Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow
Ahead of the final season, Arrow's Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.
"Felicity and I
are a very tight two
But after one through seven
we will be saying goodbye to you," she wrote.
She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show's 2020 series finale.
Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead
Lauren Cohan said see you later to The Walking Dead in 2018 following prolonged contract negotiations. She appeared in a handful of season nine episodes, but after a six-year time jump her character Maggie Greene was nowhere to be seen. Producers were hopeful she'd return in some capacity for season 10, and after her short-lived ABC series Whiskey Cavalier was canceled, they got their wish. Cohan made her grand return in this season's 16th episode, which aired in October 2020.
Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead
Hot on the heels of Cohan and Andrew Lincoln bidding farewell to the zombie drama came Gurira's exit. After joining the AMC series in season three as the katana-wielding Michonne, she made her last appearance in a season 10 episode, which aired in March 2020.
Nicollette Sheridan, Dynasty
A recurring player in season one and series regular in season two, Nicollette Sheridan starred as the iconic Alexis Carrington. She announced plans to exit the CW reboot ahead of season three in 2019 to spend time with her ailing mother.
George Eads, MacGyver
George Eads exited the CBS remake in 2019, midway through season three. At the time, he expressed his desire to leave and spend more time with his family.
Damon Wayans, Lethal Weapon
Fox's Lethal Weapon is no stranger to cast exit drama. Clayne Crawford was fired from the series after the second season and his former TV partner Damon Wayans announced his plans to exit the hit drama after the 13-episode third season. "I'm going to be quitting the show in December after we finish the initial 13, so I really don't know what they're planning, but that's what I'm planning," he said in October 2018. "I'm a 58-year-old diabetic and I'm working 16-hour days… Murtaugh said, ‘too old for this.'"
Producers didn't need to work on a replacement plan, though. The show was canceled at the end of season three.
Cameron Monaghan, Shameless
Ian Gallagher went to the slammer. When Cameron Monaghan left Shameless during its ninth season, his character was locked up. In reality, Monaghan was ready to explore new projects after nine years on the show. But, in a true TV twist, he went ahead and signed on to return for season 10 anyway and was present and accounted for when the show returned for its 11th and final season in December 2020.
Emmy Rossum, Shameless
After nine seasons as Fiona Gallagher, Emmy Rossum announced plans to leave Shameless in 2018.
"Emmy Rossum will forever be part of the Shameless family," executive producer John Wells said in a statement. "She has been integral to the show's success, from her wonderful portrayal of Fiona to her leadership role on set, as well as directing multiple episodes of the series. We are hard at work now creating a season nine finale for Shameless which we hope will provide a Gallagher-worthy sendoff for Fiona that honors the great work Emmy has done. It is always bittersweet when an ensemble member decides to move out of the proverbial house, but our door will always remain open for Fiona to return home for a visit, or to move back in. I look forward to continuing the stories of this wildly unpredictable family and all of us on Shameless will miss Emmy and her wonderful Fiona."
Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Chelsea Peretti appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine when it made its NBC debut, but she didn't stick around for the whole run. In a series of tweets in 2018, the actress announced her plans to leave the comedy, but maintained she would be back. She even used Rossum's farewell letter to Shameless as the basis of her own. Peretti welcomed a son with husband Jordan Peele in 2017. Her character was on maternity leave and sat out several episodes in season five.
Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead
Lincoln said goodbye to the blood, sweat and dirt of the zombie apocalypse and left The Walking Dead during season nine. "These guys have been the best surrogate family I could have hoped for," Lincoln said at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018. "But I do have a real family and it is time for me to go home,"
Pauley Perrette, NCIS
After 15 years, Pauley Perrette hung up her lab coat and left NCIS in 2018. "I believe in God and the universe so firmly, and it just suddenly became blindingly apparent that now was the time," she said. "After a lot of thought, I decided to announce it myself on Twitter because I didn't want it to be turned into anything 'shocking. Abby leaving is more than a cheap TV ploy."
Willa Holland, Arrow
Original cast member Willa Holland's exit from The CW's Arrow had been in the works for a while, boss Marc Guggenheim told TVLine in 2018. She asked to have her episode count reduced and then to be written out in season six. Her departure just happened to coincide with the return of Thea's boyfriend, Roy (Colton Haynes), and so they headed off into the sunset together to destroy the dangerous Lazarus Pits that her late father had discovered.
Grace Park, Hawaii Five-0
Grace Park, who shot to fame on Battlestar Galactica, left Hawaii Five-0 ahead of its eighth season in 2017. She and costar Daniel Dae Kim left after negotiations to reach pay parity with their co-stars failed.
“I’m grateful for the lessons learned, but I chose what was best for my integrity,” Park later told Entertainment Weekly. “I know that people are always trying their best, and everyone’s coming from their own backgrounds.”
Daniel Dae Kim, Hawaii Five-0
Like Park, Kim left the CBS drama in between seasons seven and eight. In a Facebook post, Kim said the choice to leave was difficult, and that he made himself available to come back, but "CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract."
Sophia Bush, Chicago PD
Season four of the NBC drama ended with Sophia Bush's character entertaining a job offer in New York with the FBI, taking her out of the titular Windy City. In December 2018, the actress explained that she quit the series after "a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior."
T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley
After four seasons on the HBO comedy, T.J. Miller departed in 2017, calling it an "organic ending." He told Entertainment Weekly, "Also, in a weird way, it's interesting to me to leave a show at its height. It's interesting to me to see how the show will grow and change with the exit of this character."
Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait
After just one season on the CBS comedy, there was quite a shakeup afoot. Erinn Hayes, who played wife to Kevin James, left in 2017 as part of a creative shakeup. However, from the sounds of her tweet, it wasn't a mutual decision. "True, I've been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1," Hayes said on Twitter. "Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans."
Kevin then moved on, in a way, with former King of Queens costar Leah Remini. CBS then moved on and canceled the show altogether.
Jennifer Morrison, Once Upon a Time
Emma Swan left Storybrooke early. Jennifer Morrison announced her departure from Once Upon a Time in 2017, but then appeared in an episode of the rebooted series in season seven to help say goodbye to her character, who simply went off to have a happy ending in a different universe. She later returned for the series finale to help say goodbye to her show.
Connie Britton, Nashville
Y'all heard the rumors about Connie Britton's potential exit from the series once it was revived by CMT, but Britton herself downplayed them...for a time. Britton's character Rayna died from injuries sustained in a car accident. She took to Instagram in February 2017 to pay tribute to the character and the show after the episode aired. "It has been an honor to be a part of that creation. And as I know she would want it, the show must, and will go on. Long live Rayna Jaymes," she wrote.
And she did...sorta, returning for the 2018 series finale.
Stana Katic, Castle
Castle without Beckett? You better believe it. After eight seasons of solving crimes and falling in love, Stana Katic was let go from the long-running series by ABC (along with her co-star Tamala Jones) prior to a potential season nine renewal, leaving Nathan Fillion's titular character to handle things on his own, should the series return.
Following the surprising 2016 announcement, Katic released a statement to E! News, saying, "Rather than distract from what was an amazing experience I would just like to say that I'm very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans."
The series did not end up returning.
Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow
Nicole Beharie confirmed following the show's season three finale in 2016 that her character, Abbie Mills, was really dead. As in not supernaturally coming back somehow should the show be renewed for a fourth season. It lasted one more season without her before being canceled.
Michael Weatherly, NCIS
After 13 years with the show, Michael Weatherly, who was with the series from the start, announced he would be leaving NCIS in 2016. "He is a valued part of the CBS family, and the immense charm and talent he brings to the screen as 'Very' Special Agent Tony DiNozzo has helped make NCIS what it is today—the No. 1 drama in the world," CBS said in a statement. "We thank Michael for all of his contributions to this successful franchise and look forward to continuing to develop projects with him as part of our ongoing development deal."
Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries
TVD's fandom was left speechless when its leading lady Nina Dobrev revealed she would be exiting the show after six seasons...and that the show was still going on without her. Delena and Stelena fans alike were devastated. "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime," Dobrev wrote in a 2015 open letter. "I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever."
Dobrev returned for the series finale to give both Elena and Katherine a final ending.
Kal Penn, House
What to do when you're on one of TV's hottest shows, but get a job at the White House? If you're Kal Penn on House, your character suddenly dies by suicide in a 2009 episode and you go work for President Barack Obama.