The second season finale of Boardwalk Empire featured Jimmy Darmody, played by Michael Pitt, being shot in the face and killed. This dramatic moment may have been an important part of the plot, but it was also a good way to get rid of Pitt. The actor was known for not having a great work ethic or a good attitude and would often forget his lines.
He also famously went off-script, all of which added up to wasting the production’s time and money and eventually getting Pitt canned from the show. Things must have been pretty bad because Pitt’s own agent told Deadline that UTA dropped him as a client because he’s really difficult on set.
Mandy Patinkin, Criminal Minds
Veteran actor Mandy Patinkin played Special Agent Jason Gideon in the successful CBS crime drama, Criminal Minds. The actor was with the show from the very beginning, but he was killed off after only two seasons for a couple of reasons. He talked about his feelings with New York Magazine, saying: “I thought [Criminal Minds] was different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality.”
His unhappiness affected his work and he began missing shoots, so the producers decided to kill him off, which worked out well for everyone.
Patrick Dempsey, Grey’s Anatomy
Derek Sheperd, also known as “McDreamy”, was one of the most beloved characters in the many seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. The character, played by Patrick Dempsey, was killed off in a shocking car accident in the eleventh season, leaving many fans heartbroken. Although the show is known for twists and tragedy, Sheperd’s death may not have been part of the storyline.
There have been rumors that Dempsey’s departure from the show may have been caused by his affair with a younger staff member. An insider said, “It got very messy and emotional on set and became a huge liability.” The rumor was not confirmed, but this is the widely accepted reason for the character’s death.
John Rhys-Davies, Sliders
Sci-fi fans everywhere know Professor Maximillian Arturo from 'Sliders' and the actor who played him, John Rhys-Davies. He was on the show from 1995 to 1997, but was ultimately shot dead when the show’s writers and creators couldn’t take it anymore. Apparently, Rhys-Davies called the show’s scripts “incomprehensible gibberish” and would fight with the writers all the time, calling them unintelligent and useless.
His response to being killed off in season three was claiming the writers “screwed up because they didn’t have the vision.” We’re pretty sure they were envisioning getting rid of him since the very beginning.
Mischa Barton, The O.C.
Mischa Barton starred as Marissa Copper in teen soap opera, The O.C. This was Barton’s breakout role and fans of the show loved her character, which is why they were heartbroken when she died in a car accident on the third season. While the fans were still reeling, the showrunners revealed that they just couldn’t stand working with Barton any longer.
Apparently, the actress believed she was too good for TV and her bad attitude drove everyone crazy. Other cast members also felt that she was hard to work with but weren’t sure she should have been killed off, because of the impact on the fans.