Lowe played Sam Seaborn from 1999 to 2003. After other cast members received raises and he did not, Lowe decided to leave the show . (Valerie Macon / Getty Images)
After demanding (and being refused) a hefty raise for her role as Chrissy Snow, Somers sued ABC before moving on to become the spokesperson for the Thighmaster. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)
Despite “M*A*S*H’s” success, Stevenson left the show during its third season. (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images)
After a successful run on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” as Catherine Willows, Helgenberger left the show to return to the stage. (Angela Weiss / Getty Images)
Michael J. Fox left ‘Spin City’ after announcing that he had Parkinson’s disease. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe)
Clooney’s breakthrough role as Dr. Doug Ross on “ER” earned him two Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations. He left the show after finding success with his film career. (THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP/Getty Images)
Long played Diane Chambers for five seasons. (Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images)
Heigl won a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Izzy Stevens. After he movie career advanced, Heigl left “Grey’s Anatomy.” (John Parra / WireImage)
David Caruso won a Golden Globe Award for his role as Detective John Kelly and then caused a stir when he left the show the following year. (CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images)
After a tumultuous run as Brenda on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ Doherty came back to the silver screen with the Aaron Spelling produced “Charmed.” She left the show after just three seasons. (Angela Weiss / Getty Images)
