Show business can be brutal, and even if an actor feels like they’re riding high on a successful TV series or film franchise, it can all come crashing down. Budgets, creative differences, on-set behavior, or behind-the-scenes antics can be just some of the reasons an actor gets booted.
Shonda Rhimes, the powerhouse producer behind shows like Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away With Murder, and Scandal may make her cast members feel like family (an easy thing to do when a show has been running for 15 seasons, like Grey’s), but that doesn’t mean she can’t oust them when the occasion – or the storyline – calls for it.
Writing a character out of a show, killing them off, or giving them a happy ending off-screen are just some of the methods Rhimes has used to get rid of an actor. Across her many shows, these are 15 actors who got axed.
15 Brooke Smith (Grey’s Anatomy)
Actress Brooke Smith (and others who worked behind the scenes) alleged that network execs had issues with her character’s orientation, which is why she got booted. Smith shared that she was told they “couldn’t write for [her] character anymore”! Rhimes, for her part, said that the character lacked “chemistry” to go any further.
14 Columbus Short (Scandal)
A boss can only deal with so much, and Scandal’s Columbus Short was getting into trouble with the law and with substances to the extent that Rhimes had to “issue him a warning to get his personal issues sorted out”. Unfortunately, the actor didn’t get back on track, and his character was killed off the show. The actor was later sentenced to a year in prison.
13 Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy)
Mystery and rumors have swirled since Patrick Dempsey’s Dr. Derek Shepherd was killed off in the lowest-rated episode of the entire series. Some said his diva behaviour was to blame while others pointed to an alleged dalliance with a crew member that threatened his marriage. Whatever the real reason, Grey’s – and his widow Meredith – have since moved on.
12 Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)
In a scandal that has reverberated throughout the Grey’s Anatomy seasons, Isaiah Washington’s firing from the show came down to his treatment of his fellow cast members, particularly costar T.R. Knight. Washington used a slur against Knight and Rhimes was quick to drop the hammer.
Following his dismissal, the actor told ABC News, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
11 T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)
The other half of Washington’s departure was T.R. Knight, who left by his own accord, but under equally uncomfortable circumstances. Calling his relationship with Rhimes a “breakdown in communication”, Knight had issues with his lack of screen time and his belief that Rhimes wanted him to stay closeted for longer. Whatever the truth, he was written out of the show in a tragic fashion.
10 Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy)
While rumors flew that Sarah Drew was getting booted from Grey’s because of costar Ellen Pompeo’s pay increase, that wasn’t the case, and it ended up being a decision made by production.
According to a tweet from showrunner Krista Vernoff, it was a “creative” choice to have Drew leave the show, rather than a personal slight.
9 Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy)
Alongside Sarah Drew, Jessica Capshaw (who played Dr. Arizona Robbins) was likewise written out of the series at the end of the 14th season. The other half of the “creative” decision, Capshaw took to her IG page to say that she was saddened by the decision but “consoled by the idea that she will live on and on in all of our consciences and imaginations.”
8 Merrin Dungey (Private Practice)
Popping up twice in Grey’s Anatomy thanks to a crossover episode arc with Private Practice, Merrin Dungey was recast with Audra McDonald – and Shonda Rhimes didn’t mince words about it.
Speaking to USA Today in 2007, Rhimes said, “We wanted to put an edge on Naomi that we could define more clearly.”
7 Bethany Joy Lenz (The Catch)
This one must have hurt! The series The Catch received some major casting overhauls prior to the pilot episode airing, and that included axing Bethany Joy Lenz’s character altogether. In a sour message on social media, Lenz wrote, “Looks like they need a different type for ZOE, so I’ll be replaced.” The Catch lasted for only two seasons.
6 Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey’s Anatomy)
Love or hate him, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character Denny Duquette had the actor begging not to be killed off despite his clear fate. In a 2006 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Morgan admitted to begging Rhimes to let him live and even came up with ways for it to be possible.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, and Morgan was hurt, saying, “I’m still not over it.”
5 Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal)
Some actors disagree with the fates of their characters, and Scandal’s Dan Bucatinsky was one of them. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2014, Bucatinsky said he thought his character “doesn’t deserve to die”, despite Rhimes’ reasoning. He even hoped for reappearances in flashbacks, but it wasn’t to be in Shondaland.
4 Tim Daly (Private Practice)
Allegedly fired for “budgetary reasons” according to Rhimes, Private Practice actor Tim Daly mysteriously didn’t reappear for the show’s sixth season. However, the shady reason behind his unceremonious dismissal left many fans wondering what really went on to have such an important character given the shaft. Daly has since gone on to star in Madam Secretary.
3 Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy)
Politics and professionalism don’t usually mix well, and that was the case for Eric Dane vs. Shonda Rhimes. Another victim of “budget tightening” according to E! News, there was a strange interaction between the former coworkers on Twitter, when Dane lashed out at his old boss for her political opinions in an expletive-filled tweet.
2 Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy)
Rather than Rhimes calling the shots this time, it was actress Sara Ramirez who wanted some time off of Grey’s, where she played Dr. Callie Torres. According to Rhimes, she only found out about Ramirez’s desire to leave “maybe three days before” the general public. Writing out Callie wasn’t planned, but Rhimes was able to roll with the punches.
1 Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy)
Proof that you should never bite the hand that feeds you, Katherine Heigl’s high horse was what got her into trouble and changed her career trajectory forever. After publicly refusing to submit her name for Emmy consideration, Heigl found herself at odds with Rhimes and the network, and her character was dropped.
Since then, Heigl has failed to reclaim any of her former glory.