It’s Pretty Clear Why Blue Bloods Rejected This Actor
Amy Carlson’s departure from “Blue Bloods” stemmed from her decision not to renew her contract after Season 7, leading to the abrupt and controversial exit of her character, Linda Reagan. Carlson’s personal choice left the writers with the challenge of wrapping up Linda’s storyline, resulting in her character’s off-screen death in a helicopter crash between seasons.
This decision left fans without closure and sparked controversy due to the lack of a proper send-off for Linda, with her demise merely mentioned in passing on the show. Carlson expressed regret over the rushed and cold nature of Linda’s departure, indicating a desire for a more satisfying resolution in the future.
Why These Actors Left Blue Bloods
Headlined by ’80s TV star Tom Selleck, “Blue Bloods” has become one of the most beloved police shows on television. The series focuses on Selleck’s Frank Reagan and his family of New York City law enforcers, who do what they can to bring justice to the Big Apple. The series has managed to keep its core cast — including Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Lou Cariou — in place, but, with a run that’s lasted well over a decade, the CBS show has had its share of actors come and go.
From recurring characters to series regulars, some big stars have left “Blue Bloods” since it premiered in 2010. Each one has their own unique reason for leaving the series, be it their own choice or not. Some wanted out so they could pursue different roles, others were fired in controversial circumstances, and at least one left the acting game altogether. So, take a seat at the Reagan family dinner table and get comfortable as we discuss the reasons that these actors left “Blue Bloods.”
Jennifer Esposito
One of the first major cast members to leave “Blue Bloods” was Jennifer Esposito, who played Detective Jackie Curatola in the show’s first three seasons. Esposito’s presence in the series was also notable as the only minority actor in the main cast, which made it all the more shocking when she was written out of the show after Season 3 in a story that saw Curatola taking early retirement due to burn-out. “CBS got rid of the only minority cast member so they can have an ALL WHITE CAST like CSI,” the actor said on X, formerly Twitter (via Deadline).
According to Esposito, her dismissal was the result of requesting a reduced schedule when doctors advised her to lessen her workload after diagnosing her with Celiac disease. Producers apparently refused Esposito’s request for less work and she wound up collapsing on the set in an incident that was reportedly seen by the entire cast and crew. After a week off, she returned to work and discovered to her shock that she’d been put on forced leave from the show. She was fired outright not long after.
What’s worse is that producers didn’t even believe her story of having a chronic medical condition, according to Esposito. They believed that the entire ordeal was an attempt to get a raise, Esposito said. Thankfully, both the actor and producers were able to move on from the ugly incident — Esposito returned to “Blue Bloods” in a guest starring role in Season 13.
Marlene Lawston
Even long-time fans of “Blue Bloods” may not remember the name Marlene Lawston, despite the fact that she was part of the show’s main cast right at the start. That’s because Lawston — who was just 12 years old when she played the role of Nicky Reagan in the pilot — only lasted a single episode. Nicky was introduced as the daughter of Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan). She didn’t have much to do in her one and only appearance in the series, and was then replaced by Sami Gayle (but more on Gayle later).
At the time of her debut on “Blue Bloods,” Lawston had shown up on episodes of “Law & Order” and “Blues Clues,” as well as in the Jodie Foster thriller “Flightplan.” Her role as Nicky could have been a stepping stone to a greater career, but she hasn’t done any acting since. Instead of continuing in Hollywood, Lawston left acting to pursue her education, attending Colgate University and the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine & Dentistry. In 2022, she began a stint at the University of Oxford as a National Institute of Health scholar, where she also studies as a Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience.
James Lesure
James Lesure joined “Blue Bloods” in Season 5 as Alex McBride, a District Attorney Investigator who quickly became a close ally to Erin Reagan. He showed up in a total of seven episodes across Season 5 and Season 6, and even seemed poised to become a bigger character on the series. But those seven episodes would be all she wrote for McBride, who hasn’t been seen in the years since. Fans were left scratching their heads over the lack of explanation for McBride’s sudden absence.
As for Lesure, it’s possible that scheduling conflicts got in the way of his role on “Blue Bloods.” Just six months after his final episodes on the CBS cop drama, he was enlisted to join the main cast of the ABC family comedy “Uncle Buck.” Adapted from the 1990 movie starring John Candy, the show starred Mike Epps as irresponsible uncle Buck Russell, while Lesure took the role of his brother Will. Unfortunately for Lesure, “Uncle Buck” never really took off, lasting just one season and eight episodes. Sadly, he has yet to return to “Blue Bloods” even in a guest-starring role.
Sami Gayle
When “Blue Bloods” writes out a character, it’s often surprisingly anticlimactic, with officers retiring or taking on new assignments and younger cast members going off to school. This was not the case when the show gave the heave-ho to Linda Reagan, the wife of Danny. Played by Amy Carlson, Linda had been a mainstay of the series from the beginning, but she was absent when the show returned for its eighth season. Fans were in for a shock in the Season 8 premiere when they learned that Linda had been killed off-screen, dying in a helicopter accident later revealed to be a targeted hit by mobsters.
