Top 10 TV Characters Who Got Killed Off Because the Actor Wanted to Leave
#10: George O'Malley “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
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The only way to get out of this show is in a body bag. So many characters are tragically killed off for dramatic effect. But this time, there is a little more to it. Apparently, George’s actor, T.R. Knight was fighting with Shonda Rimes about his character and he ultimately decided that he should leave. According to Knight, he was being pressured not to come out by the brass, even creator Shonda Rimes herself. This, along with disagreements about the things his character was doing leading up to his death, caused Knight to want to exit the show. Though it wasn’t an amicable split, Knight says that he made the right decision.
#9: Marissa Cooper “The O.C.” (2003-07)
This might be one of the most tragic character exits on this list. Marissa Cooper’s death is iconic: the savage car accident, Ryan carrying her body, the whole thing is unforgettable. This departure appears to be due to a combination of causes. The showrunners were being leaned on by network execs to do something overly dramatic to increase ratings. And at the same time, Mischa Barton appeared to want a break from the show - or at least from some specific people on set. She hadn’t been having the best experience, and though she was offered the option to have the character return in the future, the character was ultimately killed off.
#8: Matthew Crawley “Downton Abbey” (2010-15)
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The fans may have been angered by this death, but the truth is Dan Stevens wanted to leave. Even before Crawley’s tragic end, there were rumors surrounding the show that he was leaving. But that doesn’t make the whole thing any less devastating. After all, being run down in a car accident moments after your wife just had a baby is totally brutal. However, you can’t blame this one on the writers. Stevens has said in interviews that he wanted to branch out to other projects. He planned on making a wide-ranging career and didn’t want to be tied down to one character for too long.
#7: Charlie Pace “Lost” (2004-10)
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Charlie was such a beloved character that it’s a serious bummer that he went out. Even on a show where anyone can die at any time, it was still a huge shock. Although actor Dominic Monaghan didn’t necessarily ask to leave the show, he had “been kind of frustrated for a while” with where the character had been going in the previous season. So when the call finally came, not only was he completely fine with it, but he also told TV Guide that he was relieved. He had known for a while that there was the potential for his character to die, but it was kind of up in the air. By the time the decision was made for real, Monaghan felt ready to move on to other projects.
#6: Elena Gilbert “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)
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Elena has died several times on this show, but this one might be the most interesting. First of all, it isn’t technically a death. In the season six finale, Elena is put under a sleeping curse in order to save her friends. But ultimately, she is gone pretty much for good. According to Nina Dobrev, she always planned on her character having a six season arc. After all, as an actor she got to perform a wide range of characters in that time. She wrote to her fans on social media to let them know how she felt about her time on the show and what she did with those six seasons.
#5: Tuco Salamanca “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
Tuco was one of the most menacing villains on this show. He could have gone on terrorizing Walter and Jesse for a good long while. In fact, the writers reportedly wanted him to be the main villain of season two. But Raymond Cruz didn’t want to continue. In most of the entries on this list, the actors wanted to leave either to pursue other projects or because they were having a bad time on set with either the other actors or the brass. But this time, it’s because the role was simply taking an emotional toll on the actor. Cruz admitted that it was difficult on him to play the maniacal kingpin, so he asked to be killed off.
#4: Dale Horvath “The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
This is kind of an odd one. In shows like this where anyone can meet their end at any time, fan favorite characters tend to get killed off for dramatic effect. But unsurprisingly, as it’s the title of this list, Jeffrey DeMunn signed on to play Dale because his good friend and show executive producer, Frank Darabont, asked him to. The way DeMunn tells it, he got the call from his friend and said yes without even thinking about it. So when Darabont was fired from the TV drama, DeMunn took it personally, and decided to quit in solidarity.
#3: Lawrence Kutner “House” (2004-12)
While many actors on this list left their TV series to pursue other projects, none of those projects were one in the White House. Kal Penn got offered a job working under President Barack Obama and could not pass up the opportunity. Unfortunately, this meant an untimely death for his character on “House”. Dr. Kutner was a great character and could have gone a long way on the show. It sucks that we didn’t get to see him go on. But as Penn himself admitted, you can’t exactly say “no” to the president.
#2: Nick Clark “Fear the Walking Dead” (2015-23)
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Apparently, Frank Dillane had been wanting to leave “The Walking Dead” spin-off since season three to explore other career options. It took the writers a while, but they eventually found a suitable way to make that wish come true. Similar to “Lost” and the original work it’s derived from, this is another show where, due to its premise, anyone can die at any time. So while being a shock, it isn’t completely impractical to lose this character. It’s always hard to lose a main character, but thankfully, the showrunners managed to kill off Nick in a way that made sense for the story and the character in season 4. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Caitlin “Kate” Todd, “NCIS” (2003-) The Filming Schedule Was Just Too Much for Sasha Alexander Chef, “South Park” (1997-) Scientology Reportedly Made a Statement on Isaac Hayes’ Behalf Requesting He Be Released Anya, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003) Emma Caulfield Played the Only Main Character to Die Siggy, “Vikings” (2013-20) Jessalyn Gilsig Wanted to be Closer to Her Family
#1: Lexa “The 100” (2014-20)
While Ricky Whittle asked to depart from the post-apocalyptic drama because he disagreed with the direction of his character and didn’t get along with the showrunner, what happened with Lexa was a little different. Alycia Debnam-Carey didn’t exactly ask to be killed off. Initially cast in a guest-starring role, the actress was announced to be one of the leads of “Fear the Walking Dead” during the same year she began appearing on “The 100.” Though she acted in both shows simultaneously for a brief time, being as a main character on the zombie spin-off meant that she wouldn’t be able to play the former role for a longer period, so Debnam-Carey was basically contracted to leave. Lexa’s death upset many fans who felt that the way she died betrayed the character and fell into the bury your gays trope. The showrunner even apologized to the fans for it. Did we miss a character death due to an actor’s desire to leave? Let us know in the comments.
