There’s the stage door, Hotch
FAMOUS FIRINGS: Gibson far from first actor to be canned from a popular TV series
Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson is no longer chasing serial killers. Instead, he’s on the hunt for a new job.
Gibson — who we still always think of as the Greg to Jenna Elfman’s Dharma — was dumped from the hit CBS procedural drama late last week after allegedly kicking one of the show’s executive producers during a clash on set. His character, FBI agent Aaron Hotchner, will be written out of the series in upcoming episodes of the new season, which debuts Sept. 28.
Gibson isn’t the first star to be dumped from a popular TV show and he likely won’t be the last. Whether due to personality conflicts, unseemly behaviour or situations that weren’t entirely their own doing, here’s a look at six other stars who were shown the stage door:
Charlie Sheen Two and a Half Men
Sheen’s legendary bad behaviour on and off the set of the massively popular sitcom finally proved too much for creator Chuck Lorre, who gave TV’s highest-paid actor — as in $1.8 million per episode — the big ol’ boot. Sheen and his “winning” phenomenon finally faded from the headlines, though he flared up again late last year when the self-described rock star from Mars admitted to being HIV-positive.
Lisa Bonet A Different World
Bonet starred in the first season of this college-set spinoff of The Cosby Show, then became pregnant with rock star fiance Lenny Kravitz. Producers wanted to work Bonet’s pregnancy into the show, but Bill Cosby nixed the idea and Bonet was written out (though she eventually returned to The Cosby Show as a married mom.) There’s no small amount of irony that Bonet’s pregnancy was seen as too scandalous for the wholesome character of Denise Huxtable, given the allegations of serial sexual assault now facing Cosby himself.
Cindy Williams Laverne & Shirley
Laverne without Shirley is like chocolate without peanut butter, but when series co-star Williams became pregnant and her husband started making demands about how she was to be accommodated on set, the studio said, “Um, no,” and Williams walked. The show ran for an eighth and final season with Penny Marshall’s Laverne flying solo.
Shannen Doherty Beverly Hills 90210, Charmed
It takes a certain kind of attitude to get canned from not one, but two TV shows and apparently Doherty had it. After reports of divalike behaviour on the set of 90210, Doherty’s Brenda Walsh was written out of the series in 1994. Then in 2001, she abruptly left the witchy WB series Charmed after reports of on-set feuds with co-star Alyssa Milano. Doherty is currently battling aggressive breast cancer, which makes her past TV dust-ups seem a lot less important in retrospect.
Isaiah Washington Grey’s Anatomy
Washington played Dr. Preston Burke on the first three seasons of the ABC medical drama until he surgically implanted his foot in his mouth (or, more accurately, his head in his rectum) and used a homophobic slur against co-star T. R. Knight, who came out as gay a short time later. Washington apologized and the furor died down, but he stepped in it again at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards and the studio decided to drop him from the show.
Jeremy Clarkson Top Gear
Top Gear’s temperamental host was suspended, then later fired after a dust-up that saw him take a swing at one of the show’s producers. It was the final straw after a year in which Clarkson was accused of making racist remarks on and off camera, leading to the BBC finally giving the boot to one of its highest-earning personalities.
Things seem to have worked out OK for Clarkson, though — he’ll be heading up The Grand Tour, a Top Gear-like show debuting on streaming service Amazon Prime this fall.
Also-rans
Brett Butler (Grace Under Fire — substance abuse), Dana Plato (Diff’rent Strokes — became pregnant), Columbus Short (Scandal — domestic abuse charges), Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives — clashed with executive producer), Valerie Harper (Valerie — salary dispute), Selma Blair (Anger Management — tangled with star Charlie Sheen).