Sami Gayle Was NEVER Allowed Back On Blue Bloods After This
When Sami Gayle left “Blue Bloods,” she completely disrupted the beloved Reagan family dynamic. But at least she had a great reason! Technically, “Blue Bloods” is an ensemble cast, but no one would really blame you for loving Tom Selleck’s character above all else. As the Reagan family patriarch, his character was basically set up to influence every main character. That doesn’t mean that his onscreen kids don’t pull their weight, and Gayle certainly does in the role of Selleck’s spitfire daughter, Nicky Reagan-Boyle.
Blue Bloods has seen a handful of its biggest stars make their exits, including Frank Reagan’s granddaughter Nicky.
Blue Bloods revolves around the professional and personal lives of the Reagan family, but why did actress Sami Gayle, who is behind Nicky Reagan, leave the show?
Like much of the main cast, Gayle started on the show in 2010, with 2020 marking her 10th consecutive season. If she’d followed the path so many actors who came before her have taken, she probably could’ve used her time on the show to negotiate a more favorable contract, guaranteeing more screen time, pay, and other perks. However, given that Gayle’s rarely appeared on the show over the past few years, she obviously wasn’t interested in contributing in a greater capacity. Of course, Gayle is far from the only “Blue Bloods” actor who didn’t survive into 2023 — at least as a main character. According to Cinema Blend, the CBS drama has lost Amy Carlson, David Ramsey, Jennifer Esposito, and Nick Turturro. But here’s why Gayle left.
When Blue Bloods first started in 2010, Nicky Reagan was played by youngster Marlene Lawston for just the pilot episode before her character left to pursue her education.
Actress Sami Gayle, who was a few years older than Lawston, was shortly brought in to take on the role of Nicky.
She remained a recurring character in the first year with Gayle given the “also starring” credit for the next three.
It wasn’t until season five that Gayle’s Nicky was promoted to join the main cast of Blue Bloods.
Sami Gayle May Have Prioritized School
Why did Sami Gayle leave Blue Bloods as Nicky Reagan?
After season 10 Gayle became more of a regular again, returning as a guest star but was completely absent from season 13.
Her character Nicky went off to attend Columbia University which mirrored Gayle’s life as she was also getting her degree at the same university.
Gayle will be graduating in the next couple of years so it is possible she may make a comeback as Nicky.
Her character previously expressed her desire to become the first female Reagan police officer which could be a nice way of bringing her back into the fold.
Yeah, it totally sounds like Gayle was on the brink of burnout and had to cast something to the wayside. Fortunately, Gayle had already devoted 10 years of her life to the show before taking her break, giving fans more than enough reruns to enjoy. That same year, Gayle sat down with CBS New York to speak about “Blue Bloods” and what it’s like looking back. “My whole life has been cataloged, like half of it,” she said. “There’s been a lot of changes. My hair has changed. My voice has changed a little bit. It’s been really a whirlwind to watch it unfold.”
Sami Gayle Has Gotten Back Into The Swing Of Things
The 27-year-old has dipped her toe back into the acting water though as earlier this year, she appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella on Broadway.
She has also previously featured in The Congress, Vampire Academy, Noah and Candy Jar.
Gayle even had an uncredited role as a performer in Blue Bloods back in 2012 for the song I Don’t Need Anything But You, according to her IMDb page.
For now though, fans are going to have to wait a little while longer for the entire Reagan family, let alone Nicky.
Sami Gayle returning to “Blue Bloods” as a main cast member is probably an unlikely outcome, but she did appear in the show’s Season 14 finale, and it seems as if she’s warmed up to having a hectic schedule. On May 19, Gayle seemed super excited to be back on the show. “The first face I made when I got back to Nicky Reagan!” posted Gayle to Instagram. She also gushed about being able to film a television show while appearing on Broadway. “It was always my dream to shoot TV/film during the day and to perform on Broadway at night,” she continued. “This dream came true just a few days after the opening of @badcinderellabway when I got to simultaneously film the season finale of @bluebloods_cbs!”
And although it’s unclear if her “Blue Blood” and “Bad Cinderalla” audiences will be interested in doubling up on her projects, Gayle’s certainly been enjoying her new role regardless. Over the past few months, she’s posted several behind-the-scenes snapshots of her Broadway return, which comes 15 years after her last Broadway appearance in “Gypsy,” according to Playbill. Naturally, the close of the show demanded a super sentimental post. “Endlessly grateful for every human who made my return back to Broadway possible, and for every person on this beautiful experience whose contributions make it so inexpressibly special,” wrote Gayle on Instagram. “This production has been a PURE JOY to work on.”
