Leaving Early- 2

 
 
Rob Lowe - The West Wing

How he left: When The West Wing began, Rob Lowe, with all of his star power, was considered the series’ lead. But as the show developed around Martin Sheen, Lowe and his character Sam Seaborn quickly, and more suitably, fell among the ranks of supporting cast members like Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff. Lowe played along for four seasons, but begrudged that his salary wasn’t given the same increase as fellow A-lister Sheen. Plus, his character became incredibly boring as a result of the network “meddling” that caused series creators Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme to leave in 2003. That year, Lowe announced his exit from the show. His character’s send-off was rather muted, leaving with little fanfare to run a congressional campaign in California. The departure was open-ended, leaving the door open for Lowe to return, as he did in the final season for several episodes, but lacking the drama of a send-off with more finality.

What happened next: The West Wing chugged along just fine without Lowe, replacing him initially with Matthew Perry for a brief guest arc before bringing in Sorkin-favorite Josh Malina more permanently. Lowe struggled in several short-lived TV series and bit movie parts before becoming seemingly omnipresent with recurring roles on Brothers and Sisters and Californication, and a vibrant regular part on Parks and Recreation.