10 Actors Who Returned To A TV Series After Leaving

Homecomings No One Expected

Some actors leave a show for good, or so we think. But here are the TV stars who found their way back to the roles fans never imagined they’d see again. Check out the most unexpected comebacks that took viewers by surprise!

Steve Carell (Came Back for The Office Finale)

Steve Carell’s departure from The Office after Season 7 shocked fans, but later accounts revealed his exit wasn’t a creative decision; NBC simply never renewed his contract. Carell had reportedly been open to staying, but negotiations stalled, a decision casting director Allison Jones later called “asinine.” Despite insisting he wouldn’t return, Carell secretly came back for the series finale, appearing as a surprise guest at Dwight and Angela’s wedding.

Lauren Cohan (Left The Walking Dead Over Contract Issues, Then Returned)

Lauren Cohan’s Maggie quickly became a fan-favorite on The Walking Dead, but by the end of Season 8, her contract had expired. Reports suggested she sought pay equal to male co-stars like Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, though she clarified she was simply renegotiating after her original deal ended. Talks fell apart, and she left to star in ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier. When that show was canceled, Cohan returned to The Walking Dead, saying she had always mentally held space for Maggie.

Steve Burton (Fired from General Hospital, Later Reinstated)

Steve Burton has portrayed Jason Morgan on General Hospital since the early ’90s, but in 2021 he was fired for refusing to comply with the show’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In an Instagram video, Burton said he had applied for medical and religious exemptions, both of which were denied. By 2024, on-set restrictions relaxed, and the show invited him back.

Taylor Momsen (Returned for the Gossip Girl Finale)

Taylor Momsen joined Gossip Girl as Jenny Humphrey after years as a child actor, but as the series continued, she realized she preferred pursuing music with her band, The Pretty Reckless. Even though she wanted out, producers wouldn’t release her from her contract, instead writing her off the show with a condition that she couldn’t take other acting work. Ultimately, Momsen didn’t return until the 2012 finale, appearing at Blair and Chuck’s wedding to close out her character’s story.

Sarah Silverman (Fired from SNL, Returned as Host)

Sarah Silverman joined Saturday Night Live at just 22, but her single season didn’t go well, and she was fired after mostly serving as an audience plant during monologues. She later reflected that she wasn’t fully formed as a performer yet, though the experience helped prepare her for future success in stand-up and television. Decades later, Silverman returned as an SNL host in 2014.

Maggie Roswell (Returned to The Simpsons After Maude’s Death)

Maggie Roswell originally voiced Maude Flanders on The Simpsons, but commuting from Denver to Los Angeles became too costly, and producers wouldn’t approve a raise. She quit, and Maude was killed off in Season 11’s “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily.” Years later, Roswell and the show struck a deal allowing her to record remotely from Denver, leading to her return.

Jon Bernthal (Returned to The Walking Dead Twice)

Jon Bernthal’s Shane Walsh was one of the earliest major casualties on The Walking Dead, dying in Season 2 after a tense rivalry with Rick. Bernthal later said watching the cast film without him was emotionally painful, making him realize how deeply he missed being part of the ensemble. Despite Shane’s death, the show brought Bernthal back twice through hallucination sequences, including in Season 3’s “Made to Suffer,” where his character is killed again.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Returned to Supernatural After a Decade)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan played John Winchester, the complicated father of Sam and Dean, but the character was killed at the start of Season 2. More than a decade later, Morgan returned for the show’s 300th episode, thanks to a storyline involving time travel and alternate realities. The episode allowed John to reunite with his sons and learn about everything they had faced without him.

Isaiah Washington (Returned to Grey’s Anatomy)

Isaiah Washington’s exit from Grey’s Anatomy in 2007 became one of the show’s earliest major controversies after he was fired for directing a homophobic slur at co-star T.R. Knight. Shonda Rhimes later said the scandal shook the cast so deeply that many still talk about it years later. Although Washington was removed in Season 3, he surprisingly returned in Season 10 for an episode centered on Cristina Yang’s farewell.

Harold Perrineau (Returned to Lost After Controversial Exit)

Harold Perrineau’s character Michael was central to Lost Season 1, especially through his relationship with his young son Walt. But when the show’s slow timeline clashed with actor Malcolm David Kelley’s real-life growth, both characters were written out, leaving Perrineau upset and feeling pushed aside. He expressed frustration publicly, particularly about Walt being left without closure, which he felt fed into negative stereotypes. Still, Perrineau returned multiple times, including during the final season’s “flash-sideways” storyline.