10 Actors Who Begged For Their TV Characters To Die

10. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Lost

Why He Wanted To Die

Though Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje made a name for himself as the vicious Simon Adebisi on HBO's prison drama Oz, he truly joined the big leagues when he took the role of Lost's Mr. Eko, a survivor from the tail section of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 who shows up early in the second season.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje initially had to be convinced to take the role by creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, but after working on the show for a year, the actor decided he wanted to move back to London, citing discomfort living in Hawaii alongside the recent deaths of his parents.

Lindelof and Cuse were naturally disappointed with his request to be killed off, but put their heads together to find a way for him to make an exit early in Lost's third season.

How It Happened

Eko ends up violently assaulted by the black smoke monster and expires from his injuries shortly thereafter.

Fans were mightily disappointed that such a compelling character was killed off so abruptly, but clearly, this was entirely for Akinnuoye-Agbaje's sake.

Lindelof later explained that Eko would originally have a major arc throughout the series, challenging John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) for "spiritual leadership" of the survivors.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje did later express enthusiasm for a return in the show's sixth season but was turned down, and though he was originally set to re-appear in the series finale, it sadly never came to pass due to a salary dispute. Boo.