TV Shows That Were Forced To Fire Lead Actors (And Why)

Life

Successful TV shows only become successful as a result of great casting decisions, intriguing plot, and collaboration during the filming process. However, sometimes the producers of wildly popular TV shows have no other choice but to fire the actors that make their show a success.

The difficult decision to fire an actor from a TV show is usually made after the actor has been involved in a huge scandal that could taint not only the show but also the studio or the channel that airs the show.

As you can imagine, these decisions pretty much ruin the reputation and career of the actors who are fired. After all, would you want to work with an actor that was involved in a huge scandal or was notorious for erratic behavior and causing tension on set? We didn’t think so. And neither do studios and producers. Here are 15 TV Shows That Were Forced To Fire Lead Actors.

10. Isaiah Washington Was Fired For His Anti-LGBT Slurs

Grey’s Anatomy’s fans were outraged after they learned that the actor Isaiah Washington had called his co-star T.R. Knight, who later came out as gay, a “fag**t”. Later, Washington once again used a homophobic slur at the Golden Globes.

As you can imagine, Washington was fired shortly after the two incidents took place. This, in turn, pretty much ruined his career – “After the incident at the Golden Globes, everything just fell apart. I lost everything. I couldn’t afford to have an agent …I couldn’t afford to have a publicist …I couldn’t afford to continue.”

9. Columbus Short Was Fired After He Threatened To Kill His Wife

In 2014, the actor Columbus Short was fired from Scandal as a result of his domestic violence. Of course, Short did not reveal the reason for his dismissal from the show.

He merely said – “At this time I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for 3 years, with what is the most talented ensemble in television today. Everything must come to an end and unfortunately, the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Shonda, Kerry and the rest of the cast…”

However, the reason for Short’s dismissal was publicized shortly after. Apparently, the actor had put a knife to his wife’s throat and threatened to kill her. She then took out a restraining order against him and pretty much ruined his Scandal career.

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