# Actors Who Left Successful Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138 "2009-11-11T02:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/41 "2009-11-11T14:02:16Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > And to be honest, has Kutcher done anything decent lately? Not that I know of. But he’s more famous now than he was when he was doing the show. You’re right that his marriage had a lot to do with that, but so did Punk’d. > [@](#): > > In Topher’s defense, I did like him in _Traffic_, _Win a Date With Tad Hamilton_ and his bit parts in the \*Ocean’s \*series. I like him myself and I wasn’t criticizing him. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/42 "2009-11-11T14:06:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Mandy Patinkin left two successful series ( **Chicago Hope** and **Criminal Minds** ). He has no problem getting work on Broadway and with recording albums. And **Dead Like Me** , which wasn’t highly successful, but popular enough that they made a movie a few years after the show ended, which Patinkin was not in, though the rest of the cast was. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/43 "2009-11-11T14:07:52Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Going back a long way, Jeff Conaway left “Taxi” to become a movie star…and his career pretty much amounted to an embarrassing role in the movie “Grease” (in which he looked at least a decade too old to be playing a teenager, but at least he wasn’t the only one.) But didn’t Grease come out before Taxi? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/44 "2009-11-11T14:08:29Z")
Surely the ultimate achiever in popular culture is **Shaun Williamson** who played Barry Evans in the British soap _EastEnders_ for 10 years. Later Williamson, sort of played himself in the Ricky Gervais BBC comedy _Extras_. He is an unemployable actor perhaps due to the useless management provided by Andy’s agent, played by Stephen Merchant. However he is always referred to as “Barry from EastEnders”, and in one episode the agent tells the story of “Barry” leaving EastEnders to become a movie star and failing. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/45 "2009-11-11T14:12:06Z")
Steve McQueen left _Wanted : Dead or Alive_ and had a nice movie career. This was before most of you whippersnappers were born. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/46 "2009-11-11T14:21:03Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I guess George Clooney did all right for himself after leaving ER. And ER did all right for itself without Clooney. George Clooney left TWO shows titled ER (well, one is E/R), but only one of the shows went on well without him. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/47 "2009-11-11T15:53:55Z")
Seth Green left his part as “Oz” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has done very well for himself, working steadily and co-creating “Robot Chicken.” Good for him, but I loved Oz and the show missed him terribly. He had the best one-liners in the Buffy-verse. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/48 "2009-11-11T15:55:56Z")
William Petersen left CSI during the 9th season, CSI was still rated #4. He left to do theater work and I at least have not seen him since on TV or film. The show’s ratings seemed to have drop a bit since his departure. He arguably was the main character. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/49 "2009-11-11T16:11:10Z")
George Maharis contracted hepatitis and had to leave Route 66 in the middle of the third season. He continued to act in TV, films, and theater for many years after that. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/50 "2009-11-11T16:24:38Z")
James Garner left **Maverick** early and they replaced him with (among others) Roger Moore as cousin Beau Maverick which I always saw as weird casting. Garner did well on the big screen and with subsequent small screen appearances although a couple of other attempts at television Maverick remakes kind of missed the mark. Harry Morgan left **December Bride** early for his own spinoff series \*\*Pete and Gladys \*\*(I think the first-ever television spinoff) and while it faired poorly, he didn’t. He was a regular fixture both on the big screen and in two more very successful series. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/51 "2009-11-11T16:28:43Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Seth Green left his part as “Oz” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has done very well for himself, working steadily and co-creating “Robot Chicken.” > > Good for him, but I loved Oz and the show missed him terribly. He had the best one-liners in the Buffy-verse. Wasn’t he fairly well known by that point? I remember him in Austin Powers, which came out about the same time Buffy started. ---
**Author:** ![Pocito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@Pocito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pocito)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/52 "2009-11-11T16:30:16Z")
Thomas Haden Church left Wings for a crappy sitcom that quickly failed. He disappeared until they dragged him back for the movie Sideways. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/53 "2009-11-11T16:35:56Z")
Both Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds left **Gunsmoke** and both had successful careers after the Saturday western. Weaver eventually ended up with **McCloud** and Reynolds ended up with a number of different things. Come to think of it, didn’t Reynolds also leave **Riverboat** early? Jim Nabors and Don Knotts both left the **Andy Griffin Show** early and both initially did well. Nabors with Gomer Pyle and Knotts with his Disney films and his teaming with Tim Conway. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/54 "2009-11-11T16:39:50Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I don’t know if Voyager is considered successful or not but Jennifer Lien left in Season 4, denying herself 3 years of residuals. If she has a post-Voyager career I haven’t heard of it. That wasn’t her choice, though. The producers got rid of her in order to make room for Seven of Nine. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/55 "2009-11-11T16:43:43Z")
Regis Philbin left the **Joey Bishop Show** early. Actually Bishop fired him on air. It took awhile, but he has come back - arguably more successfully than the guy that fired him (at least in the medium from which he was fired). ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/56 "2009-11-11T16:48:49Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > Regis Philbin left the **Joey Bishop Show** early. Actually Bishop fired him on air. It took awhile, but he has come back - arguably more successfully than the guy that fired him (at least in the medium from which he was fired). That’s not quite how I thought it went down. I thought Regis quit on air, but was brought back by Bishop the following night. Some people think it was possibly a ratings stunt. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/57 "2009-11-11T17:00:39Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > That’s not quite how I thought it went down. I thought Regis quit on air, but was brought back by Bishop the following night. > > Some people think it was possibly a ratings stunt. It could be as you remember it. I was very young when I saw it. Besides the success of the program was questionable and this thread is “Actors who left **successful** series”. In addition virtually no one would call Regis an actor. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/58 "2009-11-11T18:23:11Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > That wasn’t her choice, though. The producers got rid of her in order to make room for Seven of Nine. I thought she was pitching a fit over the ears (IIRC, her hairstyle was changed from the cute pixie to a longer version). Plus, her species is extremely short-lived, so I don’t know if she would have lasted out the series anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/59 "2009-11-11T18:23:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > You’re joking, right? Tennant will have no problem finding stage or television work in Britain. He can act rings around Caruso and is very popular indeed. Well, good! All I know is, I heard he’d had to leave Hamlet because he’d hurt his back or something. (I’m American; I don’t get every tidbit of info about UK actors.) ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/60 "2009-11-11T18:34:51Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Charisma Carpenter left Angel at the end of season 4 but IIRC didn’t hurt for money doing some T&A flicks and Veronica Mars appearances. I don’t know if she counts in the spirit of the OP. She initially left for maternity leave, then came back long enough to wrap up her story line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138.md?page=4)