Ever wonder why some characters inexplicably disappear from a TV show? Or why their deaths seem rushed and untimely? Find out why some writers couldn’t stand working with these actors anymore that they kicked their characters off…
Jenny Humphrey, Gossip Girl
Taylor Momsen seemed to mimic her character’s downward spiral as the show progressed. She started wearing heavy makeup and making strange statements to the press. After four seasons, she was asked not to return to the show due to her unrealistic and erratic behavior on set.
Marissa Cooper, The O.C.
The O.C. was one of the most popular shows in the early 2000’s. Mischa Barton coined the phrase “It Girl,” and her character Marissa Cooper was the ultimate icon. However, she was killed off mid-show because she was allegedly a huge diva on set, and the pressures of early fame had gotten to her.
Denise Huxtable, A Different World
Lisa Bonet was – and still is – a crowd favorite, but especially for her role on The Cosby Show. Unfortunately a conflict arose between her father and Bill Coby over a racy photoshoot she did. She was then given her own spinoff, A Different World, which was a huge success. When she married Lenny Kravitz and got pregnant, she suggested the pregnancy be written into the show, but producers didn’t go for it.
Jimmy Darmody, Boardwalk Empire
Apparently actor Michael Pitt wasn’t necessarily problematic, he was just a bad actor. He dropped his lines and showed up late a lot, which costs studios lots of money. After his character was killed off, his agent dropped him.
Dr. Derek Shepherd, Grey’s Anatomy
A cornerstone of the hit show, the death of Derek Shepherd after 11 seasons was a massive shock to viewers, but not to producers. Patrick Dempsey allegedly had an affair with a crew member, which became a huge liability for the network. Writer Shonda Rhimes had her hands tied and unfortunately had to kill him off.
Laurie Forman, That ’70s Show
Unfortunately, actress Lisa Robin Kelly had to be written off the show because she suffered from severe substance abuse. She was replaced mid-season 5 and passed away in 2013.
Charlie Dattolo, Girls
After two seasons as a leading character, Christopher Abbott said that he no longer related to Charlie and decided to leave. There were allegedly no creative differences with writer Lena Dunham, as many thought was the case.
Lt. Henry Blake, M*A*S*H
McLean Stevenson’s reason for getting kicked off the hit shot M*A*S*H i s a lesson for actors everywhere. He was cast as a somewhat important character, but was disgruntled with the fact that he wasn’t the main star of the show. He complained to producers, who were displeased with the drama, and kicked him off the cast.
Terry Crowley, The Shield
Actor Reed Diamond was billed as a main character, so to murder him off on the first episode was unexpected for literally everyone.
Stuart Minkus, Boy Meets World
Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite nerd only lasted one season on Boy Meets World. Lee Noris eventually went on to star in One Tree Hill, and thankfully the child wasn’t killed off his OG role. He apparently “changed homerooms.”
Tuco Salamanca, Breaking Bad
Raymond Cruz actually requested to be written out of the show. Apparently, the high-energy character was taking too much out of him. When creators asked for 8 more episodes just to iron-out his exit, he refused, and he was killed off quickly.
Charlie Harper, Two and a Half Men
Charlie Sheen’s character was, for a time, one of the funniest and dysfunctional characters on TV. However, Sheen had a meltdown and called creator Chuck Lorre “a maggot” and said he actually hates him. The character was then killed by a train and replaced with Ashton Kutcher.
Ned Stark, Game of Thrones
Ned Stark’s violent beheading came as a complete shock to anyone who hadn’t read the books before watching the show. The supposed central figure to the whole show was killed off quickly and brutally.
Erlich Bachman, Silicon Valley
Though marketed as a “mutual agreement” when actor T.J. Miller left Silicon Valley, there was actually much more to the story. Miller was allegedly completely unpredictable on set. Some called him a genius, others called up explosive.
George O’Malley, Grey’s Anatomy
This is a pretty well-known case. T.R. Knight clashed with coworker Isaiah Washington after Washington called some derogatory words mid-argument. This ultimately led to Knight coming out of the closet, with conflicting accounts over the issue from both himself and writer Shonda Rhimes.
Tara Knowles, Sons of Anarchy
Just as her husband was about to turn himself in to save his wife and sons, Jax’s mother took matters into her own hands and went to Tara’s house and killed her. With a meat fork.
Ana Lucia Cortez and Cynthia Watros as Libby Smith, Lost
Though it was played off as merely a “creative decision” to kill off two main characters so early on in the show, in real life, actresses Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros were both given DUIs around the time of the firing.
Aaron Hotchner, Criminal Minds
Thomas Gibson made the infamous “Hotch” one of Criminal Minds’ most recognizable characters. While he kept himself cool and collected on screen, he was said to have aggressive mood swings on set and was even abusive to other cast and crew members.
Prue Halliwell, Charmed
The fantasy show starring three beautiful witchy sisters was just fuel for another one of Shannen Doherty’s infamous dramatics. Her previous gig, 90210, wrote her out of the script for being impossible to work with, and Charmed ended up doing the same thing. Tension follows her wherever she goes.
Harrison Wright, Scandal
The name itself should have insinuated that some real on-set drama was probably bound to happen. Actor Columbus Short was killed off even though he played a major character because his wife had accused him of domestic abuse, which he’d later plead guilty for. He also had substance abuse issues, and allegedly assaulted a man at a party.
Bill Henrickson, Big Love
After five seasons of portraying the seeming epicenter to the whole show, Bill took three shots to the chest and died after careful ministrations of his three wives in the final episode. His death was both liberating for his polygamous wives.
Jason Gideon, Criminal Minds
No hard feelings here! Mandy Patinkin played the role of Chief Jason Gideon for two seasons before realizing the show just wasn’t for him. He said the show was actually very destructive to his soul and personality.
Cordelia Chase, Angel
This Buffy spinoff focused around another vampire, Angel, who fed off the show’s success for a few seasons. However, Charisma Carpenter got pregnant during filming and was written into the show, but after she gave birth her character “went into a coma” and never woke up.
Grace Kelly, Grace Under Fire
Actress Brett Butler portrayed a successful “Every Woman” character on her show Grace Under Fire, but in reality she was a single mother with a drinking problem, and she couldn’t hold onto the role, so the network couldn’t hold onto the show.
Judy Winslow, Family Matters
Once Steve Urkel officially became the star of the show, the producers decided the Winslow family had too many kids. Instead of actually killing her off, the writers just pretended the youngest member of the family never existed.
Dale, The Walking Dead
It’s an unwritten rule that you only kill off one major character at a time, but The Walking Dead doesn’t follow any rules. So, he was killed off pretty quickly by a zombie that Carl had unwisely spared.
Zoe Barnes, House of Cards
When Zoe’s character prods the sleezy Frank Underwood about another congressman’s death, he shoves her in front of an approaching subway train, and that’s how the show kicks off their second season.
Kate Lockley, Angel
Actress Elisabeth Röhm left the show abruptly after two seasons when she was offered a better role on Law & Order. No hard feelings there, and she was killed off Angel kind of nicely.
Valerie Hogan, Valerie
Somehow, actress Valerie Harper managed to get herself axed from a show that was named after her. Her dismissal was money-related, and she felt that NBC should have been paying her more after 2 seasons. They didn’t agree, and she was killed off in the third season, leaving the show Valerie Valerie-less.
Lucy Knight, ER
Lucy’s stabbing death sent viewers into shock. It was completely unexpected and completely emotionally gripping.
Joyce Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy’s mom died a normie death, from a brain aneurism. No vampires or monsters here. It was sad and affected nearly every major character. Buffy’s fantasy world wasn’t immune to the horrors of the real world.
Dee, Battlestar Galactica
All seemed fine when Dee returned from a date in the show’s finale. The mood was set to one of triumph…until she smiled at herself in the mirror and raised a gun to her head.
James Evans, Good Times
The first comedy to star all African Americans, star John Amos thought he’d have to deal with important and relevant issues. However, the show drifted from social issues to one of the younger star’s antics. Before Amos had the chance to complain and quit, his character was killed in a car accident.
Steve Corsetti, Homicide: Life on the Street
Jon Polito left the show because producers wanted to diversify the cast, and hired several women subsequently. He was told his character would come back, but he never actually did and then Polito badmouthed producers.
Maude Flanders, The Simpsons
Apparently The Simpsons didn’t feel like it was totally necessary to keep a minor character around after the firing of the voice actor. Valid for sure, considering the voice actor, Maggie Roswell, pitched a fit when the network wouldn’t pay her more money to make up for the rise in airline tickets.
Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey
Actor Dan Stevens saw through the end of his contract with a grisly death. His character had survived WWI and the Spanish Influenza, but was ultimately taken out by a truck.
Mrs. Landingham, The West Wing
A big sister of sorts to president Martin Shee, Mrs. Landingham had a longstanding relationship with the Bartlet family. But when she finally got her drivers license, it wasn’t exactly a shock that she got into an accident.
Kenny, South Park
They killed a kid. They really did that. He was blased by an alien spaceship, trampled by a herd of cattle, then run over by a police cruiser.
Dr. Grace Miller, Scrubs
It wasn’t uncommon for shows like Scrubs to just axe characters without any explanation, and Bellamy Young’s character unfortunately fell victim to the ploy. Viewers just didn’t like her character. So, she walked out of the hospital one day and just never came back.
Omar Little, The Wire
Michael K. Williams’s character was killed off completely unexpectedly. He was a god of street war for five straight seasons, but due to his…line of work…viewers should have known this would only be a matter of time.
Cody Lambert, Step By Step
Cody Lambert, goofy nephew of patriarch Frank on Step By Step, was the ultimate comic relief. Off screen, he had lots of problems at home and was even sentenced to time in prison. When he was sentenced to prison for a second time, he was written off the show.
Lawrence Kutner, Lost
Kutner’s suicide shook all of Plainsboro, NJ. Fans only saw great things for Kutner’s future, so this was seemingly out of left field. The actor ditched the show for a job in the White House, but has since left that job as well.
Lori Grimes, The Walking Dead
Lori had a rough time of things, and a zombi apocalypse is probably the least of those concerns. Her husband died, then she found comfort with his best friend, then her husband returns, then she finds out she’s pregnant, then she sacrifices her life for her child. Wowowow.
Eddie LeBec, Cheers
Jay Thomas portrayed hockey layer boyfriend-turned-husband to waitress Carla Tortelli. While actress Rhea Perlman was apparently a lovely person, Jay had issues working with her. He was also a radio show host, and when a caller asked about what Cheers was like, he said it was “unbearable,” because he had to kiss Rhea. He was subsequently killed off my a Zamboni.
Maximillian Arturo, Sliders
John Rhys-Davies wasn’t particularly pleased with the plot or writing of the sci-fi show Sliders, and took his issues up with the producers. He called the script “incomprehensible gibberish,” which was a sure-fire way to get him nixed from the project.
Edie Britt, Desperate Housewives
Even though Edie was a problematic main character, actress Nicollette Sheridan didn’t get along with the rest of the cast or the creator. When her character was electrocuted in Season 5, Sheridan sued creator Marc Cherry for wrongful dismissal and even claimed he assaulted her. Ultimately, she lost.
Moira Queen, Arrow
Moira’s death wasn’t entirely out of left field. However, it came about completely unexpected, forcing Oliver to relive a choice he’d made years ago. However, not every character is slated for a happy ending, and her moment of courage ultimately led to her death.
Charlie Pace, Lost
Made famous from his time in Lord of the Rings, Dominic Monaghan played a troubled musician on the hit show Lost, but apparently he wasn’t thrilled with the role. He was forced to work with his ex-girlfriend Evangeline Lilly, and was given a small role in comparison to the rest of the cast. However, his character died a hero.
Caitlin Todd, NCIS
Caitlin’s death was calculated to say the least. During a shoot off with terrorists, she jumps in front of Gibbs to take a bullet for him, and thankfully, she’s wearing a vest. She rises, Gibbs compliments her, and then she is instantly shot in the forehead.
Dan Conner, Roseanne
You thought things were looking up for the Conners in season 9. Everyone seemingly got what they wanted – except! It was all a dream. Dan never recovered from his heart attack, he died at Darlene’s wedding. Everything conjured up after was a coping mechanism for Roseanne.
John Locke, Lost
Locke’s death seemed a little uncanny. A strange strangulation situation? On someone as resourceful and resilient as him? I’m not sure I buy it.
Chuck Cunningham, Happy Days
Chuck Cunningham is the OG “disappearing character.” Actor Gavan O’Herlihy wanted to leave the show and try his hand at films, so the writers had him walk upstairs one day and he was never seen again.
Susan Biddle Ross, Seinfeld
George’s * gasp * finacee, died from licking too many cheap envelopes when sealing wedding invitations. Honestly, a fitting end for a woman willing to marry George.
Cousin Oliver, The Brady Bunch
When The Brady Bunch reached its final season, all the kids were over the age of 12, and the writers decided to cast Cousin Oliver in order to bring some youth back to the screen. However, viewers found him incredibly annoying and he was cut.
Rayna James, Nashville
Connie Britton’s character somehow survived a brutal attack from a stalker, only to be hit by a car later. Her death came quickly after the show changed networks, so there could be some underlying reason for the death.
Will Gardner, The Good Wife
The obvious male lead of The Good Wife ended in tragedy. While trying to console a distraught client in court, he found himself in the middle of a shootout and took a fatal bullet wound to the neck.
James Novak, Scandal
Scandal made a big mistake with this one. When James found out too much about Olivia Pope’s relationship with Jake, he took matters into his own hands and killed James.
Gary Shepherd, Thirtysometing
Just after Nancy’s cancer battle is about to either come to a close or come back full swing, she’s also hit with the news that Gary died in a car crash. Jeez.
Diana, V
OG Femme Fatale reclaiming her role in the reboot was nothing if not disappointing. She did nothing but mess around in the sewers, then when she did eventually lead an uprising, she was killed by her daughter.
Ianto Jones, Torchwood: Children of Earch
Viewers were MAD over this death. Boycotts were threatened. Death threats were made. And through it all, the show’s creators remained pretty unapologetic. The show’s central alien hunter and love interest was just gone. But at what cost!
Allison Argent, Teen Wolf
Allison and Scott were Teen Wolf‘s it couple, and their love story was the one viewers were watching, whether they were together or not. When the couple went to save Lydia in season 3, there was seemingly no reason for anyone to fear for their lives. Her death was untimely to say the least, and left Tyler in ruins.