The Real Reasons These TV Characters Were Killed Off

Producers kill off TV show characters for a number of reasons. For example, an actor or actress might be difficult to work with, and show brass and co-stars want to get rid of them with very little chance for a comeback. Sometimes it's no hard feelings at all, and just business — the show may need a major character to die in order to pack an emotional wallop and sustain the interest of a dwindling audience. Or, it could just be that it was part of the story's long-term plan all along.

While we'll probably never know the reasons for the death of every single character who has ever died on a TV show, some stories from behind the scenes just couldn't stay under wraps. Here are some of the most scandalous reasons why some well-known characters on well-known TV shows kicked the fictional bucket.

There weren't many shows about working class people or African-American families on TV in the early 1970s, which is part of what made "Good Times" such a welcome arrival upon its debut in 1974. The show's entire dynamic changed, however, in 1976, with the episode in which Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) reads a letter informing her of the death of her husband James. What most people don't know about this devastating moment is that John Amos, who played James, was as surprised to hear of his character's death as anyone — he'd just been told his services would no longer be needed. 

In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Amos has since opened up about why he was fired from the popular sitcom, saying he had issues with the show's direction. "I felt too much emphasis was being put on J.J. and his chicken hat and saying 'dy-no-mite' every third page," argued Amos, referring to breakout star Jimmy "J.J." Walker and his catchphrase, "when just as much emphasis and mileage could have been gotten out of my other two children." Of course, Amos admits that he "wasn't the most diplomatic guy" and probably approached producers the wrong way.

T. R. Knight left "Grey's Anatomy" in 2009 after five seasons with the extremely popular medical soap, despite the fact that his character — shy, innocent, lovelorn young doctor George O'Malley — was a fan favorite. (Not to mention that the role earned Knight an Emmy nomination in 2007.) Knight told Entertainment Weekly that he thought something was up with the show's first nine episodes of the 2008-09 season: He landed only 48 minutes of screen time, less than half of colleague Sandra Oh. Rather than ask his boss, producer Shonda Rhimes, just what was happening, he walked away instead. "My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given," he said. "And with respect, I'm going to leave it at that."

Perhaps he angered Rhimes, what with the horrific way the show killed off George: He's hit by a bus, admitted to the very hospital where he worked, and, after his doctor friends finally recognize him, he's pronounced brain-dead and passes away. Couldn't George have just decided to stop being a doctor and work as a barista or something?

"Seinfeld" could often be callous and cruel — that was the appeal of the show, what with characters stealing bread from old people, versus the sickly sweet antics of contemporary sitcoms like "Full House." The show outdid itself in a 1996 episode when it killed off a major recurring character, simultaneously shocking viewers and relieving George Costanza (Jason Alexander). His fiancée, Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg), died at the end of the seventh season, having ingested a toxic amount of glue from licking super-cheap wedding invitation envelopes (the ones George picked out). 

Apparently, George, who'd wanted out of the engagement, wasn't the only one happy to hear the news of the character's death. In an interview with Howard Stern (via The Hollywood Reporter) several years later, Alexander revealed that Swedberg was difficult to work with, but not in the traditional sense. "Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring." Alexander explained that he'd then recalibrate his acting to match Swedberg's. "And I'd adjust, and then it would change."

And he wasn't the only one on set who felt that way. Alexander related how his costar Julia Louis-Dreyfus agreed with him, casually remarking, "Don't you wanna just kill her?" Once writer Larry David heard this, that was the end of Susan Ross.

While "House" had its lighter moments (like how Dr. House savagely mocked even his closest friends), it could get pretty dark too. One example: the fate of eager diagnostic medicine fellow Lawrence Kutner. The character had to make a hasty exit when his portrayer, Kal Penn, embarked on a political career of sorts partway through the show's run in 2009, taking a job with the brand-new Obama administration. His official job: associate director of the White House's public liaison office.

Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to wring a bit of drama out of his departure, the show's writers opted to have the Kutner character commit suicide. Chilling as that end may have been, it seems that there were no hard feelings between the actor and the showrunners. Penn came back to reprise his role as Kutner for "House's" series finale in the form of a hallucination.

The only character to appear in every episode of the original "Dallas," J. R. Ewing was famously shot in the cliffhanger episode "A House Divided," which left America wondering "Who Shot J.R.?" all summer. Though he survived that assassination attempt (Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s mistress and sister-in-law, was to blame), a second shooter finally felled the infamous oilman during the second season of the series' 2010s revival on TNT. While that plot twist could have served as a shocking and clever callback to the original show's most famous moment, writers had to include it out of necessity. Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing on both iterations of the series, lost his battle to cancer in November 2012. "Dallas" 2.0 was still in production, forcing the creative staff to both explain his sudden absence while also hurriedly writing the character off the show. The end came with "The Furious and the Fast," which aired several months after Hagman's death, and used pre-existing footage to cobble together his character's exit story. So who shot J.R. that time? In classic soapy, "Dallas" fashion... J.R. did, sort of. His top lieutenant Bum (Kevin Page) later revealed that J.R. had cancer, and that he asked Bum to steal a gun from rival Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) to frame him.

"Family Guy" has done countless shocking things over its 400-plus episodes — being shocking is kind of its thing. But maybe the most audacious moments came via "Life of Brian," a November 2013 episode in which martini-drinking, novel-writing, talking dog Brian Griffin dies after getting hit by a car. The Griffins are understandably gutted, and they tentatively accept a new dog named Vinny into the family. But then, two episodes later, Brian returned. This left viewers wondering: if the producers were going to bring the beloved character back so soon, why kill him off at all? According to show creator Seth MacFarlane, Brian's death was something of an experiment. "We thought it would create a little bit of a stir," MacFarlane said at a Television Critics Association press tour (via Entertainment Weekly). "It did what it was designed to do — it reminded people this is still a show where anything that can happen despite the fact it's been on for awhile." (Also, "Family Guy" is a cartoon, where the laws of life and death don't have to apply.)

At the end of Season 3 of "Downton Abbey," the will-they-or-won't-they of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) was finally resolved when the two were married and quickly became pregnant with their first child and future lord of the manor. Mary went into labor, and after meeting his newborn son, Matthew jumped into a car to share the news — but the car crashed, and Matthew was instantly killed. It was a shocking TV death, but one that had to happen. Dan Stevens had asked to leave the extremely popular period series in order to pursue a movie career — he'd been one of the breakout stars of the series and wanted to cash in on other opportunities. Ultimately, a movie career hasn't really panned out yet — he was in bombs such as "The Fifth Estate" and "The Cobbler." In 2017, he returned to TV, starring in FX's "Legion." 

Just like live-action actors, voice performers have to renew their contracts every few years. The cast of "The Simpsons" has gone through some major re-negotiations over the years. In 1998, Fox threatened to replace the actors rather than meet their salary demands. Things have worked out every time for the main cast, but not for Maggie Roswell. From the show's beginnings in 1989 until 2000, she provided the voices for several secondary "Simpsons" characters, including do-gooder neighbor Maude Flanders. At the beginning of the 1999-2000 season, Maude suddenly started making fewer appearances. When she did appear, her voice was different, since Roswell had been replaced. In a February 2000 episode, Maude was killed in a shocking and ridiculous fashion, falling off a grandstand after being shot by a T-shirt cannon. So why the replacement and then the send-off? Fox said Roswell quit "The Simpsons" because she didn't want to commute from her home in Denver to Los Angeles for recording sessions anymore. But according to Roswell, it's because she asked for a raise.

One of the biggest new shows of the 2004-05 season was also among the most innovative: ABC's time- and mind-bending desert island sci-fi adventure series "Lost." Many of its cast became instant stars on the way to the show winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Other actors on the show didn't enjoy the process of making the series at all. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, for example, who played the mysterious and conflicted Nigerian priest/thug Mr. Eko, left the series in Season 3. Why? Well, "Lost" filmed in Hawaii, and while this might be hard to believe, Akinnuoye-Agbaje hated living in Hawaii. He asked to leave the show, and long-term plans for Mr. Eko were abruptly halted. The character was killed off, a victim of "the Monster."

In 1986, NBC nailed down Emmy-winning "Rhoda" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Valerie Harper's return to television. The vehicle: "Valerie," a very much of the time family sitcom about working mom Valerie Hogan raising three rambunctious boys. It was a pleasant enough, innocuous show... until it killed off the title character. She died offscreen in a car accident between season two and season three, and in September 1987, the newly retitled "Valerie's Family" (and then "The Hogan Family") found her widower and kids dealing with the aftermath. Also, Sandy Duncan had joined the cast as Aunt Sandy, a live-in mother figure.

Why such a sudden and brutal departure for Valerie Hogan? Because Valerie Harper wanted more money. In the summer of 1987, she lobbied production company Lorimar Television for a bigger salary. It refused, so Harper didn't show up to film the first episode of season three. Both sides then reached what they thought was a deal, until Harper sat out shooting in protest once again. Lorimar fired Harper from her show — and publicly announced that they'd kill off her character — and then filed a $70 million breach of contract suit. Harper countersued for the same thing, requesting $180 million in damages. Ultimately, a jury sided with Harper and awarded her $1.4 million.

For many years, Roseanne Conner was one of the most beloved characters on TV. She was the matriarch of the Conner family, which included her husband Dan and kids Becky, Darlene, D.J., and Jerry. She was known for being sassy, bossy, and loud, and for trying to run the Conner household however she pleased. 

"Roseanne's" original run took place from 1988–1997, during which time Barr earned the nomination for several awards and worked her way into the hearts of millions who watched her TV family every week. In March of 2018, a reboot of the series premiered on ABC to much fanfare and delight, but the honeymoon was pretty short-lived. 

Just a week after ending its first season back as a reboot, ABC pulled the plug on "Roseanne" again following a series of distressing and problematic tweets from Barr. The show was supposed to be renewed for a second season of the reboot, but ABC abruptly canceled it following the tweets. Just six months later, the series was restarted again, this time rebranded as "The Conners," sans Barr. In "The Conners," Roseanne is killed off-screen through an opioid overdose in the premiere, forever ending Barr's tenure as Mrs. Conner. "The Conners" has continued for five seasons, winning a Primetime Emmy in 2021.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that "Grey's Anatomy" first debuted more than 15 years ago in 2005. For the first 11 seasons, fans fell in love with Dr. Derek Shepherd, nicknamed "McDreamy," who was played by Patrick Dempsey. His character is at one point the chief of medical surgery for the hospital. He marries Dr. Meredith Grey–the series' namesake–and they have three children together. 

However, Shepherd dies in Episode 21 of Season 11, after progressively being written out of the show over the previous episodes. His character dies as the result of a horrific car crash, but his exit was more related to Dempsey than Shepherd. Reportedly, Dempsey clashed with show creator Shonda Rhymes and some of his co-stars while shooting the show, at times complaining about the long hours and working conditions. 

Dempsey was only halfway through his new two-year contract when his character was killed off, but the on-set turmoil was just too much. Still, a few years later Dempsey reprised his role as Shepherd for one episode, the premiere of Season 17. He visited his wife from the afterlife, finally giving closure to his character.

Chevy Chase's role as Pierce Hawthorne on the college comedy series "Community" lasted for four seasons and was full of ups and downs. While many fans loved his character's deadpan humor and insensitive nature, others felt turned off by his controversial and at times problematic jokes. Still, Hawthorne was a core character on the series up until his death off-screen following the end of Season 4. His character did make one brief posthumous appearance as a pre-recorded hologram in the Season 5 finale, but did not return to the series again for the rest of the final two seasons.

Interestingly, while Hawthorne managed to survive through the end of Season 4, Chase actually left midway through the season. His departure was the product of conflicts between Chase and his co-stars, which included him using a racial slur during the filming for what would end up being his final season. News of Chase saying the slur leaked just before the season premiered, but it was not until a month later that he was formally let go.

During a 2021 interview with "Inside Of You," cast member Joel McHale elaborated on the problems Chase had on set. According to McHale, Chase made it clear he did not like working the long hours necessary each week, essentially requiring his scenes to be shot first so he could leave early. While his acting was hilarious, it just proved too much to keep him on the show.

When Fox rebooted the "Lethal Weapon" series as a TV show in 2016, they chose Clayne Crawford to play the co-lead role of Detective Martin Riggs, the role made iconic by Mel Gibson. For two seasons, Crawford starred in the drama alongside Damon Wayans, who played his partner, Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover, in the original films). Yet, at the end of Season 2, his character is fatally shot while visiting his late wife's grave. At first, it's not clear if Riggs is dead or not, as he is seen still breathing following the shooting. 

However, during the first episode of Season 3 he passes away while in the hospital, devastating Murtaugh. The reason the show decided to kill off Riggs is due to the turmoil that Crawford was causing on-set. He was the subject of complaints for at least two incidents, one of which resulted in him going to therapy at Fox's behest. The tumult and trouble just became too much, and Crawford was not asked back for Season 3.

Crawford initially apologized for his role in the conflict, before later lashing out against what he considered to be falsehoods about his messy departure. The show continued on for just one more season, introducing the character of Wesley Cole (played by Seann William Scott) to replace Riggs as Murtaugh's new partner before ending. 

From a small role in Season 1 to a starring role in Seasons 2 and 3, Ricky Whittle's portrayal of Lincoln on "The 100" was widely praised. There was some controversy surrounding his Season 3 exit, as it seemed like his character was poised for an even bigger role in the series. Lincoln is a warrior of the Triku clan who Charles Pike executes in the episode "Stealing Fire." While many rumors floated around about his exit, during an interview with AfterBuzz TV, Whittle set the record straight—well, sort of. He claimed that his exit from the show was his choice and coincided with him getting the role of Shadow Moon on "American Gods," but was otherwise evasive about his departure, encouraging fans to keep watching the series. 

Lincoln's character is not the only one killed off in Season 3. Just two episodes prior to his death, in "Thirteen," Lexa, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey, also dies. According to a Variety interview with showrunner Jason Rothenberg, Lexa's death was the result of both the storyline and scheduling conflicts from Debnam-Carey. She was already scheduled to shoot "Fear the Walking Dead," so they always knew her arc would be limited. Lexa reappeared a few episodes later in Season 3 during "Perverse Instantiation," and archival footage of her was used for the Season 7 episode "The Dying of the Light."

Old-school fans of "NCIS" might remember Caitlin Todd, the special agent portrayed by Sasha Alexander for Seasons 1–2. She was a series regular and partner to field agent Anthony DiNozzo before unexpectedly dying in the Season 2 finale. A terrorist named Ari Haswari kills her with a sniper rifle shortly after she survives another shooting, in one of the more shocking twists in early "NCIS" history.

Per an interview with TV Guide in 2012, Alexander said her character's death was related to her quitting the show for personal reasons. She pointed to the absolutely grueling work schedule that she had to endure during her brief two seasons. It included working 17 hours a day with only six weeks off per year, a demanding itinerary for anyone to put up with. Alexander also pointed to the popularity of her character as the reason Todd's death was so shocking at the time, but said she did not regret leaving the series at all.

Alexander pointed to her family as one of the main reasons she was happy with her choice to leave. She has returned a few times as a guest star, but her days as a series regular are long over. A few years after quitting "NCIS," Alexander returned to the fictional police fold to play chief medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, who works with the Boston Police Department in "Rizzoli & Isles."

Another messy departure from a TV show in recent years was that of Nicollette Sheridan from the show "Desperate Housewives" after Season 5. On the show, Sheridan portrayed Edie Britt, a promiscuous real estate agent. She won two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2005–2006 along with the rest of the cast, and was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2005, too.

However, the show killed off her character toward the end of Season 5. The cause was a severe electric shock following a car accident. Immediately following her departure, Sheridan filed a lawsuit against the show's creator, Marc Cherry, alleging that she was deliberately written off as retaliation for her off-the-screen actions. Sheridan claimed that Cherry had struck her while on-set, and then killed off Edie after she told HR. The trial ended in a mistrial; a retrial was initially ordered, but did not occur.

However, Sheridan filed a different lawsuit, which got bogged down in legal complications before finally getting dismissed in 2017. During a 2018 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sheridan said she felt "vilified" over the incident, but referenced the Me Too movement as her reason for returning to TV in the series "Dynasty."