10 Worst Ways TV Characters Were Written Out
5. Chef - South Park
A mainstay of South Park’s first nine seasons, Chef was one of the few characters not voiced by the core acting crew. Performed by the inimitable Isaac Hayes, the friendly cafeteria worker was often the sole adult voice of reason in the titular town, and dished out useful, if inadvertently sexually charged, advice to the kids.
It was surprising, then, to see him written out of the show in such strange circumstances. To wit: after several episodes’ absence, Chef returned, having left Park County to join the Super Adventure Club. This turns out to be a paedophile ring, and while Chef ends up regretting his choices, he ultimately dies, never to return.
The commonly held belief was that Hayes, a Scientologist, quit the show after an episode bashing his faith. Co-creator Matt Stone was less than happy with this, pointing out that Hayes had never objected over episodes mocking other faiths.
The truth, however, seems sadder still. Hayes, who died just two years after Chef, was in poor health at the time, and per his son the decision to leave was made by his entourage. A sorry ending for a character (and actor) so important to a show.