There was more to these show deaths than met the eye. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notable examples of TV characters dying because of real-life problems.
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00:00It's been three weeks since Granny Rose's funeral, why are people still giving us casseroles?
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable examples of
00:09TV characters dying because of real-life problems. It's hard to talk about any of
00:13these without going into spoilers. But whether you noticed her or not, Maud was always there.
00:21Number 20. Mr. Echo, Lost
00:24I did not ask for the life that I was given, but it was given nonetheless.
00:31The second season of Lost introduced a ton of new characters, the most popular of which was
00:35arguably Mr. Echo. A man deeply devoted to his faith, Echo was poised to have a brilliant character
00:40arc, and his past was tied directly to the island via his dead brother, Yemi. But all that promise
00:45was dashed after he was randomly killed by the smoke monster. This random death was not planned,
00:50but came about because Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje did not like living in Hawaii and wished to
00:55return to his native London. The decision upset fans of the series and showrunner Carlton Coos,
01:00both of whom loved Echo and wanted him to stick around.
01:16Number 19. John Amos, Good Times
01:19With this family, we can use all the help we can get.
01:26Dino Mike!
01:27Firing your lead is certainly a gutsy move, but that's what the producers of Good Times were
01:31forced to do. A spinoff of a spinoff, Good Times starred Esther Rolle and John Amos as
01:36Florida and James Evans. While the initial plan was to mix drama and comedy similar to All in the
01:41Family, Good Times quickly veered into goofy, catchphrase-laden antics led by the popular JJ.
01:47Amos hated this new direction and often got into heated arguments with the writers, so his
01:51contract was not renewed. The character of John was subsequently killed off in a car accident at
01:55the beginning of Season 4. Number 18. Jadzia Dax, Star Trek Deep Space Nine
02:10Oh, Jadzia, will you look in on Keiko and the kids while I'm gone?
02:13You can count on it.
02:14Jadzia Dax is a joined Trill, meaning she appears human but is actually the physical host of a
02:20symbiote named Dax. When one host dies, Dax simply finds another. This is highly convenient, and it
02:25allowed the show to navigate the sudden departure of actress Terry Farrell. Farrell did not get
02:30along with creator Rick Berman, claiming that he was misogynistic and often spoke to her
02:33inappropriately. Following the sixth season, Farrell asked to have her work reduced, going
02:38from lead to recurring character. Berman was not impressed. The negotiations turned hostile,
02:43and Farrell was ultimately fired. Following her departure, Jadzia was killed off, and Dax bonded
02:48with a new host, played by Nicole DeBoer. Number 17. Lance Sweets, Bones
03:05Oof. Whoa, whoa, okay, just slow down, Aubrey. What happened?
03:10Police procedurals aren't known for killing off main characters, but sometimes the actor wants
03:14to do something else, and you have to go with the flow. John Francis Daly was added to the
03:18cast of Bones in the third season, providing some warmth and levity to the proceedings.
03:22He remained a series regular until the start of the tenth season, when he was shot and killed
03:26by Kenneth Emery. Sweets was the only main character on Bones to die. Daly, who was already
03:31a prolific comedy writer, had the opportunity to direct the 2015 film Vacation, which he co-wrote
03:36with Jonathan Goldstein. Unfortunately, this clashed with his schedule for Bones, so he chose
03:41directing over acting and was written off by showrunner Stephen Nathan. Number 16. Eddie LeBecq,
03:51Cheers. Played by Jay Thomas, Eddie LeBecq was a hockey player-turned-mascot who enters a
04:04relationship with Carla. However, it was this relationship that would ultimately lead to the
04:08termination of Thomas. The comedian hosted a radio show, and a caller asked what it was like working
04:13on the popular sitcom. In jest, Thomas replied,
04:16It's brutal. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman. Unsurprisingly, the producers didn't take
04:21kindly to one of their stars insulting another, so they fired Thomas and killed off Eddie by having
04:25him get run over by a Zamboni. They also rubbed salt in the wound by tarnishing Eddie's character
04:30and revealing that he was secretly married to another woman. Number 15. Martin Stein, Arrowverse.
04:47Being one half of Firestorm, alongside Jefferson Jackson, Martin Stein was played by veteran
04:54theater actor Victor Garber. While Garber has appeared in many movies and TV shows,
04:58his true love is the stage, as evident by his four Tony Award nominations and his departure
05:03from the Arrowverse. Garber sacrificed a steady role on TV to return to theater,
05:08finding it too difficult and time-consuming to juggle both. Garber decided to leave Legend of
05:12Tomorrow after lending the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!, and Martin Stein
05:17is killed off in a heroic sacrifice. You can't ask for a better departure. Number 14. Maximilian
05:29Arturo, Sliders. The grumpy pseudo-father figure of the Sliders group, Professor Maximilian
05:42Arturo, was played by veteran actor John Rhys-Davies. Rhys-Davies was quite vocal in his
05:47criticism of Sliders' writing throughout his run on the show, but he was supported by the network.
05:51A number of explanations have emerged as to why he departed Sliders, including that he was fired for
05:56insulting an executive who was later put in charge of the show, the aforementioned criticism of the
06:00writing staff, and possibly to make way for younger cast members. The official reason, though, which
06:05Rhys-Davies maintains, is creative differences. Whatever the case, Rhys-Davies' move was written
06:10into the story when the professor was shot protecting his friends. Number 13. Henry Blake,
06:22M.A.S.H. If you were around in the 1970s, you remember the sight. Radar walks into the tent,
06:38a heavy look on his face, the room turns serious, and he announces the sudden death of Henry Blake,
06:43whose plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It's an iconic moment in TV history,
06:48and to think it would never have happened if McLean Stevenson didn't hate being on the show.
06:52The story is that Stevenson didn't like being part of an ensemble cast and wanted to leave the
06:57show for better opportunities. He was ultimately released from his contract and killed off.
07:01Ironically, it was Henry Blake who made him a star, and his career declined after he left M.A.S.H.
07:06Number 12. Edie Britt, Desperate Housewives
07:20The departure of Nicolette Sheridan is fraught with drama. After starring in the show for five
07:25seasons, Edie Britt is killed when she gets into a car accident and electrocutes herself.
07:29This death came about after some intense behind-the-scenes drama between Sheridan
07:33and showrunner Mark Cherry. According to Sheridan, she was continuously assaulted by Cherry,
07:38and she was fired after reporting this abuse to the network. Cherry claims that she was let go
07:42for both budgetary reasons and her unprofessional behavior on set. Sheridan then filed a $20
07:47million lawsuit against ABC and Cherry, but all of the charges were ultimately dismissed.
07:52And, unlike other deceased characters, Sheridan did not return for a cameo in the series finale.
07:57Number 11. Dale Horvath, The Walking Dead
08:19TV is a business, and some people decide to take a role not because they want it,
08:23but because they like working with certain people. Enter Jeffrey DeMunn,
08:27who played Dale in the first two seasons of The Walking Dead. DeMunn often collaborates with
08:31director Frank Darabont, who created the TV adaptation and briefly served as showrunner.
08:36Darabont left the series after the first season, with insiders claiming that he had been fired
08:40over budgetary and creative differences. Darabont was out, and so was DeMunn. Not wanting to do the
08:45show without his buddy, DeMunn quit and asked to be killed off. The producers obliged, and Dale
08:49was removed from the story far earlier than he is in the comics. Number 10. Edith Bunker,
09:01Archie Bunker's Place
09:08We return to the all-in-the-family verse for another dissatisfied actor.
09:11Jean Stapleton played Edith Bunker for nine seasons, which left her feeling burnt out
09:16and desiring new opportunities. So when it came time for the follow-up, Archie Bunker's Place,
09:20she decided to sit out. As the title suggests, the series is more concerned with Archie's bar
09:25than his home life, and this gave the producers a good excuse to sideline Edith. Stapleton agreed
09:30to appear in just five episodes of the first season, partly to help ease the transition,
09:34before disappearing entirely. She was eventually killed off at the beginning of season two,
09:38having suffered a stroke off-camera.
09:46Number 9. Sixth Doctor, Doctor Who
09:55The Sixth Incarnation of the regenerating time traveler was a controversial one,
09:59particularly given his choice in wardrobe and less-than-friendly introduction. However,
10:04it was behind-the-scenes issues that ultimately led actor Colin Baker to depart the role.
10:08BBC controller Michael Grade had an infamous dislike for Doctor Who, and Baker in particular,
10:13whose ex-wife Grade was particularly close to. After putting the show on hiatus for over a year,
10:18Grade forced through Baker's firing, leading to the character's abrupt and embarrassing
10:22death and regeneration portrayed by his successor in a wig. Number 8. Tuco Salamanca, Breaking Bad
10:36This drug lord and intense psychopath was all set to be a major antagonist for Walter White
10:42and Jesse Pinkman to contend with at the end of Breaking Bad's first season. However,
10:46actor Raymond Cruz actually requested that the character be killed off,
10:49setting his difficulty playing the role. Given the character's intense personality,
10:53we can hardly blame him, and Tuco's death did make way for some excellent villains down the line.
10:58Cruz seems to have gained some more confidence, however, if the character's reappearance on the
11:01show's prequel Better Call Saul is anything to go by. Number 7. Pierce Hawthorne, Community
11:22Lewd, crude, and more than a little weird, Pierce Hawthorne was the strange older figure
11:27on Community. Actor Chevy Chase was often critical of the show and its creator Dan Harmon,
11:32expressing confusion over its humor. This ultimately led to his and the executive's
11:36mutual decision for him to leave. Pierce was phased out at the beginning of the show's fifth
11:39season, first appearing as a hologram before dying off-screen of dehydration due to, ahem,
11:45samples he donated, which were ironically part of his final gifts to his friends.
11:50If you're listening, Pierce, you're a hell of a D&D player. It's time to level up.
11:55Number 6. Dr. Lawrence Kutner, House
12:07As one of House's newer and more adventurous diagnostic team members,
12:11Kutner quickly proved popular with audiences. However, in real life,
12:15actor Cal Penn was offered a position in President Barack Obama's administration
12:19and chose to take the job. Kutner's death led to an intense episode, which took a hard
12:23look at what happens when someone takes their own life. The mystery of why he did this had
12:27a profound impact on House himself, with his inability to see it coming, prevent it,
12:31or to discover the reasons behind it, haunting him, quite literally, until the final episode.
12:36The writers truly made the best of Cal Penn's departure.
12:39Number 5. George O'Malley, Grey's Anatomy
12:47Although his somewhat naive and relatable personality endeared him to audiences,
12:51this young doctor and fresh-faced US Army recruit was destined for a death brought
12:56about by difficulties behind the scenes. Actor T.R. Knight had already experienced
12:59what it was like to be in the middle of a war, but he didn't know what it was like to be in a war.
13:04brought about by difficulties behind the scenes. Actor T.R. Knight had already experienced
13:08production-related drama in 2006 when a homophobic slur prompted him to come out of the closet.
13:14Three years later, Knight would cite his character's lack of screen time and an overall
13:18collapse in the degree to which show creator Shonda Rhimes communicated with him as significant
13:22factors in his decision to depart. Meanwhile, his character is killed when a horrific bus accident
13:27leaves him unable to be identified, after which he's declared brain-dead and the plug is pulled.
13:34Number 4. Roseanne Conner, The Conners
13:48Oh, how the mighty have fallen. There was a time when Roseanne Barr was considered a brilliant
13:53comedian, with her sitcom Roseanne being one of the most celebrated shows of the 80s and 90s.
13:57It was so popular that it was briefly revived in 2018, but it was cancelled just as quickly as it
14:02arrived, following some enormously controversial tweets that were written by Barr. Considered both
14:07racist and Islamophobic, the tweets were widely condemned in the media, and Roseanne was cancelled
14:12after just nine episodes. However, the revival was eventually retooled as The Conners. Roseanne
14:17was absent, having died off-screen from a drug overdose. Number 3. Maude Flanders, The Simpsons
14:33The wife of The Simpsons' mustachioed neighbor, Maude Flanders meets her untimely death after
14:41getting knocked off some bleachers by a t-shirt launched at Homer. The character's actress,
14:45Maggie Roswell, had moved to Colorado to raise her daughter, and needed to fly to California
14:49to record twice a week. She requested a pay increase to justify that ongoing expense.
14:54However, Fox refused to meet her demands, and she left the show. Although briefly recast,
14:59Maude was soon killed off by The Simpsons' producers to allow for more story options
15:03featuring Ned Flanders as a single father. Advances in remote recording technology
15:07have allowed Roswell to return to the program, although Maude remains in heaven.
15:19Number 2. Chef, South Park
15:21Now, part two of Life Without Chef. A musically gifted mentor of the South Park Boys,
15:28Chef had been a mainstay on the irreverent cartoon satire since its first season. However,
15:33in 2006, actor Isaac Hayes departed the program following a recent stroke, and his Scientology
15:38entourage allegedly making a statement on his behalf after the show's infamous episode poking
15:43fun at the Church of Scientology aired. Hayes was a member of the movement, so creators Trey Parker
15:48and Matt Stone went whole hog when they killed off Chef, having him join an organization of
15:52predators before being lit on fire, falling off a bridge, getting impaled, shot, and mauled by
15:58animals. Talk about overkill! Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the
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16:17on notifications. Number one, Charlie Harper, Two and a Half Men. I know this is a very sad day for
16:25all of us. Speak for yourself. After actor Charlie Sheen publicly criticized the creator of Two and
16:30a Half Men and Chuck Lorre in 2011, Sheen was fired from the hit show. Following his TV meltdown,
16:36the character of Charlie Harper was apparently killed off screen after a jealous lover pushes
16:40him in front of a train. The show continued to add insult to injury by having the character
16:44supposedly haunt his brother in the guise of Kathy Bates while he's in hell, serving as a kind
16:48of karmic punishment. However, in the series finale, Harper is then revealed to be alive,
16:53only to be really killed by a falling piano after having escaped four years of capture.
16:57Chef's death might have been overkill, but Charlie Harper's is something else entirely.
17:07What was your reaction to these deaths? Let us know in the comments below.
17:11Do we have to keep talking about death all the time?
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