7 Huge TV Shows That Fired Stars (& What Happened Next)

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It’s not uncommon for actors to leave popular TV shows, even when those shows are doing well. There are many reasons why this happens. Paul Schneider, for example, left *Parks and Recreation* after two seasons because his character’s storyline wasn’t going in a direction he found interesting. Chevy Chase departed *Saturday Night Live* early on to focus on movies. Christopher Eccleston left *Doctor Who* after just one season, explaining he didn’t like the atmosphere on set. Sometimes actors leave even after being on a show for several years, like Steve Carell on *The Office* and Topher Grace on *That ’70s Show*, both of whom left after seven seasons.

With a popular actor recently fired from a successful TV show, it’s a good time to look back at some of the biggest cast dismissals in television history. While actors may describe these situations differently, the reasons often come down to problematic behavior. Let’s explore some of the most notable cases where actors were let go from major shows.

7) David Del Rio — Matlock

The recent CBS revival of *Matlock* may be Kathy Bates’ final acting role. This comes after Leah Lewis, a co-star, filed a complaint on October 2nd about an incident that reportedly happened on September 26th.

CBS Studios looked into the reported incident and conducted an internal review. As a result, Del Rio was fired and removed from the set. Currently in its second season, *Matlock* will no longer include Del Rio’s character, Billy Martinez, in future episodes.

Stream Matlock on Paramount+.

6) Charlie Sheen — Two and a Half Men

Chuck Lorre, known for creating many successful TV shows, had a huge hit with *Two and a Half Men*, a comedy that often featured characters getting away with mischievous antics. Unfortunately, Charlie Sheen’s problematic behavior off-screen proved to be too disruptive for those working on the show.

Charlie Sheen was let go from the show in 2011 due to what the network described as reckless and harmful behavior. His public criticisms of the show and its creator, Chuck Lorre, worsened the situation. Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, was a part of the show for eight seasons before being written off at the start of Season 9. Ashton Kutcher then joined the cast as the very wealthy Walden Schmidt. Although Sheen was missed, the show continued for another four years.

Stream Two and a Half Men on Peacock.

5) Roseanne Barr — Roseanne

As a long-time fan, I was thrilled when *Roseanne* came back after being off the air for 21 years! Sadly, the revival was short-lived. It all fell apart because Roseanne Barr posted some incredibly offensive tweets – she compared Valerie Jarrett, who worked in the Obama administration, to something out of *Planet of the Apes* and linked her to the Muslim Brotherhood. The show was quickly cancelled, and so was her involvement with it. It was a real shame, but the comments were simply unacceptable.

Just under a month after the show *Roseanne* was cancelled, it returned as *The Conners*. This new series was both a spin-off and a continuation of the original, and it ultimately proved that the show wasn’t really about Roseanne herself. *The Conners* went on to have seven successful seasons.

Stream Roseanne on Peacock & The Conners on Hulu.

4) Chevy Chase — Community

The TV show *Community* has struggled to achieve its fans’ hoped-for ‘Six Seasons and a Movie.’ Currently, a movie still seems unlikely. Even getting a sixth season was a challenge; the show originally aired for five seasons on NBC, gaining a small but dedicated following. It then moved to Yahoo! Screen for one final season. Interestingly, when it first began, Chevy Chase was the only established star. While Ken Jeong and Joel McHale had some recognition from supporting roles in films like *The Hangover* and *Role Models*, and McHale’s hosting of *The Soup*, they weren’t major names yet. However, the show wasn’t built around Chase, and he was written off after Season 4, appearing in only one episode of Season 5 before his character, Pierce Hawthorne, was killed off.

Chase was let go near the end of Season 4 after reportedly using a racial slur during filming. This followed racist jokes he made towards Donald Glover, but it was the culmination of ongoing issues – Chase had been challenging to work with since the beginning. He frequently complained about long hours and the writing, creating a stressful environment for everyone involved. While his departure was officially described as a mutual decision, he didn’t complete his final two episodes, making it clear the slur was the final, unacceptable offense. Chase’s reputation for being difficult on set, dating back to his time on *Saturday Night Live*, meant few were surprised by his exit as Pierce Hawthorne.

Stream Community on Peacock.

3) Janet Hubert — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Janet Hubert famously played Aunt Viv on the first three seasons of *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*, leaving a lasting impact. Although she stated in *The Fresh Prince Reunion* that she wasn’t technically fired, it’s clear she was effectively forced to leave the show.

Looking back, it was a really tough time for Janet Hubert. She was pregnant and dealing with an abusive relationship, and honestly, it started creating tension on set with everyone. When it came time to talk about her contract for the fourth season, the offer they gave her was significantly less money and would have basically kept her from doing any other work. That’s what really sparked the fallout with Will Smith – she always felt he played a big part in her being written off the show. They didn’t resolve things until that recent reunion. The show went on for another three seasons, but it just wasn’t the same without the original Aunt Viv; she really brought something special to the role.

Stream The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Hulu.

2) Jeff Garlin — The Goldbergs

As a big TV fan, I really loved *The Goldbergs* – it ran for ten years and over 200 episodes, which is amazing! But something I just learned is that even though it was a huge success for ABC, Jeff Garlin, who you probably know from *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, wasn’t in every single episode.

Jeff Garlin played Murray Goldberg for the first nine seasons of the show, but he was let go after an internal investigation into his behavior on set. He left two months after Season 9 premiered on September 22, 2021. The show finished his remaining scenes using CGI and stand-ins, and his character was later written off before Season 10. While Garlin maintains he wasn’t officially fired, it’s clear he was asked to leave. His co-star, Wendi McLendon-Covey, hinted in a 2023 interview with Andy Cohen that this outcome had been expected for some time.

Stream The Goldbergs on Hulu.

1) Robert Downey Jr. — Ally McBeal

Robert Downey Jr. appeared on the fifth season of *Ally McBeal* as Larry Paul, and quickly became popular with viewers, largely because of his great on-screen connection with Calista Flockhart. However, his role was short-lived.

Things were really tough for Robert Downey Jr. around the year 2000. He was essentially blacklisted in Hollywood from ’96 to ’03 because of legal issues, arrests, and struggles with drugs. I remember hearing about his arrest in Palm Springs in November 2000 for drug possession while the cast of *Ally McBeal* was on a break. It got even worse – while still on parole for that, he was arrested *again* in April 2001 for being under the influence. That was pretty much it for his role on the show. Fox and the creator ultimately fired him. Larry Paul wasn’t going to be in Season 5 anyway, but they ended up using old footage from Season 4 for a couple of guest spots instead of filming anything new.

Stream Ally McBeal on Hulu.

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2025-10-10 17:47