Originally appeared on E! Online
Grab the tissues, NCIS fans.
Though the long-running CBS crime drama has seen no shortage of changes over the years, including during its milestone 500th episode, more cast movement may be on the way in season 24. At least, according to star Wilmer Valderrama.
“Look, every couple of years, you guys know NCIS has to make sure you’re watching,” the actor—who has portrayed Special Agent Nick Torres on the procedural since season 14—told People in an interview published June 2. “So, we shake up the TV a little bit and we listen. And we listen to where you as fans want to see us do. So, we always really pay attention to what our fans want to really experience on the show.”
And after season 23 saw Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll) killed off after 18 years on the series, no character is safe from a jaw-dropping exit.
“If you ask me to speculate, I think there’s a major, major shakeup happening,” the That ’70s Show alum continued. “I don’t want to get in trouble for this one. Let me get in trouble. How about this? Next season, there’s some major changes and there are some major additions. What does that mean for Torres? I can only hope that he makes it out alive.”
Indeed, his character’s fate has been up in the year since the season 23 finale, when he and Mateo McGee (Patrick Keleher)—the son of Torres’ longtime colleague Timothy McGee’s (Sean Murray)—were shot at in an alley. And he warned fans that one of them definitely takes a bullet or two.
“To be honest, I don’t think we figured that one out yet,” the 46-year-old teased. “I don’t think we have an idea yet. I asked, ‘What do we want from it,’ but I will tell you that someone does get hit and people might not like it.”
Indeed, his character’s fate has been up in the year since the season 23 finale, when he and Mateo McGee (Patrick Keleher)—the son of Torres’ longtime colleague Timothy McGee’s (Sean Murray)—were shot at in an alley. And he warned fans that one of them definitely takes a bullet or two.
“To be honest, I don’t think we figured that one out yet,” the 46-year-old teased. “I don’t think we have an idea yet. I asked, ‘What do we want from it,’ but I will tell you that someone does get hit and people might not like it.”
Fans will have to wait to find out the fates of Torres, McGee—not to mention the rest of the team Alden Parker (Gary Cole), Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). But if any cast members need advice on how to expertly handle saying goodbye to the show, look no further than Carroll.
“For selfish reasons, I have to remind people: I’ve been a character on this series for 18 years,” he told Variety in an interview published March 24. “Most Hollywood careers don’t last 18 years. So, to be able to play one character on one of the most popular shows in the world for 18 seasons, that’s the equivalent of living to be 105.”
NCIS returns for season 24 this fall on CBS.
In the meantime, keep reading to see more TV stars who shocked fans by leaving their hit shows.
Bridget Regan, The Rookie
The Rookie‘s corrupt lawyer Monica Stevens was no novice when it came to escaping death. “She’s escaped multiple assassinations,” actress Bridget Regan recounted to TV Insider of her character’s four-season journey, “and prison time and being thrown in a woodchipper.”
So when the attorney met her end on an April 2026 episode, “I wasn’t surprised,” Regan noted. “I thought, ‘Fair enough.’ She’s had an amazing run, four years on this show. I’m only filled with gratitude.”
Whitney Leavitt, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
After making her big break on Dancing With the Stars and landing a starring role in Chicago and Broadway, the Utah native announced season five of the hit Hulu reality show will be her last as she’s moving on to other professional projects.
Supriya Ganesh, The Pitt
Dr. Samira Mohan is checking out of The Pitt. Actress Supriya Ganesh will not be returning for season three of the HBO Max drama, Variety reported in April.
The exit isn’t so shocking to fans given that Ganesh’s character has been planning to take on a new residency program at another medical center.
Rocky Carroll, NCIS
The crime procedural said goodbye to Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll) in a March 2026 episode, 18 years after the leader’s debut in season five. During the 500th episode, Vance was killed in a shooting with a corrupt agent and welcomed to heaven by late Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard (played by Adam Campbell).
Mehcad Brooks, Law & Order
Mehcad Brooks shocked fans in 2025 when it was revealed he was leaving the NBC crime drama ahead of season 25.
Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.
Kim Raver & Kevin McKidd, Grey’s Anatomy
Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver, who have played Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. Teddy Altman respectively for nearly 20 years, shocked fans with news that they are leaving the medical drama, with their final episode being the season 22 finale May 7, 2026.
Jenna Lyons, The Real Housewives of New York City
Jenna Lyons announced she will not be returning for The Real Housewives of New York City‘s 16th season.
“The rumors …..Are true,” the former J. Crew Creative Director wrote on Instagram Nov. 21. “I was grateful to be asked to join season 16 of RHONY ‘as a friend of ‘- knowing my personal life was not really available to be filmed, we agreed that made sense.”
The fashion icon—who joined the Bravo series for season 14 in 2022—explained that she later realized being a supporting castmember wasn’t for her.
“And after thinking it through I have made the difficult decision not return to the show,” she continued. “I would be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show and feel like this is an opportunity for a new dynamic to emerge.
Chrishell Stause, Selling Sunset
After nine seasons, the A-list realtor is done selling mega-mansions on the Netflix reality show.
“I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t need the show financially,” Chrishell announed in November via social media. “I’m lucky to have other forms of employment, because it’s no longer good for my mental health.”
Jax Taylor, The Valley
Jax Taylor announced he will not be returning to The Valley for season three amid growing concern from fans about his behavior during the show’s second season.
“Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting,” the Bravo star—who is embroiled in a nasty divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright—shared in July 2025. “Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself—especially for our son, Cruz.”
Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim & Devon Walker, Saturday Night Live
The Saturday Night Live stars all announced within days of each other that they would not be returning for the sketch comedy series’ 51st season.
Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.
Heidi Gardner & Ego Nwodim, Saturday Night Live
Weeks after Longfellow, Walker and Wakim left SNL, longtime fan-favorites Gardner and Nwodim also confirmed they would not be returning for season 51 after eight and seven seasons, respectively.
Sofia Mattsson, General Hospital
Sofia Mattsson exited the long-running soap opera in summer 2025 after seven years playing Sasha Gilmore. Her character left Port Charles for Paris.
Tracy Ifeachor, The Pitt
The Pitt star Tracy Ifeachor walked away from the hit HBO Max series after the medical drama’s breakout first season.
“It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece,” the actress posted on Instagram July 10. “Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me.”
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
While fans maybe should have been aware that the days were numbered for Pedro Pascal‘s Joel Miller, considering his April 2025 death was quite similar to how it unfolded in The Last of Us Part II, the 2020 video game season two of The Last of Us is based on, the moment his character was brutally impaled still stunned.
Pascal, meanwhile, who also died onscreen in Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, took his game over status in stride. “I get killed a lot,” he joked to Entertainment Weekly. “I like to die.”
Peter Krause, 9-1-1
After what he dubbed “one wild adventure,” Peter Krause officially extinguished his role as 9-1-1‘s Los Angeles Fire Department captain Bobby Nash on an April 2025 episode of the procedural drama.
“Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this,” Krause wrote in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them.”
Killing off the somewhat tormented, but beloved, firefighter was certainly a hot topic, showrunner Tim Minear acknowledged to Variety, “but after eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone’s got to die.”
Paige DeSorbo, Summer House
Summer just got a little less fun.
Paige DeSorbo announced in June 2025 that she was walking away from the Bravo series after seven seasons.
“You’ve seen me grow up over these last 7 summers. I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the community, and the opportunities this wild ride has brought me,” the Giggly Squad podcast cohost shared with fans on Instagram. “But like all good things (and some bad decisions), it’s time for this chapter to close.”
Camille Razat, Emily in Paris
The French actress confirmed she would not return for the hit Netflix series’ fifth season in April 2025.
“After an incredible journey, I’ve made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris,” she wrote in an April 23 Instagram post, alongside pictures of her and her former castmates on set. “It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable memories.”
Reneé Rapp, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Ahead of The Sex Lives of College Girls‘ third season, Reneé Rapp announced she would be leaving the Max series.
“College Girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people,” she wrote on social media in July 2023. “2 and a half years later—it’s given me y’all and this community.”
The show’s co-creator Mindy Kaling also confirmed Rapp’s exit. “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray!” Kaling wrote on her Instagram Stories before referencing Rapp’s thriving music career. “We can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
Kevin Costner, Yellowstone
More than a year after Kevin Costner was rumored to have unexpectedly walked away from the hit Paramount drama after four and a half seasons, he confirmed in June 2024 that he will not return to finish out the series’ fifth and final season.
Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy
After 19 years as Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo scrubbed in for the last time as a series regular on the ABC drama in February 2023.
“I gotta mix it up a little bit,” Pompeo explained on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, though she has already returned for a May guest appearance and continues narrating the series. “I’m 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs. I gotta do something new. You can’t do The New York Times crossword puzzle every single day.”
But she’s not gone for good. Pompeo still pops in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Henry Cavill, The Witcher
Batman vs. Superman star Henry Cavill revealed he would be stepping away from the Netflix fantasy drama after its third season—with the announcement that Liam Hemsworth will assume the role of Geralt for season four, and potentially beyond.
“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures,” Cavill wrote on Instagram in October 2022. “Alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4.”
Jesse Lee Soffer, Chicago P.D.
Original castmember Jesse Lee Soffer turned in his badge in 2022, saying goodbye to his beloved character Detective Jay Halstead role after 10 seasons.
“To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show,” Soffer said in a statement after his final appearance in the NBC procedural’s Oct. 5 episode. “I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
Damian Lewis, Billions
After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.
Emily VanCamp, The Resident
In Aug. 2021, it was reported that Emily VanCamp hung up her stethoscope for good as she had exited Fox’s The Resident.
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