Sudden TV Character Exits We Didn’t See Coming

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16. Ryan Hurst – Sons of Anarchy

Ryan Hurst’s character on Sons of Anarchy, Harry “Opie” Winston, was a fan favorite. When his character was written off, fans weren’t the only ones left bitterly disappointed – Hurst was too! “I couldn’t stop crying. I tried to talk him out of it,” he told Entertainment Weekly, referring to the show’s creator Kurt Sutter . “I went through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief. He wasn’t sure of the particulars yet, just that it was gonna be bloody and gonna be noble…I didn’t see the way that it served the story. But then again, it’s not necessarily my position to comment on that. It’s Kurt’s show that he created, and whether it’s the right decision or the wrong decision, remains to be seen.” During the table read for the episode when Opie dies, the entire cast got quite emotional. “We finished reading the script and basically sat crying in silence for about 45 minutes afterwards. None of us could go back to work. It was such a profound thing,” Hurst said.

Prashant Gupta / © FX / Courtesy: Everett Collection