4 Actors Who HATED Working On Stargate
2. Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson took over the role of Dr. Elizabeth Weir from Jessica Stein, who had originated the role in the Stargate SG-1 episodes 'Lost City parts 1 and 2'. Weir brought the character over to Stargate Atlantis, where she played the head of the expedition for the majority of the first three seasons and into the fourth. However, she then left the show.
There are a combination of factors but, surprisingly, it seems as though she 'accidentally' became a lead, rather than the producers intending that for that to be the case. The first season of Atlantis saw Rodney McKay rise quickly as a standout character, although his 'beloved' status would be a bit slower coming! John Sheppard was the leader of the military expedition, so both of these roles overtook Weir's.
The second season saw Ronon Dexx join the roster, again relegating Weir's scenes down. That left Higginson in the unenviable position of something of a former lead. This would only continue throughout the rest of her tenure.
In the end, she chose to make the jump. Her character was written out, although the door was left open for her return. In fact, the closing scene of 'Be All My Sins Remembered' features a Replicator-Weir sitting in the centre seat of an Asuran Battleship, ready to 'get to work.'
That was the audience's last view of her, as when the character returned, she was played by a different actor. Although these days Higginson seems more than happy to discuss her time on the show, the details of her issues were kept under wraps for several years.