TV producers have all different kinds of reasons for writing characters out of shows. If the actor who plays a character dies in real life, for example, that’s usually a guarantee they won’t be making a comeback. Public controversies have certainly led to storylines ending abruptly over the years as well. But then we have rare instances where actors upset the people behind the scenes so much that their characters wind up being killed off in unforgettable, hilarious ways, as was the case with…
3. EDDIE LEBEC
We’re first introduced to Eddie LeBec (as played by Jay Thomas) in Season 5 of Cheers. The retired hockey player eventually marries Carla (Rhea Perlman) before it’s revealed that he was killed in a Zamboni accident in the 1989 episode “Death Takes a Holiday on Ice.” Carla later finds out at the funeral that she wasn’t the only Mrs. LeBec in his life when she comes face to face with his other grieving widow. The reason for this brutal ending was because Thomas made a nasty remark on his radio show about how brutal it was to have to kiss Perlman; she happened to be listening to the broadcast at the time.
2. MAUDE FLANDERS
Ned Flanders’s wife, Maude (who was originally voiced by Maggie Roswell), made numerous appearances on The Simpsons leading up to her untimely death in 2000’s “Alone Again, Natura-Diddly.” Roswell reportedly kicked up a fuss over her salary and was offered a $150 raise. She decided to quit instead, and Maude was subsequently killed by a T-shirt cannon while watching a NASCAR event. Roswell returned to the show years later and has remained with them ever since.
1. SUSAN ROSS
In the Season 7 Seinfeld finale “The Invitations,” George’s fiancée, Susan (Heidi Swedberg), dies after licking too much toxic envelope adhesive. On more than one occasion, Jason Alexander has talked about how difficult it was for him to work with Swedberg. Despite thinking highly of her as a person, Alexander never felt that they clicked on-screen. His complaints fell on deaf ears until Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus had to do scenes with her. Dreyfus jokingly said, “Don’t you wanna just kill her?” and the rest is history.
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