15 Actors Who Walked Away From a Hit and Never Looked Back
Leaving a successful TV show or movie franchise sounds like the kind of career move an actor would spend years regretting. A steady paycheck, a recognizable character, and millions of viewers are usually things Hollywood tells people to hold onto for as long as possible. Still, plenty of actors have decided that a hit simply was not worth staying for. Some wanted better roles, while others were exhausted by demanding schedules or ready to do something completely different with their lives. A few left enormous franchises at exactly the moment everyone assumed they would stick around. More surprisingly, many seem perfectly happy with the decision. Here are 15 actors who walked away from a hit and never looked back.
Steve Carell Left The Office
Steve Carell departed The Office after seven seasons, taking Michael Scott with him while the series continued for two more. He moved straight into a busy film career and has never returned for a full revival of the character.
Sandra Oh Left Grey’s Anatomy
After a decade as Cristina Yang, Sandra Oh decided ten seasons were enough. She later found another defining television role in Killing Eve and has repeatedly sounded comfortable with leaving Cristina in the past.
Donald Glover Left Community
Donald Glover exited Community during its fifth season, just as his career outside the sitcom was exploding. He went on to create Atlanta, expand his music career as Childish Gambino, and build a remarkably different post-Troy résumé.
Regé-Jean Page Left Bridgerton
The Duke of Hastings turned Regé-Jean Page into an overnight star, but he left Bridgerton after just one season. Rather than remain attached to Simon indefinitely, Page moved on to movies including Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Dan Stevens Left Downton Abbey
Dan Stevens surprised Downton Abbey viewers by leaving at the height of the show’s popularity, resulting in Matthew Crawley’s abrupt death. The gamble gave him room to pursue everything from The Guest to Legion and Beauty and the Beast.
Katherine Heigl Left Grey’s Anatomy
Katherine Heigl’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy came after a complicated period behind the scenes and years of playing Izzie Stevens. She never returned as a regular, instead moving between movies and shows including Suits and Firefly Lane.
Christopher Meloni Left Law & Order: SVU
After 12 seasons, contract negotiations ended with Christopher Meloni unexpectedly leaving SVU. He spent a decade doing other projects before eventually returning to the universe on his own terms with Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Emmy Rossum Left Shameless
Emmy Rossum spent nine seasons as Fiona Gallagher before deciding to move on from Shameless. The series survived another two seasons, while Rossum pursued projects that put considerable distance between her and the Gallagher household.
Topher Grace Left That ’70s Show
Topher Grace left That ’70s Show before its final season to focus on movies, leaving Eric Forman largely absent from the show’s last stretch. He returned briefly for the finale, but his days as the show’s regular lead were over.
Nina Dobrev Left The Vampire Diaries
Nina Dobrev walked away from The Vampire Diaries after six seasons despite playing the show’s central character. She eventually returned for the finale, but otherwise stuck to her decision to move beyond Elena Gilbert.
Mischa Barton Left The O.C.
Marissa Cooper was one of The O.C.’s biggest characters when Mischa Barton left after Season 3. Her exit was decidedly permanent, and the series had to navigate its final season without one of the faces that had helped make it a phenomenon.
Shelley Long Left Cheers
Leaving one of television’s biggest comedies looked incredibly risky when Shelley Long departed Cheers after five seasons. She pursued film work instead, while the sitcom successfully reinvented itself and continued for another six years.
David Caruso Left NYPD Blue
David Caruso became one of television’s breakout stars when NYPD Blue premiered, then famously left early in its second season. His movie ambitions did not immediately work out, but he eventually landed another huge television hit with CSI: Miami.
Lauren Cohan Left The Walking Dead
Lauren Cohan stepped away from The Walking Dead during its ninth season while pursuing other opportunities. She eventually returned, but only after spending significant time away and later moved Maggie into the spinoff Dead City.
Rick Moranis Walked Away From Hollywood
Rick Moranis was everywhere in the 1980s and early 1990s, from Ghostbusters to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. After his wife died, he gradually stepped away from live-action acting to focus on raising his children, making one of Hollywood’s most famous exits from a thriving career.