14 Actors Who Regretted Quitting Their TV Shows

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Thousands of TV shows have come and gone over the years, and only a small fraction have hit the big time. Those that do often catapult their casts to fame and fortune, turning unknown actors into household names seemingly overnight. It's all fun in the sun until ambition rears its ugly head and leads cast members to spin their newfound success into something bigger.

No judgment here. A television series can certainly produce the role of a lifetime, but many actors would rather take a risk than spend their careers typecast as one particular character. It's an old story, and sometimes it ends well. George Clooney, for example, made a smooth leap from "ER" to the big screen. Will Smith transformed from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" into a genuine action star with "Bad Boys," while Michael J. Fox struck gold with "Back to the Future" during his run on "Family Ties."

Most of the time, though, the story doesn't end quite so happily. Many actors have left a hit TV show in search of something greater, only to look back with regret. Here are 14 examples of that very thing, ranked in no particular order.

Sometimes an actor doesn't realize when they've got it really good. For Brian Dunkleman, that reality hit like a sledgehammer. In 2002, the actor landed the gig of a lifetime as co-host of "American Idol" alongside Ryan Seacrest. The gig paid him $17,000 a week, which, for him — and let's be honest, for most of us — was a crazy amount of money. Despite the show's success, Dunkleman decided to step down after the inaugural season to focus on his acting career. Little did he know that "American Idol" would soon become an international sensation that turned Seacrest into a very wealthy man.

Dunkleman went on to appear in shows like "Las Vegas," "How I Met Your Father," and the recent "Delco: The Movie," and while he has enjoyed a certain amount of success, it's hard not to wonder how high he might have flown had he stayed with "American Idol."

At least he has a sense of humor about his decision, telling Variety in 2016 (during which time he appeared on the Fox series finale of "American Idol") that he has regrets about leaving the show, "especially when I open my bank statements."

For three seasons, McLean Stevenson portrayed Col. Henry Blake on the legendary series "M*A*S*H," winning over fans with his Golden Globe–nominated performance, sharp comic timing, and effortless chemistry with his co-stars. Despite the show's massive success, Stevenson decided to parlay his sudden stardom into more lucrative leading roles and left "M*A*S*H" after its third season. His departure forced the writers to kill off his character in a shocking twist that left viewers angry, saddened, and frustrated.

Stevenson went on to headline several short-lived TV projects, including "The McLean Stevenson Show," but never recaptured the same success he'd enjoyed from 1972 to 1975. Reflecting on the decision years later in a 1991 special titled "Memories of 'M*A*S*H'" (via the Los Angeles Times), he admitted his real mistake wasn't leaving, it was misjudging what audiences truly loved. "The mistake was that I thought everybody in America loved McLean Stevenson," he said. "That was not the case. Everybody loved Henry Blake."

Ouch.

Still, Stevenson remained busy until his death in 1996, frequently appearing on "The Tonight Show" and maintaining his trademark humor even after his star had faded.

In 1993, a little show called "NYPD Blue" premiered and immediately made waves for its gritty, realistic portrayal of police work. Starring David Caruso, Dennis Franz, James McDaniel, and Sherry Stringfield, the series was an instant hit with both audiences and critics, racking up a slew of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Caruso even snagged a Golden Globe for his performance... then left to pursue a film career.

To be fair, Caruso already had some big-screen experience under his belt with roles in "First Blood" and "King of New York." Hoping to leverage his newfound stardom, he demanded more money and a bigger spotlight on "NYPD Blue," neither of which creators Steven Bochco and David Milch were willing to meet.

And so, Caruso walked away in search of greener pastures, only to find a string of box-office flops waiting for him. It wasn't until 2002, with the launch of "CSI: Miami," that he managed to regain his footing. While Caruso hasn't outright said he regrets leaving "NYPD Blue," he did admit the experience was humbling. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, he said, "It's been hard. I had to go through a difficult period, but I wasn't allowed to perish. There is a real serendipity to this project ['CSI: Miami'] for me."

Jason Priestley shot to instant fame thanks to his role as Brandon Walsh on the 1990s hit series "Beverly Hills, 90210." Teenage girls adored him, and his face graced magazine covers, notebooks, and school lockers for nearly a decade. At the height of his fame, Priestley decided to exit the long-running melodrama, believing his character had "run his course," as he told CNN in a 2014 interview.

In Season 9, Episode 5, Brandon accepted a job offer that sent him from the glitz of Beverly Hills to the political scene in Washington, D.C. His departure also effectively cut short an eight-year story arc with Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth), leaving fans with an abrupt and unsatisfying farewell. Priestley later admitted he regretted leaving the show with so many loose ends, especially since it strained his relationship with creator Aaron Spelling. "I think my departure also hurt Aaron's feelings," he said. "He gave me a lot of opportunities, and I feel like my departure hurt his feelings, and I never meant to do that."

Why would anyone want to leave a blockbuster TV show like "ER"? For Sherry Stringfield, who portrayed emergency physician Susan Lewis on the NBC medical drama from 1994 to 1996, the answer was simple: She wanted a family. So, she negotiated her way out of her five-season contract and freed herself from the grueling 18-hour workdays. "But all this is about is wanting to enjoy her life more," one of her co-workers told The New York Times in 1996.

To the show's credit, the writers allowed her character to exit gracefully, meaning she didn't die, leaving open the possibility of a future return. By 2001, Stringfield began to miss the stability of series television and asked to return to the show. "Series television is either a nightmare or the best thing in the whole world. It really depends on, I think, where you are in your life," she told the Chicago Tribune.

Still, it wasn't long before Stringfield craved change once again. Early in the 12th season, she stepped away from Susan's scrubs to pursue new, more challenging roles, only returning for the series finale in 2009.

For three seasons, Matt Smith wowed fans as the Doctor in the long-running series "Doctor Who," perfectly balancing playful exuberance with age-old wisdom. However, like Stringfield, Smith eventually grew weary of the demanding nine- to 10-month shooting schedule. He hung up his time-traveling gear before hitting the 50-episode mark and quickly moved on to other high-profile projects such as "The Crown" and "House of the Dragon."

At the 2016 New York Comic-Con, the actor admitted he regretted not getting a full season alongside Jenna Coleman, who replaced Karen Gillan's Amy Pond shortly before Smith's departure; the two had only shared the screen for 12 episodes. However, according to showrunner Steven Moffat, Smith's feelings ran even deeper. In an interview with The Mirror, Moffat revealed that Smith genuinely missed the show and wished he had never left.

Still, it's hard to feel too sorry for him; since departing "Doctor Who," Smith has enjoyed major success and continues to book ambitious projects, including the upcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter" alongside Ryan Gosling.

AMC's "The Walking Dead," much like its undead antagonists, continues to pop up more than 15 years after its debut through its various spin-offs. Many of the original cast and crew have long since departed, and for a while, that list included lead star Andrew Lincoln, whose character, Rick Grimes, was literally whisked away from the series in Season 9.

Lincoln's abrupt exit came with the promise of spin-offs and standalone films centered on Rick's story. Yet for years, none of those projects materialized, even as a growing number of other "Walking Dead" spin-offs rose from the ashes of the original show.

Naturally, Lincoln has since expressed some regret about leaving too soon. According to co-star Norman Reedus (via Entertainment Weekly), who now headlines his own spin-off, "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon," Lincoln told him straight up, "Man, I picked the wrong time to leave the show because it's so f***ing good right now."

Thankfully, Lincoln eventually returned to the franchise in the limited series "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live."

"I'm Chevy Chase ... and you're not." With those words, comedian Chevy Chase rocketed to superstardom on "Saturday Night Live," using his deadpan wit to anchor Weekend Update and his gift for physical comedy to hilariously parody President Gerald Ford.

Unexpectedly, Chase walked away from the show after just one full season (and change) to pursue a movie career. While his filmography speaks for itself — "Fletch" and the "Vacation" series alone cemented his comedy legend status — it's hard not to wonder how his career might have unfolded had he stayed on "SNL" a bit longer.

We'll never know for sure, but Chase later admitted he regretted leaving so early, especially because of the people he left behind. Reflecting during the "SNL: 40th Anniversary" special (via The Washington Post), he said he had his reasons for stepping away, but confessed, "I missed it more for not being a part of the cast because I left after one year."

Jon Polito starred in "Homicide: Life on the Street" for its first two seasons, earning praise from both fans and critics for his powerful performance, particularly in the episode "Crosetti." Unfortunately, while the show was a critical success, it struggled to attract viewers, prompting network executives to step in and demand changes.

As a result, several original cast members — including Polito — were replaced in favor of a younger, more marketable ensemble, including the addition of Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann). Producers assured Polito that his character, Detective Steve Crosetti, would return once ratings improved, but the actor didn't believe them. He publicly lashed out, comparing the producers to "a bunch of people on an iceberg beckoning the Titanic to head their way," according to an interview with Groucho Reviews in 2005. The outburst backfired. Crosetti was killed off, though Polito did return briefly in "Homicide: The Movie" in 2000.

Reflecting years later, Polito admitted he regretted his reaction, particularly how he had criticized co-producer Tom Fontana. "That's in print, and that was wrong," he said, acknowledging that the creative shake-up was simply meant to keep the series alive.

Like many young actors, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Wil Wheaton dreamed of making it big in Hollywood. So when he was offered a role in Miloš Forman's film "Valmont," he jumped at the chance.

Complications soon followed Wheaton's departure. According to the actor, an unnamed producer falsely told him he was urgently needed back on "Star Trek" to film a crucial scene for his character, Wesley Crusher. Disappointed, Wheaton turned down the "Valmont" offer — a role that ultimately went to "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" star Henry Thomas — only to return to the "Star Trek" set and learn that his character had been written out of the episode entirely.

Feeling betrayed, Wheaton decided to walk away from the sci-fi series, a choice he later came to regret. "What I wasn't prepared for was how much I was going to miss the people on this stage, and how much I was going to miss the spacesuit that I hated wearing and the helmet hair that I couldn't stand putting on," he said during a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" reunion panel (via TrekNews).

Fortunately, Wheaton continued working steadily in both film and television and has since reprised his role as Wesley Crusher in several "Star Trek" projects.

By now, most readers are well aware of Charlie Sheen's highly publicized personal struggles — and if you're not, just read his 2025 autobiography, "The Book of Sheen: A Memoir." Long story short, Sheen's ongoing addiction issues eventually forced the producers of "Two and a Half Men" to write him off the show. The actor has since gotten sober and has been candid about his offscreen behavior and the many opportunities he squandered, particularly "Two and a Half Men," which was still incredibly popular when he was forced to step away.

"I regret that specifically still," Sheen told People. "If I hadn't done what I had, I could be living a different life right now. All my problems wouldn't be what they are. But you just don't know that."

Ashton Kutcher ultimately replaced Sheen in 2011, with Sheen's character dying off-screen, allowing the sitcom to continue for another four seasons.

Christopher Eccleston portrayed the Time Lord on "Doctor Who" for just 13 episodes — though he was the first actor to do so when the BBC revived the series in 2005 — and has since admitted he regrets not sticking around longer.

The actor has been open about his tumultuous time on set, telling Den of Geek that his "relationship with the showrunner and the producer broke down." He explained that creative disagreements and behind-the-scenes tension on the set of "Doctor Who" ultimately made his position untenable. "I felt, 'I'm gonna play the Doctor my way and I'm not gonna get involved in these politics,' and that wasn't workable, so off I went ... and became the invisible man," he said.

In a 2016 interview with Metro, Eccleston reflected on the experience, admitting he wished he'd returned for a second season. He loved the role and believed another year would have led to "a marked improvement in my performance."

In the early 1970s, America fell in love with "The Waltons," the quintessential family drama that ran for nine seasons and captured the hearts of audiences everywhere. Leading the cast was Michael Learned, who portrayed matriarch Olivia Walton to critical acclaim and earned multiple awards for her performance. Despite her success, Learned stepped away from the series after Season 7 to pursue new challenges.

"The fact is, I was bored. And I thought I had enough money, which wasn't true," she told Fox News in 2017. In the same interview, she admitted she sometimes regretted the decision, "only in that it probably would have been better to complete the whole show."

Thankfully, fans still got to see her return home to Walton's Mountain for a trio of TV movies — "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion," "A Walton Wedding," and "A Walton Easter" — in the 1990s. Learned also continued acting steadily through the 2000s.

Somers is best remembered by many for playing Chrissy Snow, the ditzy yet lovable secretary from ABC's "Three's Company," where she starred alongside Joyce DeWitt and John Ritter.

For four seasons, the trio enjoyed tremendous success, prompting Somers to ask for a raise. At the time, she was earning $30,000 per episode — a fraction of the $150,000 Ritter received. According to Fox Business, her request was rejected, and ABC ultimately pushed her character out of the show at the end of the fifth season.

While her "departure" wasn't entirely her fault, Somers later expressed regret over how things ended. "I still have a heartache that it ended so badly," she told Foundation Interviews, noting that her justified pay dispute created a lasting rift between her, her co-stars, and the show's producers. Fortunately, she reconciled with Ritter before his death.