Regardless of each actor's reasons, audiences were taken aback by the decisions as it didn't feel like the right time for actors to walk away from series such as Grey's Anatomy and That '70s Show. Still, as difficult as it was for fans to accept these goodbyes when they first occurred, hindsight reveals that everything worked out fine in the end. The actors were given the freedom to take on other acting projects and their former series found a way to work around their farewell and sustain a show that audiences still tuned in for.
10 Reneé Rapp (The Sex Lives Of College Girls)
Left To Focus On Her Music Career
Created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, Max's original series The Sex Lives of College Girls has been a hit with audiences due to its suggestive humor and relatable characters. One of the series' main college students is Leighton, played by Reneé Rapp. Leighton's journey throughout the show was especially moving as the character gradually comes to accept and embrace her sexuality.
Leighton's determination to create a life for herself outside of her rich family's expectations made her a fan favorite, and that's why audiences were surprised when Rapp announced she'd be leaving the show after season 3. Leighton's goodbye at the beginning of season 3 is emotional and wonderfully reflects Rapp's real-life exit. As much as Rapp's absence will be felt in the remainder of the series, her decision to prioritize her flourishing music career is sensible, and it'll be exciting to see how The Sex Lives of College Girls handles Leighton's exit moving forward.
9 Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy)
Left To Push Himself Creatively
Actors are often the most informed people about when it's time to say goodbye to their characters, which was the case for Jesse Williams. First appearing on Grey's Anatomy in season 6, Williams chose to end the journey of his character Dr. Jackson Avery in season 17. Unlike many of the other mentioned exits from popular TV shows, Williams' plan to leave was set in motion for quite some time before it actually happened.
Collaborating with the series' writers, Williams made sure his character received a proper and convincing send-off. Though Williams was confident in his exit because he craved an acting challenge that pushed him out of his comfort zone, he wasn't prepared to cut the character out of his life completely. Williams returned in seasons 18, 19, and 21 as a guest star.
8 Christopher Abbott (Girls)
Left After Season 2 For Personal And Creative Reasons
Girls season 1 and 2 saw the confused relationship between Marnie (Allison Williams) and Charlie (Christopher Abbott). The two were constantly going back and forth, getting together only to break up within days. At the end of season 2, it appears everything is going to work out for them — until the premiere of season 3, in which it's revealed the two have broken up for good.
While it was inevitable the two would likely have continued with their messy dynamic moving forward, there was no choice but to have the characters split after Abbott left the show. Though it was a shock to fans to learn Charlie would not be returning to the show, Abbott's explanation makes sense. In an interview with The Times, Abbott admits the reason why he chose to leave Girls was because of his inability to connect with his character anymore.
7 Pauley Perrette (NCIS)
Left After A Dispute With A Co-Star
Behind-the-scenes drama is a common reason why many actors choose to leave their shows, regardless of how successful it is. In NCIS, Pauley Perrette played Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto for 15 seasons. When Perrette did not return for the following season, audiences were surprised and shocked to a greater degree when her reasons for leaving were revealed. In real life, Perrette had a falling out with Mark Harmon, the series' lead actor.
Reports claim the issues between the two arose when Harmon's dog bit someone on set and Perrette was ignored when she asked that his pet be kept off the set. Though Perrette's comfort and security on set should be a priority, it's a shame her exit would be the end of her character's journey. Not only was Perrette's Abby beloved by fans, but her dynamic with other characters in the show made for a comforting viewing experience.
6 George Clooney (ER)
Left To Focus On His Movie Career
Starring in ER as one of the original cast members, George Clooney's time as Doug Ross came to an end after season 5. Ross resigned from his position at the hospital after it was uncovered that he went against protocol to help a patient receive medicine. While Clooney's presence in the show was missed, ER found great success in spite of his absence.
Clooney, too, was doing well outside the show. Though the actor had worked on a few films while still being part of ER, his exit opened up more opportunities, and Clooney took them. Much to the audience's delight, Clooney does return to the series for a cameo in seasons 6 and 15, the latter being the show's final season.
5 Topher Grace (That '70s Show)
Left To Focus On Making Movies
While deciding to walk away from a successful TV show is daunting, such success does provide a bit of a cushion, giving actors the confidence and security to quit. This was the case for Topher Grace who, after playing Eric Forman for seven seasons, was ready to say goodbye. Grace's decision came as a result of his desire to pivot from the television landscape and make the transition into films.
That '70s Show would only last for one more season following Grace's exit, but it wasn't an easy task to replace the character of Eric Forman, though the series attempted to multiple times. Before the show officially ended, Grace did make a guest appearance in the final season. Additionally, the actor returned to his character and had a guest role in the sequel series to That '70s Show, That '90s Show.
4 Emmy Rossum (Shameless)
Left The Show To Try Something New
As the oldest daughter on Showtime's Shameless, Emmy Rossum, as Fiona Gallagher, endured a lot during her nine seasons on the show. At the end of season 9, Rossum announced she was leaving the show. Despite the acclaim and success brought upon Rossum as a result of Shameless, the actor knew it was time for her to quit. Rossum was prepared and eager to move on to other projects.
Though audiences were not anticipating Rossum to leave before the series had ended, they were pleased to see the character get a fitting sendoff. For much of Fiona's final episodes in the show, she was broken down, and it seemed as though she was going down a familiar, devastatingly dire path. Thankfully, that wasn't the case and Fiona walked away from her family, not before she could help them out one last time, and into a hopeful future many felt the character deserved.
3 Steve Carell (The Office)
Left To Work On Movies
It's difficult to imagine The Office without the one-of-a-kind Michael Scott wandering around, but after season 7, this was the reality of the mockumentary sitcom. Steve Carell chose to walk away from the successful series after years of endless laughter so he could focus on his film career. Looking at Carell's career in hindsight, he made the right decision, but it came with an unfortunate cost for fans of The Office.
Most of the time, actors quitting successful shows doesn't impact the quality of their respective series too much. However, that's not the case with Carell and The Office. Unfortunately, The Office wasted its perfect ending and chose to continue for two more seasons after Michael's last day at Dunder Mifflin. The remaining seasons of The Office aren't terrible, but there's a noticeable void in the show that others are never quite able to fill.
2 Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)
Left Due To Harsh Filming Environments And An Unsatisfactory Script
An ongoing medical drama running for 21 seasons so far, Grey's Anatomy has a stacked cast of actors who've said their goodbyes to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital one by one over the years. One of the more shocking departures was that of Katherine Heigl. Yet, there were a handful of people who were suspicious before Heigl's official departure and assumed it'd happen as the actor didn't submit her name for Emmy consideration.
Heigl's decision to opt out of submitting herself, on top of her comments about the grueling hours spent on set, caused tension between her and Grey's Anatomy showrunner Shonda Rhimes. Heigl received a grave amount of backlash, which led to the widespread assumption that she was difficult to work with on set. Heigl has since publicly reflected on that time in her life and reunited with a few cast members at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards to present.
1 Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Left The Show And Consequently Ended It
After 12 seasons, the decision of whether to continue The Big Bang Theory was put in the hands of its star, Jim Parsons. Though the series' popularity showed no signs of dying down at the time, Parsons ultimately decided against it and the sitcom was canceled. This decision not only shocked and disappointed fans but caused a bit of tension among the cast. While Parsons' co-stars could see where the actor was coming from, they were upset about not being consulted before the decision was made.
However, to Parsons, there was more than enough reason to walk away from the show. It appeared there was nothing left to squeeze out of Sheldon's story, and in his personal life, Parsons sought a fresh start outside the series that had been tied to him for so many years. In spite of its abrupt ending, the other series within The Big Bang Theory franchise helped fill the void.
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