "Arrow" to say she desired to leave the show, but the producers chose to wait until her contract expired before giving her an ending.
Rickards was reflective about playing the character of Felicity Smoak on the CW show, recognizing it had been a sizable portion of her career to date. Rickards even confessed that she felt bad about leaving, as people had “fallen in love” with the character, making it difficult to “say goodbye”. Despite being a bit sentimental about the role, Rickards was content to leave after seven seasons.
Christopher Meloni
Left: Law & Order: SVU
Reason: Contract Negotiations
Estimated Salary Loss: $400,000 per episode*
Christopher Meloni’s Elliott Stabler disappeared off of "Law & Order: SVU" when his character was written out with a sudden and grisly demise. Where did such a plot twist come from? It all came down to simple contract negotiations that failed to conclude.
Meloni was discontent with his salary and began negotiating for higher pay at the beginning of season twelve. The network, however, wouldn’t budge for Meloni’s request, so Meloni’s character was canned. But in a real-life plot twist, it was announced that Elliot Stabler was going to make a comeback on SVU. How this will work with his premature death on the show will be interesting to see!