With many popular TV shows like Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow being unexpectedly canceled by CW recently, it's devastating to imagine that this could be the last time some of these stars will be seen. Quite often, television actors get one big break as a lead in a popular TV show, only to have their career derailed after that.
One would think that having a lead role in a popular TV show would guarantee a successful career, but sometimes it isn't that simple. Actors can either decide that acting isn't for them, or their lead role doesn't set them up for the future quite as well as they'd hoped. In any case, it wouldn't be the first time that a lead actor disappeared from the small screen, never to be seen again.
Alexandra Chando
Perhaps an unknown name now, but Alexandra Chando had a seemingly bright future when she got to play not one, but two lead roles in Freeform's The Lying Game. She played twins, Sutton and Emma Mercer. One grew up in a rich home and is to put it nicely a spoiled brat, whilst the other grew up in a foster home and didn't have a great life.
Chando played the two opposites perfectly, and the series was actually well-accepted by the critics. However, the contract negotiations for season 3 went awry, and the series was canceled. She hasn't been a recognizable name since.
Jack Gleeson
Jack Gleeson was a guy that everyone loved to hate on Game of Thrones. He was one of the main characters, portraying the vile and obnoxious Joffrey until his character was killed off. But as the actor rose to fame, he decided it might not be the dream he imagined. His amazing performance cost him. Fans hated his character so much that the actor began receiving hate mail.
But that's not exactly the reason he disappeared after his success on Game of Thrones, which was one of the most successful HBO shows of all time. In an interview with Time, he admitted he doesn't exactly enjoy acting as much as he used to, and that he wants to do other things in life.
Ashley Benson
Ashley Benson was one of the biggest stars for a while, as she shot to fame with her role of Hanna Marin in the popular teen drama Pretty Little Liars. It was expected that her future would remain bright after, but apart from a couple of smaller roles, she hasn't really been seen lately on the small screen.
Hopefully, she gets to prove her diverse acting talents in an upcoming project before she disappears from everyone's radar. After all, she's proven to be quite the queen of comedy on the original PLL series. It would be better if the online rumors were related to her work rather than her relationships.
Simon Baker
Simon Baker rose to fame with his role of Patrick Jane on the crime TV show called The Mentalist. He portrayed a quirky, witty outside consultant who's had a difficult time due to a tragedy that occurred to his family.
Despite Baker seeming really talented in The Mentalist, showcasing his ability to act a variety of different emotions, ranging from heartbreak to amusement, he hasn't had any big television roles since the show ended in 2015. This can be attributed to his personal choice to spend more time with his family and focus less on the constant work, as he told CBS LA.
Emily Bett Rickards
Emily Bett Rickards rose to fame when she starred as Felicity Smoak on Arrow. She was first intended to be only in a couple of episodes, but after it became obvious she has great chemistry with the rest of the cast, she was promoted to a series regular and even became one of the leads later on. Fans fell in love with the hilarious and witty hacker who happened to be loyal to a fault.
But after she decided to leave Arrow, she pretty much disappeared from TV, perhaps taking a longer break to rest after the Arrow's success. It would be a shame to lose everything she still has to offer to her audience, as she has a range of acting that goes from funny to heartbreaking and she does all of it well. She does seem to have a lead role in a 2022 movie, so perhaps the Arrow wasn't the last we've seen of her.
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon made his fame by portraying the beloved character of Gibbs in one of the best crime dramas NCIS. He lead the show by being the team's leader, having strong bonds with other characters, and always seemingly knew how to proceed.
After appearing in 19 seasons of the beloved TV procedural, Gibbs decides to move to Alaska, and Harmon has seemingly retired from acting. He has no plans for future projects at the moment, but it's too early to tell. Maybe the actor will feel bored and decide to make a cameo or two. The fans will surely enjoy it.
Mischa Barton
Barton made a huge break when she landed the role of Marissa Cooper in the popular teen series The OC. Everything seemed fine at the beginning, but they killed the character off in the season 3 finale, and at the time nobody knew why. Recently, Barton opened up about why her character was killed in the popular teen drama.
She said there was bullying on the set by some of the male actors, and that she felt "very unprotected". There have been rumors that the decision to kill her character was at least partially due to the poor ratings and bad critic reviews. In any case, Barton hasn't really been in anything much since.
Adelaide Kane
After a series of smaller roles, Kane had her big break when she was cast as Mary Stuart in Reign. The CW series was successful, at least in the early seasons, and Kane's acting had range. It was clear she had a bright future in front of her.
But things didn't quite work out for the Australian actress, and she hasn't had any big roles since Reign wrapped up. Of course, the Covid situation might be partly to blame. She has appeared on TV since so here's hoping that one of her projects might be successful again in the future. Her talent is too big to be wasted.
Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Pompeo has had a long and successful career, so this is mainly by choice, but she's expressed her wish to stop acting after Grey's Anatomy ends. Recently, she's been suggesting it might be time for the medical drama to wrap up. It seems like Pompeo has had quite enough of everything, and wishes to retire.
Even though she had some smaller roles and even starred in some movies, Meredith Grey is the role she will always be known for, and it's becoming clear that after Grey's ends, Pompeo will likely disappear from television for good. This role is too huge for her to ever be surpassed by any others.