David Duchovny
Left: “The X-Files”
Reason: Contract Disputes and to Work on His Film Career
Est. Salary Loss: $225,000 per episode
Duchovny was half of the main pair of this legendary sci-fi thriller show, but he wanted too much after the seventh season. He made brief appearances during seasons eight and nine, but he wasn’t part of the main cast.
He wanted a lot more money to keep working, and he also wanted to work less. There was a lawsuit, and things got messy. He was hoping to build up a big film career, which in hindsight we can see never really happened, but he was right to try anyway. He returned for a six-episode reprise of his role with Gillian Anderson.
Ashton Kutcher
Left: “That '70s Show”
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: $250,000 per episode
The same year that Topher Grace as Eric Foreman decided to say goodbye, his fellow actor and main cast member Ashton Kutcher, who played “bad boy” Kelso, also decided to leave.
Unlike the quick, clean cut that Topher Grace wanted, however, Kutcher hung around a little bit, appearing a few times in season eight before leaving for good. Fans were, as a whole, sadder to see Kelso depart than Foreman. Kutcher has had plenty of roles but hasn't exactly made it to A-list status. At least he wasn't in “Spider-Man 3.”
Claire Holt
Left: “The Originals”
Reason: She Missed Los Angeles
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
Claire Holt first appeared in “The Vampire Diaries,” but when she signed on to be part of the spin-off show “The Originals,” she only intended for it to be a short gig. The show continued through a few seasons, and then Holt broke the hearts of fans when she announced that she was leaving the show.
Her reasoning was she missed living at home in Los Angeles (for some reason), and since the show filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, she had to either live away from home or spend a lot of time traveling. She was grateful for her time on the show, but she was ready to move on.
Sandra Oh
Left: “Grey's Anatomy”
Reason: Gave Everything She Could
Est. Salary Loss: $350,000 per episode
“Grey's Anatomy” is one of the most legendary shows still, somehow, running today. It's been going for seventeen seasons, and it looks like the eighteenth is a go. Problem is, the show has been running so long the main actors and actresses, save for Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr., have all decided to try other projects.
Sandra Oh as Dr. Christina Yang realized she had given everything she could to the show, and would just be going through the motions if she stayed on any longer. She's made a few guest appearances since her departure, but she won't return as a regular cast member.
Zach Braff
Left: “Scrubs”
Reason: Contract Disputes
Est. Salary Loss: $350,000
As the lovable, bumbling main character of the medical comedy “Scrubs,” Braff was just as displeased as the rest of us when the show jumped to a different network. He, like the rest of the cast, was surprised when the show was picked up for a ninth season, seeing as how the end of the eighth season had been a big sendoff and a perfect way to end a show that was at times both serious and overly goofy.
Zach returned as Doctor John Dorian, but the original main characters shuffled in and out to make room for new characters. It didn't last long.