20 actors written off of shows because of on-set problems

T.J. Miller might have been a key part of the cast of the sitcom Silicon Valley, but that didn’t mean that he was going to be able to get away with whatever he wanted. In fact, the actor had a number of difficulties when it came to his time on set. Among other things, he was noted for arriving late during many filmings and also seemed to be under the influence. This ultimately led to his being fired from the show before its fifth season.

Mackenzie Phillips has had a troubled history in Hollywood, particularly during her time on the sitcom One Day at a Time. At the time she was on the series, she was struggling with cocaine addiction, which led to a number of difficulties on the set of the show, including one particularly one incident in which she collapsed on the set. Due to these various issues, she was ultimately fired from the show; however, she later went on to act in a number of other series.

Matt Lauer became the center of a media firestorm in 2017 once it was revealed that he had been sexually inappropriate with several members of his staff. His case was one of the most high-profile examples of the consequences of the MeToo movement, which drew much-needed attention to the ways in which male stars and celebrities misused their power. Lauer, while not admitting to all of the accusations lodged against him, did note some of them were true and apologized for his behavior after he was terminated by NBC.

Jeremy Clarkson has never been a stranger to controversy, and in fact, he seems to seek it out. Even so, he managed to push a few too many buttons during his time on the hit British show Top Gear. Of particular note is his assault on one of the producers of the show in 2015, which ultimately led to the BBC firing him from the show. Despite this, Clarkson has continued to enjoy significant popularity, even as he has also courted controversy. 

Brett Butler might have been the heart and soul of the ‘90s comedy Grace Under Fire, but that came at a cost. Butler was battling a drug addiction during her time on the series, which led to some significant behavior problems on the set. All of this resulted in ABC firing her and ultimately canceling the show as a whole. This came after her erratic behavior, including her interactions with her younger co-stars, resulted in chaos and a significant drop in ratings for the show.

Jeffrey Tambor earned a lot of praise — and a lot of criticism — for his portrayal of Maura Pfefferman on the series Transparent. However, accusations from a number of people, including his Transparent co-star Trace Lysette, led to his leaving the show (though he did apologize and insist that nothing he’d done was deliberately sexually aggressive). Of course, this wasn’t the first time that Tambor had been accused of misbehavior of one kind or another, and he came under particular fire for his abusive behavior to some of his co-stars in the series Arrested Development. 

For most of its run, Stana Katic was a key part of the series Castle and its dynamic. However, there were (and are) numerous rumors that she had clashes with her cast-mate, star Nathan Fillion. This, despite the official reason being concerns about budget. As it turned out, he series didn’t long outlast her firing, and so the rumors over exactly what led to her firing, as well as accounts of her confrontations with Fillion, continue to percolate and to be a part of the show’s legacy.

Not every notable firing occurs in a fictional TV series. Sharon Osbourne was a key part of The Talk, at least up until the point where she got into a heated discussion about race while on the air. Her comments toward her co-host, Sheryl Underwood, raised more than a few eyebrows, as did her comments about the Duchess of Suffolk. Ultimately, an investigation led to her being fired from the show, largely because her comments didn’t align with the series’ fundamental values.

Arguably, one of the most infamous examples of on-set (and off-set) clashes leading to a person’s firing came in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As has been amply attested both before and since, Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv, repeatedly clashed with star Will Smith. This, along with a number of other factors, led to her leaving the show and being replaced. The two stars did end up reconciling years later, but by now the circumstances leading to this particular falling-out have become a part of Hollywood legend and myth.

The late Shannen Doherty had a bit of a reputation thanks to her on-set behavior on Charmed,  on which she co-starred with, among others, Alyssa Milano. Indeed, it was her co-star who, according to reports both at the time and since, managed to get Doherty fired from the show. The two reportedly did not get along at all well, and Milano stated that Doherty created a hostile work environment. As a result, she is often seen as the instigator of Doherty’s eventual departure from the show.

The various shows associated with Shonda Rhimes are almost always as famous for what goes on behind the camera as what goes on in front of it. This is particularly true of Grey’s Anatomy,  which featured all sorts of drama when it came to its stars. Patrick Dempsey was fired from the show due to altercations and bad behavior involving him and several other cast members, including co-star Ellen Pompeo. He was also, according to some reports, quite simply a terror to many members of the cast and crew. 

For much of its run, Jeff Carlin was a key part of The Goldbergs, as he portrayed Murray Goldberg, the family patriarch. Despite being a starring actor, he was ultimately fired from the show in 2021, largely due to several allegations that had emerged regarding his on-set behavior and language, many of which came from the crew and his co-stars. Though some TV trickery kept his character for the ninth season, he was ultimately written off altogether in the tenth. 

While Desperate Housewives features some undeniably juicy storylines, it was also notorious for its behind-the-scenes drama. Much of this revolved around Nicollette Sheridan. Though she had a reputation for being difficult to work with, she had her own fair share of complaints about the show, many of which centered on showrunner Marc Cherry, whom she would later accuse and take to court for various types of bad behavior and abuse on his part, though her case was ultimately dismissed. 

Isaac Hayes was for many years the voice of Chef, one of the most beloved characters on the comedy South Park. However, he ended up having a very bitter falling-out with the show’s showrunners over their full-throated mockery of Scientology, of which Hayes was a member. As a result, he was fired from the show, and to add insult to injury, his character, Chef, was given a very ignominious send-off in the show itself, one that was undignified even by the low standards of South Park.  

Arguably, one of the infamous firings of an actor was the departure of Isaiah Washington from the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. As was widely discussed at the time, his firing was due to his using an anti-gay slur toward fellow cast member T.R. Knight. The incident would become a recurring piece of tabloid fodder, somewhat overshadowing Washington’s career. He would eventually return to the show in a guest role, however, demonstrating the extent to which even controversies like this have a way of burning themselves out. 

After rising to fame thanks to appearing in the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Taylor Momsen had a notable role on the series Gossip Girl. She was ultimately fired from the show, at least in part because of some on-set issues when it came to remembering her lines. At the same time, it was partly due to Momsen’s desire to focus more on her music career than on acting. As so often in Hollywood, stories like this one are very complicated.

For many seasons of Criminal Minds, Thomas Gibson was a key part of the show and its appeal. As happens too frequently in Hollywood, however, he had an altercation with one of the show's writers and producers, which led to disciplinary action. This wasn’t the first time that he’d shown himself to have anger management issues, as the same had been true on the set of Dharma & Greg. He was fired from the show shortly afterward, and his character was written off.

Clayne Crawford is best known for portraying the character of Martin Riggs in the TV reboot of Lethal Weapon. Unfortunately, he was known for his misbehavior on the set of the show, particularly for outbursts of anger. Although he did end up going to therapy for his behavior, it ultimately proved too much for the production, which ultimately led to his termination and the demise of his character. Seann William Scott was later brought in to take on a different character altogether. 

Chevy Chase might be one of the most recognizable comedic talents of his generation, but his difficulty as a castmate is well-documented. This is particularly true of his time on the hit sitcom Community, where he portrayed Pierce Hawthorne. Chase was, according to many, difficult to work with, and he once had an outburst regarding his dislike of the show's direction. It’s thus not particularly surprising that he ended up getting fired, with his character abruptly written out of the show altogether. 

For the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire, Michael Pitt portrayed Jimmy Darmody, who trained under Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson. In the show, he had his fair share of arcs in the two seasons, including a marriage and his decision to become his own boss in the world of crime. However, due to a number of on-set issues, including Pitt’s lateness and his inability to remember his lines, he was ultimately written out of the show. As a result, it ended up focusing more on Nucky and his criminal activities.