For a movie or TV show to work, there needs to be unity between the production team and the stars. Believe it or not, drama unfolds not just in front of the screen, but also behind it. Some actors are the cause for their characters being killed off – alcoholism, substance abuse, mental health issues, troubles with the law, sometimes just bad mouthing people part of the production team. There are also times that writers and creators of TV shows are not just feeling the actors, and they make ways to make their characters disappear. You will be surprised at this list, and may end up seeing one of your favorite TV characters on it. You know they exited the show... but how?
Patrick Dempsey - Whining & Cheating Led Him to a Car Crash
If you think Patrick Dempsey exited the TV series Grey’s Anatomy with no drama at all, well, think again. According to reports, Dempsey’s character’s death was decided upon because of his constant demand for additional screen time, as well as an alleged dalliance with a staff member of the show. Despite these reported claims, Dempsey and the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, maintains that there has never been a problem between them. Dempsey’s wife filed for divorce weeks before his character was killed off in the show.
Michelle Rodriguez - Don't DUI or You Will Get Shot in your Show
Another Lost star whose character got killed off after being arrested for DUI was Michelle Rodriguez. If you must know, she and co-star Cynthia Watros were arrested for drunk driving on the same night. Rodriguez’s character, Ana Lucia, was shot to death on Lost after that fateful night she was arrested. Cynthia Watros’ character, on the other hand, was killed afterwards due to a freak accident.
Mischa Barton - Diva Behavior Led To a Car Crash
Mishca Barton may have started her career early, but her shot to fame was due to the success of her television show, The O.C. In a sad turn of events, Barton’s life spiraled down, mainly because of too much partying and struggling with mental health issues. By the third season of the popular TV show, her character Marissa Cooper was killed off in a car crash. And it was very clear her death was decided based on her recent lashing out towards the public and the people she worked with on set. After being booted from the show, the actress was admitted for treatment for her mental breakdowns.
Charisma Carpenter - Just an Actress Getting Pregnant
Fans were so used to the character of Cordelia Chase in the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, that they were devastated when she died in the fourth season of the latter show. It wasn’t behavior that made the writers kill off Charisma Carpenter’s beloved character, it was actually pregnancy. The dismissal was consensual, so Carpenter did not hire any lawyer to sue the network for wrongful termination.
Columbus Short - Assault Perp Exited While Staring Down the Barrel of a Gun
For actor Columbus Short, it was not a problem on the set of Scandal that made the producers fire him, instead it was his personal life. Life imitates art in Short’s case, as he was involved in scandalous news headlines. He was arrested for assaulting a man in a bar, and admitted to alcoholism and drug addiction. Show executives apparently staged an intervention and not just fired him; they sent him to a rehab facility for treatment.
Cynthia Watros - Drunk Driving Usually Ends in an Accident
A lot of characters died on the TV show Lost, so we cannot determine if Cynthia Watros’ character was killed off because it was meant to be, or because of what happened in December of 2005. Perhaps her TV demise became early because she was arrested for drunken driving in Hawaii. She probably hired a DUI attorney, which was why she was just sent off for a few days in rehabilitation, got her license suspended for 90 days, and made her pay a $307 fine.
Dan Stevens – A Tragic Accident Was the Start of a Successful Career
You are probably very familiar with actor Dan Stevens by now, well, you could have been for a long time now if you’re a fan of Downton Abbey. Recently, though, the actor’s face has been more familiar with mainstream viewers, because of the Disney live action film, Beauty and the Beast. He played the beast, opposite Emma Watson’s Belle. Before that, Stevens played Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey. When he decided to quit the show, the writers killed off his character through a tragic car accident. Things are looking good for Stevens, since he plays the lead in the TV show Legion, which recently premiered its second season.
Heidi Swedberg – Lack of Chemistry Will Lead to a Stupid Way to Die
Jason Alexander never felt the chemistry between her and Heidi Swedberg, who played his character, George Costanza’s fiancé Susan Ross, in the TV comedy series Seinfeld. He voiced this opinion out to his co-stars, Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis Dreyfus, and they later told the show’s creator and suggested her character should just be killed off. It seems the opinions of the main stars of the show mattered a lot to the show’s creator, so Susan Ross died in a darkly humorous way – by licking the glue from a budget envelope. No attorney was hired to sue for wrongful termination – perhaps Swedberg didn’t feel the chemistry, too?
Isaac Hayes - Quitting the Show Suddenly Will Ensure A Gory End
Actor Isaac Hayes voiced the South Park character Chef for a long time before he decided to quit because of his religion. Writers apparently made fun of the Scientology religion, which Hayes is a follower of. He was so offended that he quit the show, and the writers got back at him by killing off his character in a horrific manner. We won't tell how though!
Isaiah Washington - Walked Away from Seattle Grace Hospital
Patrick Dempsey’s character in the TV series Grey’s Anatomy was not the only one written off because of a problem with its creator, Shonda Rhimes. Another actor, Isaiah Washington, left the show as well. The issue was a gay slur that the actor apparently made towards one of its cast member, T.R. Knight, while he was having a heated argument with Patrick Dempsey. Rhimes wouldn’t have that kind of behavior, and decided it was time to let Washington go.
John Francis Daley – He Got Killed Off To Make Way for Hollywood Success
John Francis Daley’s character, Dr. Lance Sweets, in the TV show Bones, was the first one to depart from the show. Daley did not really want to leave the show yet and he just asked for a temporary leave, since he needed to direct a film. The producers of the show felt a temporary leave could eventually led to permanent one, so they made the writer kill his character off, so he would have the freedom to become a big Hollywood director. As it turns out, Daley would go on directing major movies, some of them being Vacation, Horrible Bosses, and Marvel’s Spiderman: Homecoming. Being killed off the show actually led to a more successful career for Daley, and a bigger bank account.
Jon Polito - Some Remarks Can Lead To a Not-So-Honorable Death
When Jon Polito was informed of the changes to be done by the producers and the network on his show, Homicide: Life on the Street, he did not like it. Polito admitted that what he found out made him lash out on the people involved and he said some brutal comments to media outlets. It was no surprise that the following season, Polito’s character committed suicide – a dishonorable way to leave the show, if you ask us. Instead of hiring a lawyer to sue the network for what happened, Polito patched things up with them.
Mandy Patinkin - Shot Off Camera to Explain Him Leaving The Show
In the case of actor Mandy Patinkin, it was his personal choice to just stop showing up for filming the TV show, CSI: Criminal Minds. According to the actor, he didn’t like how in each and every episode, women were violated. The show’s writer eventually decided to kill his character off the show. Some years after, Patinkin admitted his behavior was offensive, and he shouldn’t have exited that way from the show.
McLean Stevenson - He Wanted the Spotlight So His Plane Was Shot Down
M*A*S*H is one of the most popular show made on TV, and it made it stars unforgettable to fans. But one of its stars, McLean Stevenson, apparently did not want to be part of the show because he wasn’t playing the lead. In short, Stevenson wanted the spotlight, which he got after leaving M*A*S*H, through The McLean Stevenson Show that lasted only for a season. When he left, writers of the show had his character board a plane, then had it shot down. The actor’s departure was kept a secret until that moment, to illicit raw and real emotions from the stars of the show.
Michael Pitt - You Can't Be Laid-back in Boardwalk
If you loved watching Michael Pitt play Jimmy Darmody on Boardwalk Empire and got really sad when he was killed in the show, you only have the actor to blame for that. A source from the set said that the producers and writers had great plans for Jimmy, but had to kill him off because the actor playing him was very laid-back and unreliable. Pitt apparently always arrived late on set, forgot his lines, complained a lot, and even had a fight with one of its co-stars.
Dominic Monaghan - High Handedness Can Lead to Drowning
We would never know if Charlie could have been alive until the finale of Lost, because reported behavioral issues from its actor, Dominic Monaghan, made the writers kill off his character in the third season of the show. Sources claimed that Monaghan was difficult on set.
Jay Thomas - Got into an Accident As He Did Not Like Kissing His TV Wife
Jay Thomas had been with the TV show Cheers for a long time before they decided to kill him through a weird accident. Problems with alcoholism or drug addiction were not the reason for the dismissal, but a rude comment he made about a co-star, was. Thomas’ character was Eddie LeBec, who was married to Carla Tortelli, played by actress Rhea Perlman. Since Thomas was also working as a radio DJ at that time, a caller asked him how it feels to work in Cheers – he replied by whining on the need to always kiss Rhea Perlman on the show. He was never seen in Cheers after that incident.
John Amos - A Car Accident Killed Him For His Opinion
The TV show Good Times had a good run on television in the 70s. One of the stars of the show, John Amos, thought the creators were not doing a great job of presenting the African – American culture, despite of Good Times’ success. This may be the reason why Amos’ character was killed off on the show, and the actor was very clear to point out that he did not leave the show, he was terminated. It’s a good thing Amos did not hire a lawyer to sue the network for firing him because he voiced out an opinion.
Shannen Doherty - Killed by Dark Magic for Not Charming Anyone
Shannen Doherty has always carried with her a reputation of being hard to work with on set, ever since her Beverly Hills 90210 days. Can we guess it’s true because it is the reason they point to for killing her character Prue, on the TV series Charmed? She also had an alleged rift with co-star Alyssa Milano that lasted throughout Doherty’s stint on the show.
Taylor Momsen - From Series Regular to Guest Star
Before Taylor Momsen was cast in the TV show Gossip Girl, she has already starred as a child actress in the movie, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Perhaps that’s the reason why she got the ‘diva’ vibe in her? When her character Jenny Humphrey became a just a recurring guest from being a series regular, Momsen explained it was her decision so she can focus on her music career. Sources claimed this was not the real story, and that she was let go for being unreliable and unprofessional. Project Runway’s Tim Gunn backed up this claim, saying he had a bad experience working with her on Gossip Girl, calling her a diva, a brat, and said she often forgot her lines.
Thomas Gibson - Entered Witness Protection After Altercation
When CSI: Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson was written off the show in 2016, everyone involved on the show just had too much of his temper and mood swings. Reports claimed that some staff members had been complaining for many years of Gibson’s aggressive attitude and verbal abuse. He was even sent for anger management treatment back in 2010. When he had an altercation in 2016 with one of the show’s writer and producer, the network decided to let Gibson go.
Nicollette Sheridan - Victim of Assault Because She Warred With The Bigwigs
Desperate Housewives was a cast full of women, and some people expected cat fights on set. But the cast member who took on a fight was Nicollette Sheridan and she chose none other than the show’s creator to have a feud with. Sheridan’s character, Edie Britt, killed off on the show. Sheridan did not go down without a fight, she hired a lawyer and sued the people involved for wrongful termination, which ended in a mistrial.
Josh Charles – His Courtroom Career Ended in the Courtroom
In the case of actor Josh Charles, he felt five seasons was enough to have invested in The Good Wife and he wanted to try a different path in his acting career. Unlike most actors getting fired, he was always cordial towards the cast and crew of the show, he just decided to quit. The writers felt his departure should be epic, so they made his death one of the most shocking the history of television. His character was lawyer, Will Gardner, and he was shot down in the courtroom.
Charlie Sheen - Hit by a Train Because He Insulted His Boss
At the period in actor Charlie Sheen’s life when he was struggling with substance abuse, he thrashed Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre in interviews and Twitter. Sheen apparently made anti-Semitic comments towards his boss. Because of his very public breakdown, intervention happened, and Sheen was sent to a treatment center. But already decided on how to get back at Sheen – Lorre had his character hit by a train and killed off on the show. Sheen was replaced by another actor, Ashton Kutcher.
John Rhys-Davies - Not Liking Your Show's Writers Will Get you Killed Off
If you loved John Rhys–Davies character on the TV show Sliders, you would have been wondering for many years why they killed off his character on the show. As it turns out, Davies was not a fan of the show’s writing team, and he was very vocal about it, calling the scripts ‘incomprehensible gibberish’. The writers decided to just write off his character, Maximillian Arturo, by killing him via a gunshot wound.
T.R. Knight - Lesser Screen-time When He Came Out Of The Closet
Although T.R. Knight’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy was his own decision, it’s something he was forced to make. The actor noticed the significant decrease of his screen time in the show’s fifth season, and took it as a sign that he was being written off slowly. There was implication that the reason behind this was the actor’s decision to come out as gay, which Shonda Rhimes was not comfortable with. Rhimes, the creator of the show, vehemently denies the said reason. No lawyer was ever contacted by Knight to sue Rhimes or the network, for indiscreetly pushing him out of the show. His death, by the way, was really bad - he was hit by a bus and ended up being disfigured and unrecognizable.
Valerie Harper - Removed from the Show Titled After Her because of money
Perhaps one of the most memorable dismissals of a star in a TV show was that of Valerie Harper – she got booted out from the show that had her name on the title! Although producers of the show claimed she was removed because of her ‘disruptive behavior’, Harper corrected this and said the real reason was because of a salary dispute and some creative input she gave them. Harper hired an attorney because of the treatment they made to her, and sued everyone included in the production team. Her legal team was successful, Harper ended up being awarded $1.8 million plus a share of the profit from the show, which more or less was around $15 million.