Summary
Some actors have officially exited popular shows, most likely giving up their regular status, only to return to the show as a guest starmore than once in years to come. ManyTV shows survive the main characters' exit, but that character likely still plays a major role in the story and is referenced often. In this case, the showrunners do whatever they can to occasionally secure a former star for an episode, possibly the series finale, to wrap everything up.
Maybe the actor just didn’t want to continue being a regular but is more than happy to show up for a few episodes every season, and they are essentially still a recurring character. In several cases, anactor left a popular TV showfor something that failed, and came back to that show in the aftermath. Fans are typically eager to see one of theTV show’s best characters return, andnetworks will gladly welcome back old regulars as guest stars for the ratings and publicity benefits.
10 TV Show Revivals That Couldn’t Match Their Original Runs
It’s not easy to create a successful TV show revival. Take these 10 TV reboots that couldn’t live up to the shows that came before them.
10Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo)
Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
According toDeadline, Ellen Pompeo never lost her regular status on the show for which her character is named. However,Meredith’s role has been significantly reduced, leaving Richard Webber and Miranda Bailey as the only remaining original characterswho are regularly part of the show. Since her send-off in theGrey’s Anatomymid-season 19 finale, at which point Meredith officially leaves her job at Grey Sloan Memorial, she has reappeared on the show for several episodes.
The plan going forward appears to be that Meredith will continue to guest star inGrey’s Anatomy, and still serves as a pillar of the show.Meredith is at the center of her own minor but complete storylineshappening in the background, while the remaining veteran characters and the new interns carry most of the show’s plot. Although Pompeo may have wanted out of the show that has been her life for two decades,Grey’s Anatomyhas refused to call it quits and is still using her character as the story’s symbolic figurehead.
Grey’s Anatomy
A high-intensity medical drama which follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
9Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres)
Suits (2011-2019)
SeveralmainSuitscharacters left the show early, including Gina Torres' Jessica.Torres cited the demanding schedule and lengthy commute as her reason for leavingSuitsafter the season 6 finale. However, she guest stars throughout the final season and leads the spin-offPearsonwith Jessica as its protagonist. In-universe, Jessica leaves Specter Litt in New York for the similar reason of pursuing an individual career; in her case, she relocates to Chicago to further her law career there.
Torres' cameo was cut from Suits' series finale due to conflicts created by her still working on Pearson at the time.
Torres returns as Jessica in seven ofSuitsseason 7’s 16 episodes,making it seem like she never really left the show, just transitioned to recurring character status. However, she does not appear at all in the show’s final two seasons.Torres' cameo was cut fromSuits’series finaledue to conflicts created by her still working onPearsonat the time.
Suits
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
8Dr. Whale/Dr. Frankestein (David Anders)
Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
Dr. Whale serves as a background resident of Storybrooke and a recurring character in the first two seasons ofOnce Upon a Time. He doesn’t appear often enough to be a regular — credited with only five episodes in each of the 22-episode seasons — but he’s an established character who the main cast and the audience are familiar with.David Anders supposedly"left" Once Upon a Timeafter season 3,in which he appears in only three episodes. However,Once Upon a Timemakes a habit of its characters who are no longer regulars or even recurring characters cropping up occasionally.
In Dr. Whale’s case, he turns up in one episode of season 5 and one in season 6to provide some quick assistance to the main characters. Meghan Ory’s Ruby has a similar treatment, as Ory left the show after season 2 for another opportunity but came back for seasons 3 and 5. Similarly, cast members Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, and Emilie de Raven are all no longer regulars after season 6, but make multiple cameos a piece in the final season.
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
7Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch)
How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020)
Alfred Enoch’sWes is killed in theHow to Get Away with Murderseason 3 finale, making for the most shocking moment of the show. After three years as one of the show’s main characters, Enoch was no longer appearing in every episode, andthe Keating 5 became the Keating 4.However, Wes is still very much a part of the story when Laurel is pregnant with his child and the whole cast is dedicated to unraveling the mystery of his murder.
Enoch appears as Wes in three episodes ofHow to Get Away with Murderseason 4(in one instance, just for an uncredited voice cameo) as more information about the circumstances of his death comes to light. He then makes a very strange appearance midway through season 6 that seems to imply that Wes survived. Enoch makes one last appearance in theHow to Get Away with Murder series finale as Wes and Laurel’s son.
How to Get Away With Murder
A new part of the Shonda Rhimes Shondaland productions, How to Get Away With Murder is a crime drama series created for ABC and starring Viola Davis. When law professor Annalise Keating’s (Davis) interns become involved with a murder that shakes the university and firm, the group will find themselves in an ever-spiraling saga of lies, deceit, and intrigue. The show’s format focuses on slowly unearthing the truth behind murders, all while complicated clients and cases arrive for the law firm to handle.
6Roy Harper/Arsenal (Colton Haynes)
Arrow (2012-2020)
Colton Haynes has a rocky history with the showArrow, having gone back and forth between regular status several times.Haynes portrays Roy Harper, one of the most important members of Team Arrow,throughout the show’s eight seasons. He is a recurring character for season 1, a regular for seasons 2 and 3, a guest star for certain episodes of seasons 4 and 6, a regular again for season 7, and finally, a guest star in a few episodes of season 8.
As revealed in his memoir,Haynes leftArrowbecauseof his mental health, as well as a difficult relationship with an unnamed member of the cast. However,it is not clear whether Haynes is referring to leavingArrowafter season 3 or season 7,although he returns for a few episodes after both departures. Since the conclusion ofArrow, Haynes has not returned to appear in any of the connected shows within the Arrowverse.
Arrow
Arrow is a television series that debuted in 2012, featuring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who returns to Starling City after being stranded for five years. Transformed by his experience, Queen becomes a vigilante archer, aiming to purge his city of crime and corruption.
10 TV Supporting Characters That Deserved Much Better Endings Than They Got
Not all TV characters can get a happy ending, but some, including Tracy in HIMYM and Lexa in The 100, really got the short end of the stick.
5Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster)
Criminal Minds (2005-Present)
Paget Brewster is another actor that came and went from her most famous show. Joining theCriminal Mindsteam in season 2,Brewster’s Agent Emily Prentiss quickly became a fan favorite character.She supposedly left the show after season 5 but continues to appear as a recurring character often enough in seasons 6 and 7 that she might as well be a regular. Her departure after season 7 has a more definite feeling.
Despite this,Brewster guest stars in two episodes ofCriminals Mindsacross the next few seasons before officially returning as a regularin season 12. She remains a part of the show, her role extending into the revival titledCriminal Minds: Evolution. However, Brewster’s occasional breaks fromCriminal Mindshave allowed her to pursue work in other genres, including comedic roles inModern Family, Key and Peele, andThe Venture Bros.
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds follows an elite team of FBI profilers from the Behavioral Analysis Unit as they analyze the nation’s most complex criminal minds, led by experienced agent David Rossi. The team works to anticipate and prevent crimes by understanding the behavior of these dangerous individuals.
4Maggie Greene/Rhee (Lauren Cohan)
Like several of herWalking Deadco-stars, Lauren Cohan apparently left behind the series for other opportunitiesbut eventually returned to the regular work the franchise provided with a spinoff focusing on her character. The longtime member of Rick Grimes' groupMaggie leftThe Walking Deadin season 9due to AMC’s dispute with Cohan when she requested the same pay as her male co-stars. They reached an agreement that Maggie would only appear in a few episodes of season 9 before leaving the show.
However, Maggie ended up appearing in another few episodes of season 10 before returning full-time for the final season and leadingThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityalongside Jeffrey Morgan. WhileCohan also leftThe Walking Deadfor a series that was shortly canceled,she doesn’t appear to have had a problem with staying with the franchise for the long run. Presumably, she now receives equal pay if she continues to star as a regular.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 02, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
3Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia)
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
As one of Rory’s main love interests inGilmore Girls,Jess Mariano is played by Milo Ventimiglia as a regular-adjacent character throughoutGilmore Girlsseason 2 and 3.Rory and Jesshave a messy relationship that overlaps with Rory’s romance with Dean, causing even more drama. They break up at the end of season 3 when Jess moves away. However, Jess appears several more times in theGilmore Girlsstory to spark more romantic and sexual tension.
In the few episodes Jess guest stars in from season 4, he and Rory discuss their relationship and feelings for one another but ultimately do not get back together. Jess then comes back for two more episodes in season 6, only to get caught up in Rory’s tumultuous relationship with Logan.Ventimiglia then played Jess one last time inGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,in which he and Rory seem to have finally worked out how to be supportive friends.
Gilmore Girls
In the fictional town of Star’s Hollow, single mother Lorelai Gilmore raises her high-achieving teenage daughter Rory. Mother and daughter rely on each other throughout their own life changes, romantic entanglements, and friendships.
2Rebekah Mikaelson (Claire Holt)
The Originals (2013-2018)
The Originalswas the chance for the Mikaelson family to tell their story, which would work best if they were all a part of it. However, the show was given the problem of Claire Holt’s contract expiring midway through season 1.Rebekah is given a fairly emotional farewell when she and Klaus address the problems in their relationship that have persisted for centuries,and he gives her his blessing to go live her own life. However, Holt appears to have been amenable to Rebekah remaining a part of the story.
The Originals was the chance for the Mikaelson family to tell their story, which would work best if they were all a part of it.
Rebekah is a recurring guest character for the rest of the series, with Holt typically being credited as a"special guest star.“The narrative finds excuses for her not to be there: She is caring for Klaus' daughter away from the violence in New Orleans, she is possessing someone else’s body, etc. Additionally,The Originalsintroduces the long-lost Mikaelson sibling Freya in season 2, who takes Rebekah’s placeas the long-suffering sister in the main dynamic with Klaus and Elijah.
The Originals
Spinning off from the popular CW seriesThe Vampire Diaries, The Originals is a supernatural drama series that follows three vampiric siblings of the first vampire family known to exist. With the eldest sibling, Klaus being a hybrid of werewolf, witch, and now vampire, the three find themselves attempting to help with the delicate balance of powers in the New Orleans French Quarter as they deal with their own family troubles.
10 Supporting Characters From Fantasy Shows Who Were More Interesting Than The Leads
Lafayette in True Blood, Laenor in House of the Dragon, and Rowena in Supernatural are supporting characters arguably more interesting than the leads.
1Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy)
The Crown (2016-2023)
Claire Foy originated the role of Queen Elizabeth II as she is seen inThe Crown, leading the show for the first two seasons. The plan was always that Foy would eventually be replaced by an older actress to show the queen’s reign in its entirety; however, the show is never able to entirely let go of Foy. After all, Olivia Coleman and Imelda Staunton were both A-listers beforeThe Crown, known for numerous award-winning roles.Foy saw her breakthrough withThe Crownand helped the show get past the initial barrier to success.
After her two seasons as the present-day Elizabeth,Foy returned for cameos in season 4, 5 and 6, playing Elizabeth in flashbacks and symbolic vision-like sequences.Every time she appears inThe Crowndespite no longer being a regular, it is a predictably powerful moment. Unlike some other actors who left their shows and returned, the showrunners probably always had it in mind that Foy would occasionally cameo. Therefore, her appearances are far more strategic.
The Crown
The Crown is a Netflix Historical Drama created by Peter Morgan and starring Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. The series follows the life of ruler Queen Elizabeth II, outlining different points in her life.
