Why did Josh Charles leave the Good Wife? Popular American actor Josh Charles rose to fame after playing the role of Dan Rydell on Sports Night and then playing Will Gardner in The Good Wife. Charles later reprised his role as Blake in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise in 2016’s Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later.
He also had a recurring role on Law and Order: True Crime. The actor also made a small guest appearance in the hit Netflix series, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Josh Charles starred in the HBO limited series, We Own This City, in 2022. Josh Charles is all set to star in the limited series “The Veil, alongside fellow actors including Dali Benssalah, and Yumna Marwan. Let us find out why did Josh Charles leave the Good Wife.
Why Did Josh Charles Leave The Good Wife?
Josh Charles left The Good Wife as his contract expired at the end of the show’s fourth season, and seemingly his decision of whether or not to renew his contract kind of coincided with him proposing to his wife and also him indulging in some soul-searching about his future. The actor further admitted that it was a very long season doing a network television show, and somewhere in the fourth year, he kind of felt burnt out.
The actor also clarified that his leaving is no reflection on how he feels about the show and is more about what he wants to do in his life. The actor also praised the makers while saying how much he has learned while working with Robert and Michelle about storytelling and the quality and depth of the writing while admitting that he has afraid to go out into the world.
It was further revealed that fellow co-star Julianna Margulies even went ahead and negotiated Josh Charles’ contract while saying how the actor has been such an integral part of the show, such an integral part of her character, and she felt like if this is going to happen, it should be done in the right way.
Also read: Why Did They Kill Off Will Gardner in The Good Wife? Answered
What Happened To Josh Charles?
Josh Charles’ character in The Good Wife was eventually killed off. His onscreen character, Will Gardner was killed in season 5, as he was seen getting shot by a client in the courtroom. Fans were a bit disappointed given how Alicia’s undeniable chemistry with Will Gardner and how he eventually falls in love with Alicia, but sadly, their blooming romance only lasts for most of season 3. Charles’ role earned him not one but two Emmy nominations and went on to help the show to win its own Emmy nomination.
Congrats to my Good Wife family on an amazing run. I'm proud to have been a part of it & wish the entire crew all the best down the stretch!
— Josh Charles (@MrJoshCharles) February 8, 2016
Charles stated that although he enjoyed the experience, he was ready for the next chapter in his life, both creatively and personally. Co- star Julianna Magulies admitted that she cried when she got to know about his departure, and she even called the producers and tried to convince them to keep Charles for about half of next year.
Josh Charles Opens Up About His Exit
The actor himself later addressed his exit from the drama series, revealing that they all were aware of this for a while calling the role one of the greatest gigs for him in his entire career, but at the end of last year, his contract was up, and he was just ready to kind of move on.
Charles, however, admitted that it was kind of difficult for him to leave a steady job, but thought that it was great for the show, and also he believes it was a proper goodbye to the character as it was special. Charles and the rest of the cast members had to be tight-lipped about his pending departure for about a year. Charles, however, revealed the actor told a couple of family members who he knew could keep a secret.
