Actors Who Left Cushy Gigs For Solo Stardom And Totally Crashed And Burned

Whether it's comedies, scripted dramas, or reality TV, many iconic, long-running series are built around an ensemble cast. Having made their mark in the industry, some of these performers start feeling like they aren't given enough character development or screen time. Other actors voice concern about wage disparity, friction on or off set, creative differences, or an exhausting shooting schedule. When they find a strong enough reason, these stars may make the unexpected decision to walk away from a reliable, long-term position to pursue solo endeavors.

Frustrated and ambitious, they may transition straight into film or jump at the chance to lead their own show. Unfortunately, this calculated move is a risky gamble with no guarantee of success. It might have worked for George Clooney, for example, who left his role as Dr. Doug Ross on "ER" in Season 5 to focus on a promising film career, having already starred in the 1997 superhero film "Batman & Robin" — though many would argue that this was one of the worst casting choices in DC Comics movies.

Still, not every TV actor can become an A-lister so smoothly. Although some names have hit the jackpot, others have discovered the shift is much harder than anticipated. From procedural drama legend David Caruso to "Vampire Diaries" leading lady Nina Dobrev, let's revisit these actors' post-show trajectories and the reasons they left.

David Caruso shot to fame as the dedicated Detective John Kelly on the Primetime Emmy-winning police procedural series "NYPD Blue," which ran for a whopping 12 seasons. As soon as Season 1 concluded, however, Caruso made a move he would soon come to regret: He demanded an exorbitant raise and a lighter workload to give himself enough time for movie auditions. Sadly, he was turned down by producer Steven Bochco and decided to walk away from the show just four episodes into Season 2. "I became the guy who had this great opportunity and walked away from it. People still see me as this enigma," the actor said in a 2000 interview with The New York Times. "It was my fault. But now maybe I can do it differently and maybe I have a chance to get another shot."

Caruso would only land roles in box-office flops like the erotic thriller "Jade" and the crime thriller "Kiss of Death," both of which earned him Golden Raspberry Award nominations as the worst new star. Disappointed, he returned to television as the titular lead in "Michael Hayes," but the show was canceled after one season due to low ratings. His last major role on primetime TV was as Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the hit police procedural series "CSI: Miami," where he remained until the finale in 2012. He retired from the industry that same year.

The 1980s and 1990s were marked by many iconic sitcoms such as Cheers, with a notable — and mostly still relevant — cast including Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, and Shelley Long. The latter portrayed the refined and intellectual waitress, Diane Chambers, a beloved character who earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 1983. When Long's five-year contract expired in 1986, she decided not to renew it, explaining to The Montreal Gazette at the time: "It was a very difficult choice to make. We have done some really terrific work at 'Cheers,' but I've decided to give priority to my family and my newly established film production company in connection with Disney Productions."

Leaving a massively popular show that nabbed a total of 28 Primetime Emmys in its 11-season run may not have been the best move career-wise, but she needed to spend time with her newborn daughter and give film acting a chance. Sadly, she would only star in poorly rated productions, such as the 1989 adventure-comedy movie "Troop Beverly Hills," in which she played a Beverly Hills socialite and mother. Her other notable role was as the matriarch Carol Brady in the 1995 satire feature, "The Brady Bunch Movie." Though the latter has somewhat acquired a cult following, its sequels completely flopped.

Luke Perry's last notable role was as the kind and wise Fred Andrews on the CW series "Riverdale." His time on the show was brutally cut short on March 4, 2019, when he died after suffering a stroke at age 52. This brutal exit caught viewers and his fellow cast off guard, marking a similar reaction to his voluntary exit from another hit show decades ago. Indeed, Perry shot to fame as the brooding and handsome Dylan McKay on "Beverly Hills, 90210." The teen drama series aired from 1990 to 2000, but the actor departed in 1995, in the middle of Season 6, hoping to land leading, more mature roles. The show's fans were heartbroken at the time, so he returned as a guest star during the last two seasons. After all, he looked back on that period with deep appreciation. "I'm going to be linked with him until I die, but that's actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He's mine," he told UPI in 2008.

In the years following his departure, he was cast in projects that were met with mixed reviews and failed to launch him into solo stardom. For instance, he played the primary character of Johnny in the quirky crime dramedy film "American Strays," the lead in the TV movie "Indiscreet," and Lorash in the low-budget fantasy flick "Dudes & Dragons."

Farrah Fawcett will always be remembered as a "Charlie's Angels" star; sporting voluminous, wavy blonde hair and a toned figure, she stunned audiences worldwide as the sexy private detective Jill Munroe on the original "Charlie's Angels," instantly blossoming into a pop-culture phenomenon. Fans rushed to beauty salons to request her signature hairstyle. Nevertheless, driven by aspirations of film stardom and higher earnings, she decided to leave after Season 1. Perhaps she couldn't foresee that the hit series would run until 1981 and score a People's Choice Award as well as four Primetime Emmy nominations, among other accolades. Still, she did make brief appearances in the 3rd and 4th seasons. 

In the late 1970s, she founded Fawcett-Majors Productions with her then-husband, actor Lee Majors. The power couple produced six films together before divorcing and dissolving their professional partnership. One of their projects was the comedy crime movie "Somebody Killed Her Husband," starring Fawcett and Jeff Bridges. Unfortunately, it didn't fare well and even earned her a Stinker Award for Worst Actress. She was also nominated for both a Razzie and a Stinker for the 1980 British science-fiction film "Saturn 3," which also featured Kirk Douglas and Harvey Keitel.

Mischa Barton may regret starring on "The O.C." as the privileged but troubled teen Marissa Cooper, but this massively popular show catapulted her into the spotlight. Plus, it earned her two Teen Choice Awards and two Prism Award nominations. Still, because she was aiming for a movie career and a less hectic schedule, the actor chose to depart in 2006. In parallel, she was also being relentlessly chased by the paparazzi, which left her traumatized. Consequently, her character was killed off in a car crash in the Season 3 finale, leaving millions of viewers devastated. As Barton would later explain to E! News in 2021, "I was getting offers from big films at the time and having to turn them down ... My dream was to be offered those lead roles, so that's what happened. It just felt like it was the best thing for me and my health."

Unfortunately, her aspirations haven't really materialized, as she hasn't landed any other memorable roles. She has mostly appeared in indie films like "St. Trinian's," "Closing the Ring," and "Assassination of a High School President." Her 2026 movie, "Sleepwalker," which starred Hayden Panettiere, was also badly received.

The iconic "Star Trek" franchise has spawned various shows and movies over the decades, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("TNG" for short), which aired from 1987 to 1994 and nabbed a whopping 18 Primetime Emmy Awards. For the first three seasons, one of the series regulars was Wil Wheaton, who played the impulsive and intelligent teenager Wesley Crusher. He stayed until the first half of Season 4, when a producer decided to rob him of a major film role, fearing it would affect ratings. Indeed, Wesley as a character may have received mixed reviews from diehard Trekkies, but it earned Wheaton a Young Artist Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films.

In 1989, the actor was set to play Danceny in the movie "Valmont," but he was tricked into declining the offer after a "TNG" producer had promised him a Wesley-centric episode but failed to deliver. Feeling betrayed, Wheaton left the show in 1990 and only returned for guest appearances in Seasons 5 and 7. He has also reprised the role in "Nemesis," "Picard," "Lower Decks," and "Prodigy." Meanwhile, the non-Star Trek projects he has appeared on, such as "The Last Prostitute," "December," and "The Liars' Club," haven't fared as well as he had hoped.

Nina Dobrev is best known for playing protagonist Elena Gilbert (and her string of direct doppelgängers and lookalikes) on the supernatural teen drama "The Vampire Diaries." This memorable role earned her eight Teen Choice Awards, three People's Choice Awards, and one Young Hollywood Award. Much to her fans' distress, though, Dobrev left "TVD" after Season 6 concluded.

The Bulgarian-Canadian actor announced her departure on Instagram on April 6, 2015. Captioning a selfie with the show's co-creator, Julie Plec, she wrote, "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six-season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime ... I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever." Said friends likely included her co-star and ex-boyfriend, Ian Somerhalder, who portrayed the smooth-talking vampire, Damon Salvatore — coincidentally, you don't see Somerhalder in the limelight all that often, either. 

Dobrev later cited wage discrepancies and the need to pursue other opportunities, but she agreed to return in the series finale. Unfortunately for her solo ambitions, her post-show films, which include "Flatliners," "Run This Town," "Lucky Day," and "Sick Girl," haven't been the box office hits she was likely hoping for.

David Duchovny's most iconic role was as FBI Agent Fox Mulder in "The X-Files." The celebrated science fiction drama series ran from 1993 to 2002, then from 2016 to 2018, winning a total of 16 Primetime Emmys. Yet, its co-lead chose to take a step back as a regular cast member in 2000.

Why did Duchovny choose to exit the show that made him a household name? As he told The Times in 2024, "That was just me wanting to have a family, but also to try other things. It had kind of taken up my life. There was no animosity with the actual show and the people that I worked with." Unfortunately for his aspirations, those "other things" include several movie duds, such as "Playing God," "Full Frontal," "Trust the Man," "The Craft: Legacy," and "The Bubble." Still, he has secured two Golden Globe awards to date, one for "The X Files" and the other for the hit comedy-drama show "Californication."

Beyond her publicized marriage to Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel is a passionate actor and producer. Her breakout role was as the rebellious and stubborn teen, Mary Camden, on the family drama series "7^th Heaven." Fans watched that relatable character grow for six seasons, until Biel decided to walkaway in order to pursue more diverse and fulfilling roles. " ... You can only do so much with a particular character specifically on a show like that," she explained to E! News in 2018. "We really had to sort of stay in the boundaries of a somewhat religious family and teaching lessons, and ... you get to a point when you're like, 'Oh man, I just want to do something different.'"

Her other notable TV role was in the thriller series "The Sinner" and earned her Golden Globe and Critics Choice award nominations. Nevertheless, movie stardom is still a pending ambition for her. Case in point: Her performances in films like "Blade: Trinity," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" 2003 remake, and "Stealth" failed to turn her into an A-list movie star.

Blending wit with tragedy during wartime, the beloved CBS comedy-drama series "M*A*S*H" ran from 1972 till 1983 and won 14 Primetime Emmys. It also elevated TV writer and supporting actor McLean Stevenson to a silver-screen star. He amassed fans worldwide thanks to his charismatic portrayal of the easy-going field surgeon, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake. Plus, that iconic role earned him four Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe award.

Still, in 1978, Stevenson decided to leave because he dreamed of leading his own series. And lead he did. However, those shows, notably the sitcoms "In the Beginning," "Hello, Larry," and "Condo," didn't last long or earn him any praise.

Did the actor ever regret his decision? He claimed otherwise, but the real answer may lie in what he has alluded to in various interviews. Speaking of his post-"M*A*S*H" characters to The Tampa Tribune (via MeTV), he said, "After Henry Blake, they were all caricatures. My problems were in accepting jobs and hoping the producers knew what they were doing." He also bitterly stated to The Los Angeles Times in 1996, "The mistake was that I thought everybody in America loved McLean Stevenson. That was not the case. Everybody loved Henry Blake."

1998 saw the launch of the retro-style sitcom "That '70s Show," which followed a tight-knit, troublesome group of six teenagers in a tiny Wisconsin town in the 1970s, with a penchant for popsicles, beer kegs, and recreational drugs. Blending nostalgia with generational clashes and geek culture, the show was a massive hit: It aired on Fox from 1998 to 2006 and nabbed 15 major awards. Central to this energetic and charismatic ensemble was Eric Forman, a witty Star Wars aficionado who was in love with his next-door neighbor. He was exceptionally portrayed by Topher Grace, who earned several Teen Choice Awards nominations. Without warning, the actor suddenly departed before the final season, seemingly to focus on his budding film career.

Grace ended up playing far-less memorable characters, though, such as Venom in "Spider-Man 3," Jason in "Valentine's Day," and Matt in "Take Me Home Tonight." None of his post-show roles managed to turn him into a movie star, but he did snag a Daytime Emmy (along with the rest of the cast) for the 2012 miniseries "The Beauty Inside." He also briefly returned as Eric in the Netflix sequel "That '90s Show," this time as the protagonist's father.

Starring Tracee Ellis Ross, Persia White, and Jill Marie Jones, the comedy drama series "Girlfriends" ran from 2000 to 2008 and earned eight awards, as well as a Primetime Emmy nomination. Despite enjoying a steady gig and receiving two nominations for her portrayal of Toni Childs-Garrett, Jones left at the end of Season 6 to pursue movie opportunities — and avoid being typecast. "The cool thing to me about movies is that the research part is what I love," she explained to Backfilm in 2007. "Breaking down the character, but after two months, I get to do a new character, and that's cool. Sometimes when you are on a TV show, and if you are blessed to go for six years like I was, it's the same character."

Her departure was met with a crashing letdown. Indeed, her post-show movies, from "Universal Remote" to "Redrum," "Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous," and "Drool," failed to achieve commercial success. Nevertheless, she left her mark on other TV shows, such as "Monogamy" and "The Chi."