Picture this: you are watching your favorite TV show, you feel like you are a part of the show. You feel like you are friends with the characters, and then all the sudden you realize your favorite character is gone without a trace. It is wild how shows on TV slide their way into the viewer’s lives. When a character leaves a show, for whatever reason, of course, you will notice this change. Most of the time these disappearances are handled fairly well.
However, occasionally a show will not even mention the fact that the character is gone and they will pretend like they never existed. Talk about awkward! As viewers, we always want to know why that character left the show. Here we share a list of some of the most interesting and infuriating disappearances from your favorite TV shows!
Marissa Cooper on The OC
Mischa Barton played the hot mess character of Marissa Cooper on The OC. She was killed off the show pretty suddenly, without warning. Of course, there were many different rumors as to why she left. The main rumor that kept circulating was that Barton wanted to leave the show so she could pursue film.
It was said, however, that the decision to kill off the character of Marissa Cooper was actually not a unanimous decision. Some of Barton’s castmates said that they thought she was really happy on the show, so they did not know if she really left on her own or not. The creator went on record saying that there were many reasons why it happened, both for the show and the network. I guess we will never know the truth.
John Rhys-Davies on Sliders
John Rhys-Davies played the professor on the show Sliders. Shockingly, he was killed off the show really quickly. It came as a surprise to fans because he was a very large part of the storyline. It is said that he had insulted one of the Fox executives at a party. The person that he offended, got control over programming on Fox, including the show Sliders.
The executive that was offended by John, convinced the network to fire him. They fired him in front of the entire cast and crew. On the show, they wrote him off in quite the elaborate way. They took away his brain matter, shot him directly in the heart and put his body on a planet that was exploding. What a way to go.
The Blue Ranger on Power Rangers
The hit TV show for kids, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, was extremely popular during its time. David Yost played the role of the Blue Ranger on the show. He left the show out of nowhere, and nobody knew why. On Mighty Morphin Power Rangers they said that the Blue Ranger got sent off to another planet. However, it was not until many years later in an interview, that David revealed the truth about why he left the show.
He goes on to say that the real reason he left the show was that he was getting attacked because he was gay. The cast and crew were calling him names repeatedly. He was often brought into the production office and they would question him asking if he was gay. In the two years after he left Power Rangers, he went into conversion therapy for his sexuality. This, of course, did not work, and he finally accepted that he was gay.
McLean Stevenson on M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H is undoubtfully one of the most beloved TV shows in history. It is said that one of its main actors, McLean Stevenson, who played Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, didn't like the fact that he was part of such an extremely talented cast instead of being the star of the show.
Despite receiving several accolades, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, Stevenson decided to leave the show after his contract expired in 1975 at the end of the third season. But to his surprise, he had finding work that matched the caliber and impact of what M*A*S*H was producing at the time.
Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey
The role of Dan Stevens, the sweet and distinguished man who was head over heels in love, was played by Matthew Crawley. He was married to the character Mary, who was both smart and beautiful. They were a perfect fan favorite match!
Fans of the show were without words when their beloved Matthew was killed. It was so unexpected, as they just married him to Mary and they were even pregnant with a baby! Apparently, Dan wanted to leave the show since he was gaining more fame. He wanted to explore other TV and film roles. At this point, the writers knew the only option was to kill him off since he was already a big part of the plot.
Jo Marie Payton on Family Matters
Did you know that Family Matters was supposed to be a spin-off of the TV show Perfect Strangers? It was supposed to follow Harriet Winslow and her middle-class family. The show was going to be centered around life as a middle-class black family and the real-life tribulations that came along with it.
That changed pretty instantly with the addition of Steve Urkel. The show now centered around Steve Urkel and his wild antics. Harriett Winslow (played by Jo Marie Payton) decided to leave the show because she did not like what it was becoming and how it strayed from the initial plot.
Charlie on Lost
On the TV drama, LOST, the character of Charlie was played by actor Dominic Monaghan. He was a very important character to the show, and yet drowned in season 3. He was sent off in a way where he was portrayed to be helping his friends off the island, so he left with dignity! But the question remains, why was he killed?
Interestingly enough, nobody really knows why he left the show. There are so many theories. One theory is that he left because his co-star who he was dating, Evangeline Lilly, broke up with him. Other people speculate that he left because he was getting less and less screen time on the show.
Anita Barone on Friends
At the beginning of season two of Friends, the character Carol was mysteriously recast, with actress Anita Barone being replaced by Jane Sibbett. Barone said that she did not see her character, or Friends, going anywhere, so she decided to just leave. Oh man...hindsight's got to hurt.
Jane Sibbett, was ironically the first choice for the role of Carol in season one. but being pregnant at the time, she was unable to commit. But the next time the opportunity came she hopped right on board. We guess the role was meant for her.
Robbie Rist on The Brady Bunch
During the final season of The Brady Bunch, executives introduced a new and beloved character known as Cousin Oliver. He came to live with the Brady clan and managed to single-handedly melt viewers hearts with his cuteness.
It is said that because the show was already on its last leg, so they tried to write him in as a final effort to mix things up a little. While his addition to the show didn't save it from being canceled, it did however actually start a reappearing phenomenon in the TV industry coined Cousin Oliver Syndrome- add cuteness and youth to a series when ratings begin to flop.
Izzie on Grey’s Anatomy
Izzie, on the hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy, was played by Katherine Heigl. Unfortunately, Katherine was known on set for being difficult to work with and constantly fighting with the writers. She even went as far as to shame the writers in public! She left the show under the ruse that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Ellen Pompeo, who was her co-star on Grey’s Anatomy, had said in an interview that it was obvious she wanted to leave after being offered $12 Million dollars to star in a movie. Katherine wanted to come back to Grey’s Anatomy so that she could give closure to her role, but the writer said no.
Jared Padalecki on Gilmore Girls
Actor Jared Padalecki portrayed the character, Dean Forester, on the hit series, Gilmore Girls. He left the show to play the role of Dean’s brother, on the show Supernatural. The role of Sam is one that Jared is most well known for.
Bustle had stated that Dean on Gilmore Girls was the ultimate showcase of TV puppy love between him and the famous mother-daughter duo. He went on to marry actress Genevieve Cortese, who was playing Ruby on Supernatural, the show he left Gilmore Girls to be a part of, and they have three children!
Ed Skrein on Games of Thrones
If you're a fan of the show you probably noticed that actor Ed Skrein appeared in a few episodes of Game of Thrones as Daario Naharis until the character was mysteriously recast with little explanation. Well, according to Skrein, his departure was due to "politics" and both he and the executives say that it was a mutual decision.
After the major success Game of Thrones has had, we wonder if he regrets leaving the show today.
Eddie LeBec on Cheers
On the sitcom Cheers, actor Jay Thomas played the role of Eddie LeBec. Eddie was Carla’s husband on the show. Carla the big-hearted barmaid was played by Rhea Perlman. Fans, as well as the production team, loved the dynamic between the two and ended up making the role of Eddie a regular character, which was not their initial intention.
Things were going well for Jay Thomas with his newfound starring role on Cheers, that is until he did a radio interview where he said that it was brutal to be on the show and have to kiss Rhea Perlman. He was instantly fired from the show and they killed his character off by having him run over by an ice zamboni. Brutal.
Columbus Short on Scandal
Between the third and fourth seasons of the loved drama Scandal, Columbus Short's character Harrison was written off. Til this day there's still a lot of mystery about why Short left, but one thing that we do know is that the decision was his, considering that he was the one who first announced his departure from the show.
It may be because of a bar fight shortly before that got him arrested, this would probably make anyone rethink their life.
Northern Calloway on Sesame Street
The role of David on Sesame Street was played by actor Northern Calloway. He was the first character on Sesame Street who was not a puppet.
Calloway suffered from bipolar disorder and was on lithium to control it. However, he was also taking drugs, such as cocaine, and that was taking a toll on his mental health. His mental health was deteriorating quickly, and he went on a manic rampage around Nashville while wearing a Superman t-shirt. He also beat someone with an iron pole and broke windows. When he got arrested, he was screaming that he was David on Sesame Street. Sadly, he died in 1990, at the mental hospital.
Gilbert Gottfried on Saturday Night Live
Actor Gilbert Gottfried was another cast member on Saturday Night Live in the early 80s but only lasted for one season before Gottfried decided it wasn't the right fit for him.
He felt as though the show wouldn't work anymore without all of the cast members who had left at the time. "I was there right after the original cast left, and so back then it was like 'How dare they continue Saturday Night Live without the original cast of people?'" said Gottfied. It's funny how short-sighted people can be.
Lisa Edelstein On House
On the medical drama, House, Dr. Cuddy, played by Lisa Edelstein, was House’s love interest. She was brilliant, beautiful and led the operations of the hospital. It was a major surprise to fans when she left the show before the end of the run.
Lisa Edelstein was given a pay cut when season 8 came. She was expected to renew her contract for the season, but not after she saw that pay cut. However, it wasn't just for her, the entire show had to cut their budget. She declined, did not counter, and left the show. She is doing fine, however, and starring in a new show.
Isaac Hayes on South Park
The praised animated comedy series South Park is best known for being raunchy and offensive with some truly shocking and raw meaning, taking a satirical look at different events. While fans of the show are used to South Park being overly offensive, one episode particularly put Isaac Hayes, who voiced the character Chef, a bit over the edge.
It was the famous episode "Trapped in the Closet" that dug into Scientology. Hayes thought that making fun of people's religion was just a step too far.
Ashton Kutcher on That ’70s Show
Following Topher Grace’s leave from That 70’s Show, Ashton Kutcher also decided it was time to leave. He wanted to move on to other roles and keep his career moving forward. On the show, they wrote him off as getting a job and having to move to Chicago.
Kutcher did not think he was going to last on the show as long as he did. He really attributes his growth as an actor to his role on That 70s Show and ended up leaving when scheduling became an issue while filming The Guardian. He also replaced another disappeared actor, Charlie Sheen, on the show Two and a Half Men.
Christopher Jacob Abbott on Girls
Fans of Girls will remember Charlie as Marnie's on-and-off boyfriend slash inventor of some app. He was suddenly written off the show with little explanation to viewers. Later it was reported that he left the show due to "creative differences" with creator and star Lena Dunham.
According to sources Jacob started to clash with Dunham at the beginning of the third season.' He didn’t like the direction things are going in, which seems a bit odd since the show put him on the map.' What do you think?
BJ Novak on The Office
BJ Novak was just one of the many stars of the hit series The Office for its first eight seasons before bowing out alongside Mindy Kaling in its ninth season. But unlike Kaling, Novak didn't leave for a different show but instead wanted to invest his time working on personal projects.
“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.”
Lisa Bonet on The Cosby Show
Denise was the oldest daughter in the famous Cosby Family. The role was actually based on Bill Cosby’s real-life daughter, named Erinn. Erinn and Denise were the same age. The character Denise was a major favorite among fans. She was a beautiful and smart character, so what happened? Why did she leave so abruptly?
Lisa Bonet played the role of Denise and got pregnant while filming. It was sad that Bill Cosby did not want her on the show while pregnant because he did not want to have a single teen mom on his show! She was offered a spin-off and even came back to The Cosby Show later on.
Bob Odenkirk on Saturday Night Live
Bob Odenkirk has been a well-respected comedian and actor before voicing a character in The Incredibles 2 movie franchise. He actually was part of the famous Saturday Night Live cast for quite some time. While he did make a few appearances on screen, most of his work on the show was behind the scenes as a writer.
"A big part of the challenge I had at Saturday Night Live was my own immaturity," Odenkirk later realized. "I brought a lot of challenge to the show just because I was a person who was confrontational and suspicious of the establishment." Well, at least he's mature enough now to realize.
Soleil Moon Frye on Punky Brewster
The hit ABC TV show, Punky Brewster, starred Soleil Moon Frye. She played a spunky girl who was left in a grocery store by her mother. She gets adopted by an old photographer who is quite grouchy, but loving nonetheless. The show ended after season 4, even though it had fantastic ratings and was doing really well. Everyone wondered, why?
Many years passed and the mystery was revealed. Soleil Moon Frye, the 15-year-old actress who played the role of Punky Brewster, got breast reduction surgery. Her large breasts were causing back pain and she had to get the surgery. Without her, the show ended.
Maggie Roswell (Maude Flanders) on The Simpsons
The character Maude Flanders, on The Simpsons, suffered quite a tragic death on the show. They wrote in her death as death by t-shirt cannon. Despite being just a cartoon, it was a pretty radical death, and the end of a job for the actress Maggie Roswell, who voiced Maude.
Maggie did not live in LA for filming, so every time she was on an episode she had to fly herself to LA to shoot. This was getting expensive for her, so she tried to negotiate more money to take care of travel expenses. They did not give her a raise and ended up killing the character.
Scarlett Pomers On Reba
The role of Kyra Hart, the youngest daughter of Reba, on the TV show Reba, was played by actress Scarlett Pomers. She was one of the main characters on the show and was a saucy beauty. People loved her and were quite surprised when she left the show without a trace.
Sadly, Scarlett left the show because she went into rehab for her eating disorder. She had been suffering from anorexia and was weighing only 73 pounds. She appeared in 2 of the 22 episodes during season 5 and returned to Reba when she recovered, in 2006.
John Amos on Good Times
The media's portrayal of African Americans has been an ongoing issue in the U.S, since its beginning. John Amos, the famed father on Good Times, revealed in an interview that he was fired from the show because he spoke out against the “shucking and jiving,” that they constantly had the black actors doing. Their characters had no depth like white TV characters.
Apparently, the executive didn't like his opinions and he was written off the show. His character was said to have been involved in a car accident.
Janet Hubert on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The original Aunt Viv on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was played by actress Janet Hubert. She ended up getting pregnant while filming the show, which violated her contract. At this point, the production team fired her. They replaced her with another actress, Daphne Maxwell Reed, who would go on to play the role of Aunt Viv for the final three seasons.
One would think that getting fired for getting pregnant is a harsh punishment, but there was more to it. It was also said that she hated Will Smith and was constantly fighting with him. It was rumored that Smith said she was too dark to believably be the mother to the kids, as well. She did not seem surprised when she was fired from the show.
Mandy Patinkin on Criminal Minds
Mandy Patinkin spent 2 seasons on the show Criminal Minds before calling it quits. He had previously done mostly comedies, such as The Princess Bride, so after two years on Criminal Minds he decided the show was getting too dark for him.
Sadly, he says he does regret his time on Criminal Minds. He marks it as one of his biggest mistakes. He was excited to do something different but did not realize the toll it would take on him mentally. He did not know the storylines were going to be about raping and murdering women every night. He says it was very destructive to him.
Robert Downey Jr. on Ally McBeal
On the show Ally McBeal, Robert Downey Jr. played Larry Paul, who was the love interest of the title character, Ally McBeal. Ally had a multitude of different love interests on her show, but the team brought Larry in as the last one. The plan was for her to marry him. That was a great idea since he was a big fan favorite - both character and actor wise.
Robert Downey Jr. got the role of Larry Paul shortly after getting out of jail. He was in and out of jail due to his addiction to drugs but was hopeful that he would be able to stay clean now that he had a new role to focus on. Sadly, that was not the case, and he got fired from the show after his inability to stay clean.
Paz De La Huerta on Boardwalk Empire
This is probably one of the strangest reasons we have seen yet for being fired from a show. Actress Paz De La Huerta was an actor on the show Boardwalk Empire. During the filming of one episode, naked, she had a tampon string hanging out between her legs. She was told to hide the string, or get rid of it - at which point she pulled the tampon out and dropped it on the floor, beckoning a personal assistant to pick it up.
Paz De La Huerta had gotten into trouble previously, and she was even arrested and charged with assault for throwing a glass and cutting a fellow actresses' leg.
William Hartnell On Dr. Who
In the show Dr. Who, the original role of Dr. Who was played by actor William Hartnell. Hartnell had to leave the show due to arteriosclerosis. His health was quickly deteriorating and it was so hard for him to keep up with the intense filming schedule, so he had to plan his leave. Luckily, the producers and writers had an amazing plan. They were going to have the Dr. get himself a new body!
Dr. Who was a cult classic. The show was making serious money and they were not about to cut this run short. Hartnell wanted the show to go on as well and he had the idea that Patrick Troughton could become the new Dr. Who.
Yvette Nicole on Community
Yvette Nicole decided to leave her role as Shirley, on Community, right before season 6. She was on the show since the beginning, in 2009, so it was a big surprise when she asked to be written out. Sadly, her dad was very sick and she wanted to leave the show so she could go and spend time with him.
She had said that her father needed to have round-the-clock medical care and that he really needed her. She could not bear to be away from him any longer. She did admit that it was a very difficult decision. Luckily, she was able to return to the show for the series finale.
Lecy Goranson on Roseanne
In the instance of the show Roseanne, they had two actresses play the role of Becky. Lecy Goranson played Becky for 8 seasons, and then Sarah Chalke came in and replaced her after that. Becky one was, of course, the main character, so fans were left wondering why a brand new actress was playing the role without any warning.
Goranson decided to leave Roseanne to attend college - and the show was left with a difficult decision. They decided to keep her character on and just replace her with another actress. Strange move, but probably a good idea. Goranson did end up coming back on the show during season 8.
Lacey Chabert on Family Guy
Everyone recognizes Mila Kunis' voice as Meg Griffin, the unappreciated daughter on the animated sitcom Family Guy, but in fact, she wasn't the original actress to voice the character. Actress Lacey Chabert actually voiced Meg during the show's first two seasons but left, thinking it would be a failure and decided to focus her time on Party of Five instead. Could she be more wrong?
Because of the show's success, Mila Kunis makes an average of $200,000 per episode, which, makes us wonder if Chabert's still cries about that decision.
Michael O’Hare on Babylon 5
The character of Jeffrey Sinclair, on Babylon 5, was played by Michael O’Hare. When he left Babylon 5, he left all of his fans wildly disappointed. It was even more frustrating, because he did not want to tell anyone the real reason why he was leaving. He begged the show to keep it a secret. Production had even gone so far as to offer to put a hold on the show until he got better, but Michael just wanted to be written off the show. Sadly, he was experiencing paranoia and hallucinations, among other psychological issues.
He did not want the public to know about his mental issues, so they were kept a secret. That is, until he died in 2012, and the real reason he left the show was finally revealed.
John Ritter on 8 Simple Rules and Scrubs
One of the most devastating celebrity deaths is that of John Ritter. He died in September of 2003, from an aortic dissection. After this awful tragedy, he had to be written out of the shows he was currently on, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter and Scrubs.
This death really hit a lot of people hard. His family, of course, was devastated. They believed that his untimely death could have been prevented, and even went as far as to bring a lawsuit to the hospital for wrongful death. His wife Amy wants the hospital to take responsibility and action for this tragedy.
Dave Chappelle on Chappelle's Show
This is probably one of the most controversial TV departures on our list. In the early 2000s, comedian, Dave Chappelle, abruptly let his hit comedy series Chappelle's Show. Despite the huge success of the show, Chappelle didn't feel happy with how things were unfolding. He felt that fans only liked his "stupid" humor, and didn't get his more intellectual skits, which eventually got him disappointed.
"You know why my show is good? Because the network officials say you're not smart enough to get what I'm doing, and every day I fight for you," Chappelle once told his audience. "I tell them how smart you are. Turns out, I was wrong. You people are stupid." Ouch. And that's how Chappelle's genius skit show ended.
Jeffrey DeMunn on The Walking Dead
The character of Dale on the hit TV show, The Walking Dead, was played by actor Jeffrey DeMunn. Jeffrey decided that he did not want to be on the Walking Dead any longer, so production killed off his character in quite the elaborate way.
On the episode where he is killed, the character Dale sees a dead cow across a field where he is walking. At that point, he sees the walker. There was no rhyme or reason how the walker appeared so fast, but he kills Dale immediately. This would be the end of Jeffrey DeMunn’s run on the show.
Chad Michael Murray on Gilmore Girls
Bad boy Tristan, on the hit show Gilmore Girls, was played by heartthrob Chad Michael Murray. He was a trash-talking bully, but he had an unspoken crush on Rory. On the show, they even shared a kiss! Out of nowhere, the character was sent off to military school. On the show, they said he had to go there as punishment for his bad behavior.
Chad Michael Murray actually left the show because he was also filming Dawson's Creek. He had also landed the role on One Tree Hill, and he was just too busy. He has said in various interviews how much he enjoyed playing the role of Tristan, thankfully, he did leave on a good note.
Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men
Charlie Sheen had been quoted saying that he turned the show Two and a Half Men into gold. It was pretty clear from that moment on that this was not going to work out for him. Charlie Sheen played the main character, Charlie, on the hit TV show. Charlie Sheen reaped the benefits, as he made $2 Million an episode!
WB eventually let Sheen go and stated that he was unable to perform his ‘essential duties’ on the show. He was also heavily addicted to drugs, as well as selling drugs to others. He was also charged with domestic assault by his ex-wife, Brooke. When Sheen left the show, Ashton Kutcher joined the cast.
Peter Capaldi on Doctor Who
While Peter Capaldi was a respected Doctor on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who, in reality, Capaldi didn't find the show to be very suiting for him. There were rumors circulating about him and his co-star Pearl Mackie clashing on set, perhaps this rumors had some truth to them because he did, in fact, leave the show.
Capaldi once told an interviewer when asked about his departure, "I want to always be giving it my best and I don't think if I stayed on I'd be able to do that,".
Shannen Doherty Twice!
A lot of actors will get written out of their shows at least one time in their career...but not many get written out twice. Shannen Doherty got written out of two extremely popular shows. She was a teen heartthrob on the show Beverly Hills 90210, where she played the role of Brenda. She also portrayed a witch on Charmed.
Her co-stars had said that there was no warning, one day she was just gone. Rumors swirled of Shannen getting into fights on set. On 90210, It was said that she got into a fight with co-star Jennie Garth. On Charmed, it was said that Shannen did not get along with co-star Alyssa Milano.
Will Lee on Sesame Street
One of the most loved characters on the children’s television show, Sesame Street, was that of Mr. Hooper. He was also one of the longest lasting and most well-known characters on the show. Hooper’s Store was a place where every one of Sesame Street would meet. Mr. Hooper was known for his relationship with Big Bird and his grumpy, yet kind demeanor.
In 1982, the actor who played the character died. At this time, Sesame Street had to figure out what they were going to do about this death with respect to the show. They decide to face the issue head-on and bring this sad issue right onto the show. The episode in which they revealed his death was aired in 1983, on Thanksgiving.
Julianna Margulies on ER
Juliana Marguiles's time on the hit hospital-drama series ER was a huge success, making her quite a bit of money at a relatively young age. To everyones suprise, she turned down a $27 million to return for another season. BUT was not because she received a better offer somewhere else, she simply felt that screen acting wasn't fulfilling to her anymore.
"I'm a smart girl," Margulies told interviewers. "I had a year's worth of work waiting and a mortgage completely paid at age 32. I was under no illusion that I was going to be some big movie star. My dad said, 'If you got hit by a bus tomorrow, were you living your life truthfully, or were you waiting to get rich?'"
Suzanne Somers on Three's Company
In 1977, It seems as though Suzanne Somers, who played Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company became an instant celebrity. Before the beginning of the show's fifth season, Somers requested a pay raise and even a percentage of the show’s profits, but to her surprise, the producers denied her request and reduced her role, and gave her a mere 60 seconds of screen time. Ouch!
Somers eventually quit Three’s Company, this divided the cast and escalated into a very public feud with the show's producers. If that wasn't bad enough, her former co-stars, Ritter and DeWitt felt betrayed when they heard about her outrageous request and completely and didn't speak to her for decades afterward.
Meghan Markle on Suits
If you're a fan of the legal drama, Suites, you remember how Meghan Markle’s character, Rachel Zane, was written off the script by marrying her long-time love on the show, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), who was also leaving the show. But why was Markle in such a rush to leave the show? Well, to no one's surprise. It's she could marry her real-life prince, Prince Harry!
After her royal nuptials which took place on May 19 at Windsor Castle in England, she retired from acting altogether to focus on humanitarian work and of course, her new duties as the newest member of the British royal family. Well, the girl sure has her priorities straight.
Lawrence Tierney on Seinfeld
Lawrence Tierney appeared on Seinfeld as Elaine’s dad, Alton Benes. He was on the series for just one episode and was a pretty scary, rough and tough father figure. After his one episode, he was not asked back. Rumors swirled that he was not asked to come back because Jerry felt really creeped out by Lawrence, and he made him very nervous.
Some other rumors were that Lawrence was involved in some thefts and even violence. That could be why he made people nervous and why he probably would not be someone you want around you on set! We may never know the real reason, but all we know is that he was never asked back.
Tommy Chong on That ’70s Show
Actor Tommy Chong disappeared from That 70’s Show because he landed himself in jail. He served a nine-month sentence for selling bongs. No one in the cast or crew of the show was very surprised. He was able to return to the show as Leo when he was released from jail.
The most riveting part of this ordeal was Tommy’s cellmate. He was in jail with none other than Jordan Belfort. Yes, Jordan Belfort aka the Wolf of Wall Street! Apparently, Chong was the major influence in pushing Jordan to write a book. Chong’s career was not hurt by his 9 months in jail, and he went on to take roles in Miami Vice, Dharma and Greg and Nash Bridges.
Lisa Robin Kelly on That '70s Show
Lisa Robin Kelly, known as Laurie Foreman on the show, was supposed to be one of the main characters of the That '70s Show teens. She was Eric's older sister who usually distracted Kelso and always mooched money from her parents. Things seemed promising for the young actress.
In season five, the actress reportedly left the show due to her struggle with alcoholism. To fans surprise, her character returned briefly in season six but played by a different actress. Sadly, Lisa Robin Kelly died in a rehab facility in 2013.
Topher Grace on That ’70s Show
Topher Grace was the main character on the show, That 70’s Show. He wanted to leave the show to take on other acting opportunities. The production team abided by his wishes and wrote it into the story that he was leaving for college. In actuality, Topher got offered a role in the movie Spiderman 3!
When Topher left That 70’s Show it really shook up the show! He was one of the driving forces of the show and a fan favorite. Everyone loved his character. Of course, everyone was happy for him and his role in Spiderman. However, his career pretty much fizzled out after Spiderman 3 flopped.
T.J. Miller on Silicon Valley
When it was first announced that T.J. Miller was leaving his loved role of blowhard Erlich Bachman on “Silicon Valley,” HBO it was presented to the public as a “mutual agreement.” But in fact, Miller’s sudden departure may not have been as amicable as producers tried to make the world to believe.
One set insiders told tabloids that Miller would have “explosive” episodes that would make it very difficult to have around, while others claimed that the actor had “demons” from self-medicating with substances.
Steve Burns on Blue’s Clues
Steve Burns was the fun-loving host of the Nickelodeon show Blues Clues for just over 6 years! One day, seemingly out of nowhere, Steve was gone. No one had any idea why and it was not spoken of. Steve was replaced and the show went on, but of course, this left everyone wondering what happened?
Steve had said in an interview that the only reason why he left the show was that it was time to leave. He was getting older and everyone else was moving on to other careers, he felt that it was time and he had to let it go.
John Francis Daley on Bones
The role of Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks was played by John Francis Daley. John was an actor, director, musician, and actor. He was also famous for his role on Bones and was nominated for a Prism award for the role.
John asked for time off from filming so he could direct the new National Lampoon movie, but the producers were not thrilled. They believed this was going to be too much time to take away from his character, so they killed him off. It was also said that the producers felt like National Lampoon was going to lead him to other jobs and that he may not return anyway. They could not take the risk, so they wrote him out of the show.
Kal Penn on House
On the show House, Kal Penn was eventually written out. He left the show to go do some important work for The White House. On his final episode, they had Kal’s character Lawrence kill himself. Kal was upset to learn that this was how he was going to go and felt really shocked. However, that was the end of Kal’s character.
Kal moved from one ‘house’ to another! Inspired by working with Obama on his campaign, Kal wanted to get involved even further to make sure that everyone's voice was heard.
Lauren Socha on Misfits
The show, Misfits, was a big hit in the UK. The character of Kelly Bailey was played by actress Lauren Socha. They had to write her off of the show because the actress had to do community service. It was sad because she really did love playing the role. She had said the role was brilliant and really lived with her experience.
It was said publicly that the decision was mutual between the production team and Lauren, and she did not return. Reports started to swirl about a US version being created, but Lauren did not think it would be possible for anyone to play the role as she did.