10 TV Shows That Killed Off Unhappy Actors

Cheers is a television landmark. A fantastic sit-com, featuring some truly unforgettable characters, such as Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli and Woody Boyd, Cheers helped shape television in the 80s and 90s, and remains to date one of the most beloved and imitated shows on TV. But, like the others on this list, there were issues behind the scenes which threatened to harm the show's image and popularity.

The late Jay Thomas appeared in only nine episodes during his run on Cheers, but his character was a major plot point throughout his tenure. He played Eddie LeBec, a hockey player who enters a relationship with Rhea Perlman's Carla. She gets pregnant and they get married. LeBec was a relatively solid character with a good arc despite his low episode count, but Thomas himself was much less happy with the role.

On his radio station one day, he was asked by a caller what it was like playing Eddie, and Thomas said it was "brutal" because he had to kiss Rhea Perlman. Perlman and the writers heard this and Jay Thomas' fate was sealed. Despite appearing in Seasons Five, Six and Seven, he didn't return to Season Eight and Eddie LeBec was killed off-screen in a Zamboni accident.

At the funeral, it was revealed LeBec was a polygamist who was also married to a woman who looked just like Carla. Although this added a few laughs to proceedings, it was a brutal kick for Thomas and his legacy on the show.

His departure is part of television lore, and Jay Thomas has become a part of TV legend. He went on to have success elsewhere, but it seems as though his name will mostly followed up by the story of what happened to him on Cheers.