Left: “Criminal Minds”
Reason: Wanted to Pursue Other Roles
Est. Salary Loss: $175,000 per episode
For eleven years Shamar Moore played FBI profiler and member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit Derek Morgan in “Criminal Minds,” but in 2016 he announced that he would be leaving the show in order to see what other roles he was capable of playing.
He went on to win the lead role in the TV show “S.W.A.T.” He was also in “The Young and the Restless,” and lends his voice to a number of projects as well. He reappeared in “Criminal Minds” during the twelfth and thirteenth seasons with guest spots.
Nicollette Sheridan
Left: “Dynasty”
Reason: To Care for Her Sick Mother
Est. Salary Loss: $175,000 per episode
Nicollette Sheridan only appeared on the CW's reboot of “Dynasty” for a season and a half before announcing she would not be returning for season three. Even though this glamorous actress was pulling in nearly a fifth of a million dollars per episode, she made the decision to spend more time with and care for her terminally ill mother.
She played the character Alexis Colby, a dynamic and powerful character that left audiences breathless. Elizabeth Gillies, and then Elaine Hendrix, stepped up to fill the role.
Sophia Bush
Left: “Chicago P.D.”
Reason: Unhappy With Conditions on the Set
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
Sophia Bush announced she was ending her contract early after four seasons with “Chicago P.D.” In the numerous interviews she's been in since leaving, she explained that she was unhappy with the filming conditions.
She detailed attacks that happened against her, and even when those attacks happened in rooms full of people, nobody would jump to help her. She ended up dreading going to work every day. Despite such a messy break from the show, she remains close with many members of the cast she acted with.
Jennifer Morrison
Left: “Once Upon a Time”
Reason: Wanted to Transition to Directing Roles
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
After six seasons playing Emma Swan, the main character and leading force for good in the fairy-tale inspired ABC show “Once Upon a Time,” Jennifer Morrison has stepped away from the set.
She explained that she was at a time and age when she wanted to be home more, to spend more time with family and friends, and to have a chance to do projects that she found personally rewarding. She made an appearance in the series finale in May 2018, and has spread to directing, including several episodes of the television series “Dr. Death.”
Emmy Rossum
Left: “Shameless”
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
Emmy Rossum made her final appearance on “Shameless” in the season nine finale in March 2019, after revealing months prior that she was choosing to end her time on the show.
Showrunner John Wells not only made sure to give the character a big send-off in a way that finished her storyline, but he also left her fate open-ended, giving Rossum the chance to jump in for a guest appearance, have a phone call with another character, or contribute in some other way. Rossum called the time she spent on the show “a gift.”