Nothing lasts forever, with TV shows being no exception to this rule. Often, this is because of their actors having some sort of disagreement that causes them to leave, thus ruining the formula that made them successful in the first place. Sometimes, the TV shows manage to recover, whereas other times, the TV shows make the attempt but fail nonetheless. Whatever happens, such stories are always interesting, meaning that they can provide plenty of entertainment for those who are interested in such things.
Here are 5 examples of actors who quit their TV shows all of a sudden:
Charlie Sheen
Technically, Charlie Sheen didn’t quit Two and a Half Men during its eighth season. Instead, he was kicked out by the producers while his character was written out via his stalker, Rose, who kidnapped him. This entire sequence of events happened because of Sheen’s public meltdown, which caused an abrupt end to the eighth season as well as an abrupt end to his contract with CBS.
Topher Grace
People might remember Topher Grace’s role as Eric on That 70’s Show. In total, he played his role for seven seasons before leaving to pursue a career in the movies. Unfortunately, Grace is best-remembered for his role as Venom in Spider-Man 3, which was a commercial success but less well-received by the critics. Even worse, Grace’s departure coincided with Ashton Kutcher’s departure at around the same time, causing That 70’s Show to flounder so much that it lasted no more than a single season before it came to a conclusion. With that said, the TV show’s eight seasons meant that it shouldn’t have been that far off from the 80s, which would’ve been rather awkward considering what happened to That 80s Show.
David Duchovny
David Duchovny is best-remembered for his role as FBI Agent Fox Mulder on the TV show The X-Files as well as the two movies in the same sci-fi franchise. Before the seventh season was aired on the TV screen, Duchovny sued 20th Century Fox for underselling the rights to its affiliates, which concluded with him being awarded a settlement of about $20 million. However, the contract dispute caused serious tensions in his professional relationships, resulting in him stopping his full-time participation in the TV show in spite of efforts to bring him onboard. The efforts to continue The X-Files failed to achieve their desired effect, though it is interesting to note that a 10th season starring Duchovny and Gillian Anderson came out in 2016 while an 11th season is scheduled for release in 2017 and 2018.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty has been written out of TV shows not once but twice. First, she was written out of Beverly Hills 90210 when her character was sent to London never to return, which also happened to be her breakout role. Second, she was written out of Charmed after the third season. In both cases, it is said that Doherty was written out because she was too unpleasant when she was off-camera.
Steve Carell
Steve Carell’s Michael Scott was the heart and soul of The Office, but like all good things, it could not last. After 137 episodes, his character got his happy ending, while Carell was free to continue pursuing his already flourishing movie career. Without him, The Office managed to run for a few more seasons with a series of guest bosses, but it is interesting to note that Carell managed to make time for a surprise appearance in the final episode.
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