Oh, and when will that happen?
Smits was also in Star Wars Episodes II and III as Bail Organa, adoptive father of Princess Leia.
Well Ashton Kutcher left That 70s Show before it’s final season.
Well, she did star on Step by Step from 1991-97, starting about ten years after she left Three’s Company.
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.
Similarly, on Deep Space Nine, Terry Farrell left at the end of Season 6 (of 7!) but went on to do Becker which IIRC was fairly successful.
Gates McFadden left Star Trek: The Next Generation at the end of season 1 but was back in season 3.
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.
Monica Potter left (or was booted) from Boston Legal at the end of season 1. Not sure where she ended up. Mark Valley lasted until season 4 (of 5) but I think he’s got a series now… except it’s a sci-fi series on Fox. Nice knowing you, Mark. Julie Bowen left around the same time and ditched her horrible pantsuits to become “yoga ass” on Weeds.
It’s too early to determine if David Tennant’s decision to leave Doctor Who was wise or foolish. I keep hearing that he’s supposed to play Bilbo Baggins in the film version of The Hobbit. If that comes off, he’ll be in good shape. (Though I keep getting stuck on “He’s way too tall and skinny to be a hobbit!”) If it doesn’t, he may end up filed in the Caruso category.
It should be noted that this wasn’t a ‘David Caruso’ situation - Linville was just tired of playing Frank, no matter how successful the show was, and wanted to do…pretty much anything else by that point.
So, he seems to have gotten what he wanted by jumping ship when he did.
Denise Crosby left TNG early on. Doesn’t seem to have done anything major since then, though a lot of guest appearances in series and the occasional minor film role.
Almost forgot one of the classic examples.
Chevy Chase
Somehow, Saturday Night Live has managed to struggle on for 30+ years without him.
How many of these performers left vs being left. I’d imagine not all of these exits were voluntary.
Ron Howard grew tired of playing Richie on Happy Days and seems to have had some success as a director.
Almost every original actor left NYPD blue. At the end only Sipowicz and Medavoy were left.
After Smits left Ricky Schroeder joined the show but he left before the show ended as well.
So did Topher Grace. He was in Spider-Man 3 but hasn’t achieved as much fame afterward as Kutcher.
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.
Sherry Stringfield left NYPD Blue after 1 season and took a role on ER. We can call that one a push.
Then she left ER in season 3. Apparently having realized what a mistake that was, she returned to ER in its 8th season, only to leave again in the 12th. (The show limped on for another 3 years.)
Aside from those two credits, her career consists of some obscure movies, a failed TV series, and a handful of guest appearances. Sherry, if you ever find yourself on a hit show again, just stay put!
The thing I remember about NYPD Blue was how Sipowicz really was the Angel of Death. Anyone closely involved with him, family or co-workers, was eventually going to be killed off.
Just off hand
His son & new police officer killed
His wife shot in court
His Jimmy Smits partner stabbed & dies of blood poisoning
His Ricky Schroder partner shot & rolled up in a carpet
Jimmy Smits character needed a heart transplant and got one but the new heart went bad and he died. Maybe somebody else on the show was stabbed?
Tennant has already been cast to star in a US series next year.
Mandy Patinkin left two successful series (Chicago Hope and Criminal Minds). He has no problem getting work on Broadway and with recording albums.
He also didn’t marry Demi Moore and get free publicity from all that hooey.
And to be honest, has Kutcher done anything decent lately?
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.
It did alright, for sure. However, it was never as high in the ratings after Clooney left.