Did you know that Family Matters was supposed to be a spin-off of the TV show Perfect Strangers? It was supposed to follow Harriet Winslow and her middle-class family. The show was going to be centered around life as a middle-class black family and the real-life tribulations that came along with it.
That changed pretty instantly with the addition of Steve Urkel. The show now centered around Steve Urkel and his wild antics. Harriett Winslow (played by Jo Marie Payton) decided to leave the show because she did not like what it was becoming and how it strayed from the initial plot.
McLean Stevenson on M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H is undoubtfully one of the most beloved TV shows in history. It is said that one of its main actors, McLean Stevenson, who played Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, didn't like the fact that he was part of such an extremely talented cast instead of being the star of the show.
Despite receiving several accolades, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, Stevenson decided to leave the show after his contract expired in 1975 at the end of the third season. But to his surprise, he had finding work that matched the caliber and impact of what M*A*S*H was producing at the time.
Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey
The role of Dan Stevens, the sweet and distinguished man who was head over heels in love, was played by Matthew Crawley. He was married to the character Mary, who was both smart and beautiful. They were a perfect fan favorite match!
Fans of the show were without words when their beloved Matthew was killed. It was so unexpected, as they just married him to Mary and they were even pregnant with a baby! Apparently, Dan wanted to leave the show since he was gaining more fame. He wanted to explore other TV and film roles. At this point, the writers knew the only option was to kill him off since he was already a big part of the plot.
Charlie on Lost
On the TV drama, LOST, the character of Charlie was played by actor Dominic Monaghan. He was a very important character to the show, and yet drowned in season 3. He was sent off in a way where he was portrayed to be helping his friends off the island, so he left with dignity! But the question remains, why was he killed?
Interestingly enough, nobody really knows why he left the show. There are so many theories. One theory is that he left because his co-star who he was dating, Evangeline Lilly, broke up with him. Other people speculate that he left because he was getting less and less screen time on the show.
Anita Barone on Friends
At the beginning of season two of Friends, the character Carol was mysteriously recast, with actress Anita Barone being replaced by Jane Sibbett. Barone said that she did not see her character, or Friends, going anywhere, so she decided to just leave. Oh man...hindsight's got to hurt.
Jane Sibbett, was ironically the first choice for the role of Carol in season one. but being pregnant at the time, she was unable to commit. But the next time the opportunity came she hopped right on board. We guess the role was meant for her.