While it has been over 20 years since McLeod’s Daughters premiered, many people still enjoy rewatching the series. The beloved Australian horse-related TV show followed the estranged McLeod sisters as they ran the family ranch upon their father’s death.
Throughout the series, there were several major deaths and departures of important characters. This has many fans wondering, why did so many actors leave McLeod’s Daughters?
While some characters were written out of the storyline for plot purposes, some actors chose to leave the show on their own. Here is a look at why so many actors left McLeod’s Daughters.
Why Did So Many Actors Leave McLeod’s Daughters?
As the seasons went on, we saw many major characters leave the show. Some characters had tragic deaths while others simply left and never came back.
There are many reasons why different actors left. Some decided to leave the show on their own choice while others were written out by the show’s creators for creative reasons.
Most McLeod’s Daughters actors left the show for personal reasons such as pursuing other acting roles, changing careers, or focusing on their families. In some cases, there was disagreement over what direction the show was headed in.
To Pursue Other Acting Roles
Some of the actors left as they wanted to grow their acting careers outside of McLeod’s Daughters and pursue other roles. For example, Rachael Carpani (Jodi Fountain McLeod) and Myles Pollard (Nick Ryan) left the show to pursue acting careers in America.
Others also left to pursue acting roles outside of the series. This also includes Brett Tucker (Dave Brewer) and Dustin Clare (Riley Ward).
Change in Careers
Some stars of the series wanted to take their careers in a different direction. Lisa Chappell (Claire McLeod) left because she needed a change. She went on to have a brief career in music before continuing on in her acting.
“It was a big decision. It took a long time to make, actually. Months and months. But I did. It’s time to move on,” said Chappell in regard to her choice to leave the show.
Dislike at the Direction the Show Was Going In
According to some reports, there were several actors who were unhappy with the direction the show was headed. For example, Aaron Jeffery (Alex Ryan) became exhausted and unhappy with with direction of the show.
“When you’re doing a series day in and day out, it’s a battle to stay creatively present,” said Jeffery.
“I’m not happy with the way the show has evolved either – it had crept into soap territory, and that’s not the sort of meat I like to chew on,” he continued.
Others have suggested that Jessica Napier (Becky Howard), Lisa Chappell (Claire McLeod), Bridie Carter (Tess Silverman McLeod), Myles Pollard (Nick Ryan), Brett Tucker (Drew Brewer), Rachael Carpani (Jodi Fountain McLeod), Dustin Clare (Riley Ward), Michaela Banas (Kate Manfredi) and Aaron Jeffery (Alex Ryan) all wanted to leave at one point.
These feelings mainly stemmed from the actors feeling the show had run its course or they didn’t like the creative direction it was going in. Others simply felt overwhelmed and exhausted from spending so much time on the show.
Family Matters
As many of the main cast of McLeod’s Daughters were young, some actors took time off or left to start a family. Bridie Carter took a break from the series to have a baby and spend time with her family. With such a long series, not every star was keen on spending so much time away from home.
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