10 TV Stars Who Controversially Left Their Hit Shows

7. Shelley Long - Cheers

Shelley Long is pretty much the poster child for leaving a show at its peak and having your career never recover from it. She was one of the original stars of Cheers, where she played Diane Chambers, a highly educated, massively overqualified waitress and love interest of Ted Danson. Long received a tremendous amount of acclaim for her performance, winning several Emmys during her time on the show. But after five seasons, amid major controversy, she left. The unofficial word on the matter is that there was tension on the set, particularly between her and co-star Danson (although both insist that they got along well and any conflict was strictly down to differences in working styles). Long also cited a desire to spend time with her newborn daughter as a major factor in her decision to quit the show, which seems reasonable. But she also must have been convinced that she would face no shortage of film opportunities once she left, which was unfortunately not the case. Her career never again reached the heights of her widely popular tenure on Cheers, and has served as a cautionary tale for actors everywhere.