Television has been unusually brutal to its own characters and cast lists in 2026. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place revealed a shock death in its series finale, Euphoria killed off one of its leads, and the NBC OneChicago franchise lost two longtime stars within weeks of each other.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place stunned viewers in its August 2026 series finale when Alex Russo (Selena Gomez) reunited with her teen love Mason Greyback (Gregg Sulkin), only for it to be revealed that Mason had actually died years earlier and returned as a ghost. "You have a whole other life, Alex," he told her. "You got married. You have a beautiful daughter. And she needs you. That's the life that you're meant to live. You have to go back."
Euphoria closed out its run with an equally dark twist: Jacob Elordi's Nate was buried alive and died after being bitten by a rattlesnake in the final season.
Two OneChicago Stars Depart at Once
The OneChicago universe took its own hit in July 2026, when it emerged that LaRoyce Hawkins is leaving Chicago P.D. after 13 seasons as Officer Kevin Atwater, a role he has held since the show premiered in 2014. Days apart, news broke that Joe Miñoso is exiting Chicago Fire during its upcoming 15th season, ending his run as firefighter Joe Cruz since the series began in 2012.
"They will be missed," Darren Barnet, who plays Dr. John Frost on Chicago Med, told E! News. Chicago P.D.'s Arienne Mandi, who plays Eva Imani, said of Hawkins: "One of our beloved is departing. He's been very cherished for many years and will continue to be a foundation of the show. We love him a lot."
More Shows Losing Major Stars in 2026
The Valley's Danny Booko and Nia Sanchez announced their third season would be their last after a season in which Danny's drinking and behavior were called into question. "We're incredibly grateful for this experience," the couple, who share four children, wrote in a September 2026 statement, "but our priority is protecting our peace and our family. We are fully committed to each other and our beautiful children."
In House of the Dragon, Fabien Frankel's Ser Criston Cole was killed in the Riverlands in the Game of Thrones spinoff's July 26, 2026, episode.
The Voice UK's Tom Jones said he was pushed out after 13 seasons over "financial difficulty with insurance." "I did not want to leave The Voice as l love the show and really appreciate the audience," he wrote on Instagram in September 2026. "ITV made this decision. They are offering a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I'm not thrilled about that."
Law & Order's Reid Scott, who has played Detective Vincent Riley since season 23, is exiting during the show's upcoming 26th season. Over on Criminal Minds: Evolution, Zach Gilford will not return for season 20 after his character Elias Voit was locked up for a murder he took the blame for. "It was hard to say goodbye," Gilford told Us Weekly. "It definitely was one of my favorite characters I've ever gotten to play."
The Rookie killed off Bridget Regan's corrupt lawyer Monica Stevens in April after four seasons. "She's escaped multiple assassinations, and prison time and being thrown in a woodchipper," Regan told TV Insider. "I wasn't surprised. She's had an amazing run."
Elsewhere, Whitney Leavitt is leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after season five to pursue other projects, and Supriya Ganesh will not return to The Pitt for season three, Variety reported in April, with her character taking a new residency elsewhere.
NCIS said goodbye to Director Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll for 18 years, in a March 2026 episode marking the show's 500th installment; Vance was killed in a shooting and welcomed to heaven by the late Donald "Ducky" Mallard (Adam Campbell). Mehcad Brooks also confirmed he was leaving Law & Order's Detective Jalen Shaw ahead of season 25 after joining the show in 2022. And Grey's Anatomy lost two of its longest-serving stars when Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver, who played Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. Teddy Altman for nearly 20 years, departed after the season 22 finale on May 7, 2026.
Reality TV and Late-Night Shake-Ups
Jenna Lyons announced she would not return for The Real Housewives of New York City's 16th season. "The rumors.. Are true," she wrote on Instagram in November 2025, explaining she would be "the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show" and felt it was time for a new dynamic. Chrishell Stause is also done with Selling Sunset after nine seasons, saying she no longer needs the show financially and that continuing was "no longer good for my mental health."
Jax Taylor confirmed in July 2025 he would not return to The Valley for season three, citing his sobriety, mental health and coparenting his son Cruz amid his divorce from Brittany Cartwright.
Saturday Night Live saw five cast members exit around the same time: Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker all announced they would not return for season 51, with Longfellow and Walker each having spent three seasons on the show and Wakim just one. Weeks later, Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim also confirmed their exits after eight and seven seasons, respectively.
On the soap side, Sofia Mattsson left General Hospital in summer 2025 after seven years as Sasha Gilmore, whose story sent her to Paris. The Pitt's Tracy Ifeachor also departed after the medical drama's first season, writing on Instagram that it was "an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece."
Notable Exits From Earlier in the Year
Pedro Pascal's Joel Miller was killed off The Last of Us in April 2025, impaled in a death that closely mirrored the video game the series is based on. "I get killed a lot," Pascal joked to Entertainment Weekly. "I like to die."
Peter Krause's Bobby Nash, captain of the Los Angeles Fire Department on 9-1-1, also died that same month. "Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this," Krause said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Showrunner Tim Minear told Variety the decision came after eight years on air: "If we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone's got to die."
Paige DeSorbo left Summer House after seven seasons in June 2025, writing on Instagram that it was "time for this chapter to close." Fellow Summer House castmates Amanda Batula and West Wilson also exited amid the fallout from their affair. Camille Razat confirmed in April 2025 she would not return to Emily in Paris for its fifth season, and Reneé Rapp left The Sex Lives of College Girls, with co-creator Mindy Kaling calling it "so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray."
Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 he would not return to finish Yellowstone's fifth and final season after four and a half seasons on the Paramount drama. And Ellen Pompeo scrubbed out as a series regular on Grey's Anatomy in February 2023 after 19 years as Meredith Grey, telling The Drew Barrymore Show she needed "to do something new," though she still returns for guest appearances and continues to narrate the series.
The 2026 Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC.
