10 Actors Who Left Hit TV Shows And Then Came Back

The dance between a successful television show and an even more successful actor is a tale as old as time. As the show grows more popular, it inevitably generates breakout stars. Those stars then begin to accept roles in other shows or films and begin to think that maybe they don't need the show after all, so they leave.

Then, either the show falls apart and begs the star to return, or the star's career turns out to not be so hot and they come slinking back for some extra cash. The recently confirmed news of Jon Bernthal returning to The Walking Dead for an episode is a clear case of the former. The news that Andrew Lincoln plans to depart soon? That could lead to a clear case of the latter.

So with that in mind, let's take a look at the most infamous cases of an actor leaving and subsequently returning to a series in television history. Because writing a character out of a narrative is easy, but writing someone back in to a narrative is a whole other story

Oh, Steve, your hair was always so cool.

Scott Weinger first appeared as Steve, DJ's on-again-off-again love interest on Full House, in 1991. Though he was introduced late in the series (season five of an eight-season run), the character quickly became a fan favorite. He was goofy and lovable, in a way that idiotic sitcom characters of the nineties rarely were, all of which was solely because of Weinger's performance.

However, after two full seasons of dating, Steve and DJ broke up at the end of the seventh season. But despite his success and Aladdin-related fame, it wasn't money or a big ego that lead to Weinger's departure. It was because he was accepted into Harvard University.

Considering his studies lasted all the way up until 1998, even when he did return to Full House for the finale, it was for no more than a brief cameo. His proper return was saved for the Netflix revival, Fuller House. Weinger has appeared in nearly every episode thus far and shows no signs of stopping.