[PJ-Comix]

Moral of the story: If you are in showbiz, STICK with your successful gig.

[freedomrings69]

Suzanne Sommers leaving Three’s Company and Farrah Fawcett leaving Charlie’s Angels. The shows did fine but the actresses languished.

[freedomrings69]

Suzanne Sommers leaving Three’s Company and Farrah Fawcett leaving Charlie’s Angels. The shows did fine but the actresses languished.

[smalltownslick]

Mary Wells leaving Motown at the height of her success.

[chuckee]

Arnold Schwarznegger. From Terminator to Governor of a terminally ill state

[TADSLOS]

Burt Reynolds, turning down the Star Wars part of Han Solo offered by George Lucas comes to mind.

[trebb]

Wasn’t it Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Tool Time that also took bad advice from his agent/handlers and promptly disappeared into obscurity?

[Vision]

Regardless, McLean Stevenson's TV work on MASH is among the best every done, or that ever will be. The world needs more Henry Blakes.

[Yaelle]

McLean Stevenson was a good next door neighbor though.

I think the two best examples are the old guy from Alf (who shares his trembling voice with Sen Lieberman) and the guy who played Steve on Blues Clues. Both were sick of playing second fiddle to a fake puppet.

At least they made tons of money playing second fiddle to a puppet...

[Ronald_Magnus]

Made only one James Bond film, but could have continued on but I believe his contract demands were to high.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Nah, I remember that McLean Stevenson was brilliant in the show "Condo". :)

[Chipper]

Gary Burghoff leaving MASH.
William Peterson and Jorja Fox CSI

[Jack Deth]

Following the Rob Morrow theme:

David Krumholtz: Lost his gig as Morrow’s Brainiac brother, Charley and hasn’t done much of note since.

Self Induced exile due to swelled ego:

Sasha Alexander: Thought NCIS was all about her. Left after three seasons. Is just starting to come back as Dr. Maura Isles in TNT’s ‘Rizzoli & Isles’.

Genevieve Bujold: Was originally cast as Captain Janeway in ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, but couldn’t handle the twelve to 16 hour shooting days. The role went to Kate Mulgrew.

[isom35]

Quinto might quit Spock after the 2nd Star Trek movie.

[Poison Pill]

There is no such thing as “The Mclean Stevenson Effect”. The truth is he wasn’t a very good actor. So, his show didn’t do well. Every great actor has made his share of bad decisions. IIRC, The Mclean Stevenson Show had roughly the same premise as Frasier. But Kelsey Grammer can act.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Good actors are a dime a dozen. Luck explains most of their success.

The real lightening in a bottle is a successful series/movie.

The actor needs to realize they are very fortunate to be part of that; and the lightening in a bottle is not the actor, but the series/movie.

[Road Glide]

“Who else made poor showbiz career decisions to become victims of the “McLean Stevenson Effect.”?”

Michael Parks — “Then Came Bronson” was a critical and popular hit, and he decided to leave after a couple of seasons because he believed he would forever be “trapped in that persona” for the rest of his career.

So he left and we never saw much of him again….

[autumnraine]

The Ropers from Three’s Company.

[rfreedom4u]

Hello Larry was a pretty good show.

[Beowulf9]

Linda Hamilton, in Beauty and the Beast, after the Terminator, then...? When she left the show it tried to go on without her but couldn't. Still miss that show.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Of course look at all the success stories, Steve McQueen (The Bounty Hunter), James Garner (Maverick), Sally Field (The Flying Nun), Burt Reynolds (Riverboat and Gunsmoke0, Clint Eastwood (Rawhide), Pierce Brosnan (Remington Steele), Richard Boone (Have Gun Will Travel)