# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/101 "2009-11-14T07:07:05Z")
> [@PaleAndTragic](#): > > The first female investigator on NCIS, Sasha Alexander, she left and I can’t recall seeing her in anything. She had a blink and miss it role in **Mission Impossible III** (one of the guests at the engagement party at the beginning) and a brief role in the recent Jennifer Aniston movie the name of which has already slipped my mind because it was just that memorable, or, you know, not. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Mandy Patinkin left two successful series ( **Chicago Hope** and **Criminal Minds** ). He has no problem getting work on Broadway and with recording albums. Patinkin’s exit from **Criminal Minds** is controversial, well both exits are controversial, but when he left **Chicago Hope** it’s pretty well understood now that it’s because he was going blind. He had his first cornea transplant within a year after leaving. His second cornea transplant seems to coincide with the timing of the **Dead Like Me** movie which could explain his absence there. > [@AHunter3](#): > > Rob Lowe, far from being an unknown whose career was made for him by being on _West Wing_, was already a name brand by then and apparently given the notion that he was to be its star. Rumor has it that he was not real happy when it mutated to become far more of an ensemble show than one with a main star or two, and that that’s why he left. It doesn’t seem to have done his career much good, and _West Wing_ rolled on quite nicely in his absence. Rob’s been on **Brothers & Sisters** since its first season. I think he’s going pretty well for himself. > [@NDP](#): > > Wasn’t she fired (as she was from 90210)? Doherty was let go from **Charmed** because Alyssa Milano (with backing from Holly Marie Combs) laid the ultimatum on Aaron Spelling: her or me. To add insult to injury, in the episode before her character was killed off, she was turned into a dog. Ouch. My vote, a guy whose name I had to look up: David Garrison, who played Marcy’s first husband on **Married with Children**. He lasted 3.5 seasons, the show went on to have 11. He’s now doing Broadway theatre, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/102 "2009-11-14T22:04:35Z")
> [@bleach](#): > > To add to the thread, Shannon Doherty left Beverly Hills 90210 **and Charmed.** coloring added by me Very next post. > [@Icerigger](#): > > Speaking of Shannon Doherty she left **Charmed** as well. 😛 She also left Scare Tactics, to be replaced by Stephen Baldwin and later Tracy Morgan. But that was a hosting gig, more than an acting gig (she did act in a prank or two, though) ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/103 "2009-11-14T22:16:27Z")
Sorry about that, sometimes you fail to see what is right in front of your eyes! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/104 "2009-11-15T08:46:10Z")
Valarie Harper’s situation was somewhat unique. In additon to starring in the show, she also owned a good part of it. So when she left the show, and Sandy Duncan replaced her, she was still getting paid a decent amount of money. So Harper had an incentive NOT to do anything to harm the show, as it was still making her money, whether she was on it or not. Suzanne Somers had “She’s The Sheriff” for two years as well as “Step By Step.” Somers had said she easily made over twice the money from her Thighmaster, than she would’ve ever made from “Three’s Company.” Both Polly Holliday and Chloris Leechman, left their sitcoms for their own spin-offs, which did well in their first season but then quickly tanked. The same can be said for the Norman Fell and Audra Lindley who left “Three’s Company” to do their own spin off, which also did great the first year, then tanked. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/105 "2009-11-15T21:22:45Z")
Johnny Depp didn’t do so badly after he left **21 Jump Street** ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/106 "2009-11-15T22:30:16Z")
**Lassie** went through a few complete cast turnovers during its 19-year run, but of all the regulars on the show, the best-known human must be Cloris Leachman, even though her participation on the show was largely forgotten. She was the first actress to play Timmy’s mother, but was let go after only one season. Some sources say she disliked the role and deliberately upset the primary sponsor by disparaging Cambell’s Soup in an interview, others say she just wasn’t right for the part. In any case, June Lockhart took over and became a television icon. When the “Lassie” was first syndicated and for many years afterward, the Leachman episodes were excluded. ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/107 "2009-11-17T04:39:51Z")
That’s interesting about Lassie **TWDuke**. I have another related one: Steve Burns left Blue’s Clues after ~7 years. He was the only human in that particular show’s cast. A set of actors that I didn’t see mentioned was the original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Notably, Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, and Frank Conniff all left. I guess one could argue about how successful MST3K was, but it was one of those shows where there was turnover in the entire cast (save Kevin Murphy). Still, the show rolled with the changes. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/108 "2009-11-17T08:33:31Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Well Ashton Kutcher left **That 70s Show** before it’s final season. i am pretty sure Ashton was in 4 or 5 episodes in the final season. > [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I see what you did there. As I’m sure everyone else did ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/109 "2009-11-17T17:40:05Z")
Jean Stapleton left _All in the Family_, and had lots of work after that. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/110 "2009-11-17T23:30:20Z")
Norman Fell and his tv wife Aura Lindley left “Three’s Company” to star in their own spinoff “The Ropers”. Apparently Fell was told he could return to “Three’s Company” if the spinoff failed but they wouldn’t let him when it did. They had one actor (Don Knotts) playing the part of two and could save on salary. Tom Lowell left “Combat!” after two seasons although it was his agent’s idea and not his. Got him a role in “That Darn Cat!” and a few other tv appearances. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/111 "2009-11-18T00:57:13Z")
Amy Locane–who was so wonderful in **Cry Baby** –was in the first season of **Melrose Place** , and was booted right before it caught fire. She’s appeared steadily in bit parts ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/112 "2009-11-18T02:51:30Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Jeff Conaway left “Taxi” to become a movie star…and his career pretty much amounted to an embarrassing role in the movie “Grease”… > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > But didn’t Grease come out before Taxi? Kinda, Grease was 1978 and so was his first appearance in Taxi, and if I recall correctly he was performing the “Danny” role in Grease on stage before it became a movie and it was decided that a bigger name was needed for the star. Looking at [Jeff Conaway’s IMDB page](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001063/) there are over 60 entries post Taxi, including the 5 series of Babylon 5 (along with some pretty dire movies from the look of it)… so while not an “A list” star by any stretch I think “solidly working actor” would be pretty accurate. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/113 "2009-11-20T05:34:26Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Jean Stapleton left _All in the Family_, and had lots of work after that. No, she never left AITF. Don’t feel bad though, lots of people make that mistake, or think Edith was killed off. Actually, she had a greatly reduced role on the followup series Archie Bunker’s Place, and she left that show, which is when Edith was actually killed off. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/114 "2009-11-20T06:10:04Z")
**Terry Farrell** left _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ to go act in the quality show **Becker**. I may be one of the few ST fans that much prefers her replacement. _Jadzia_ was never a believable character. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138/115 "2009-11-20T21:25:50Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > **Terry Farrell** left _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ to go act in the quality show **Becker**. pssst… see post 25 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-left-successful-series/517138.md?page=5)