What sitcom stars hated or disliked shows they have starred in?

Robert Reed hated the whole Brady Bunch concept

Sally Field on a talk show she called the Fly Nun boring and stupid.

I've read many times that Priscilla Barnes hated her Three's Company experience.
I don't think Shelley Long was happy on the set of Cheers. She may have liked her character but didn't fit in on the set. After all, she left the hit show.
Max Baer didn't like his Jethro role on The Beverly Hillbillies.
Tina Louise thought she'd have a bigger part on Gilligan's Island, and still resents it today.
Lisa Bonet was a handful on Cosby and left.
Julia-Louis Dreyfus was on SNL for one season before Seinfeld came her way. I read in an article that she was very unhappy. SNL is very competitive-- with all the players vying for air time.
Currently, there's Rob Lowe of The West Wing. He's leaving because of a salary dispute and his diminished role.

Fred Gwynne, who played Herman Munster felt his character was too cartoonish, and did not like being recognized in the role.

I have heard that Bea Arthur wanted to leave Golden Girls after Season 5, but couldn't because she was in a contract thru Season 7. I don't think she "hated" or "disliked" it, but I think she just thought it was time.

seems like Nancy McKeon was not happy on The Facts of Life as she refuses to watch the reruns or be in the reuinions, along with Jessica Biel on Seventh Heaven(bad show), probibly more i cant think of

Most of the ones I thought of have already been named. I just don't understand this concept. How can you hate something that really brought you fame? Some of the people that were named would be nobodies without their famous characters. Maybe I'm just slow, but I just don't understand how they could hate it. Even typecasting has it's benefits. Yeah, you might not get a job in Hollywood ever again because of typecasting but you'll always be a household name. Take Adam West for example, you say the name Batman and most people will snap their fingers and say his name. He got typecast, but he's still well known for that one character.

You know what gets me, why do people agree to do these in the first place if they think the shows are som stupid.

BTW- Jay North of Dennis the Menace.
Eve Plumb- The Brady Bunch

Didn't Sally Struthers not want to be a part of All in the Family? I read on the IMDB that she sued to get out of her contract for some reason and then came back.

As an actor, your main goal is to find work. It is pretty scarce. I hate to hear actors who make millions off of TV shows complain about how that show typecasted them or they couldn't ever find work again. Well, such is show business. It's not like a factory job where you work for 30 years. There is no guarantee. You knew that when you signed up!

There are people who struggle to find work as an actor for years and never make it. So, which is worse - enduring popularity and continuing residuals not just from the show but personal appearances as well OR never finding work and reach a point in your life where you have to take any job just to pay the bills?

Originally posted by Brenton
As an actor, your main goal is to find work. It is pretty scarce. I hate to hear actors who make millions off of TV shows complain about how that show typecasted them or they couldn't ever find work again. Well, such is show business. It's not like a factory job where you work for 30 years. There is no guarantee. You knew that when you signed up!

There are people who struggle to find work as an actor for years and never make it. So, which is worse - enduring popularity and continuing residuals not just from the show but personal appearances as well OR never finding work and reach a point in your life where you have to take any job just to pay the bills?

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Stop complaining and be happy that you are a part of Tv History.

My thoughts exactly!

I agree. You know how many people out there would kill to be part of a TV show, good or bad???

Originally posted by dawsongirl
I agree. You know how many people out there would kill to be part of a TV show, good or bad???

People even remember the bad shows. You remember that show that came on a few years ago? Had so and so in it. Oh man, that show was so dumb. See, people have conversations like that. You're a household name even if the show sucked.

Many people don't know this, but one of the reasons to why "Bette" was cancelled, was because Bette was upset and annoyed with her male co-star, and forced him to replaced with another. My father's friend, a customer service worker at CBS Studios said that CBS REALLY cancelled the sitcom because of Bette. Bette wanted to end her contract early, but couldn't. My dad's friend mentioned that it really wasn't the male co-star that was annoying, but it was really Bette, who treated CBS disrespectfully. Ratings started out EXCELLENT, and in the top 20. But then ratings slipped all the way into the 60's and 70's. OUCH!

I read that Bob Sagent (sp?) hated his role on Full House and thought his character was gay.

That's the only one I can think of.

Originally posted by TVAdam
Fred Gwynne, who played Herman Munster felt his character was too cartoonish, and did not like being recognized in the role.

What did he think Herman Munster was? The Hamlet of Frankenstein monsters?!? :rolleyes:

Gary Coleman hates diffrent strokes.
I think the entire Roseanne cast had a tough time putting up with Roseanne. i heard directors of the show saying how they wish they would be fired next or something. She was smart though, not to fire any cast members, she knew it would negatively impact the ratings.

Oh yeah, I think John Stamos hates to be referred to as Jesse. He is really having a tough time distancing himself from Jesse, so I think he hates his FH past.

Esther Rolle quit Good Times because she hated the J.J. character. But she did come back.

Jo Marie Payton from Family Matters left because Urkel was getting too much air time.

Jerry Van Dyke didn't want to be on My Mother the Car, at least at first:

Susan Dey didn't sound like she liked having been on The Partridge Family;

John Amos also left Good Times because of the J. J. character, and never did come back;

Bronson Pinchot didn't want to play Balki at first;

Vivian Vance hated being Ethel Mertz, but I think I read that she reconciled herself with it later in life;

This is going way back, but I heard Cloris Leachman quit the Lassie show because she didn't like playing second fiddle to a dog.

Now as far as Robert Reed's 'hate' for the Brady Bunch Concept, as the original poster mentioned, let me say that:

Robert Reed only hated the slapstick; the CheeseWiz. Now there are several examples of things that Reed didn't much care for, but Mike Brady was always centered on Brady Grid totally. If he wanted out or if he had discouragement about the Brady Life; the No Toilet Bit, the Astroturf, the Odd Architecture, or Cousin Oliver, he never let on to 'The Family' on Roone Arledge's Masterpiece ABC's 69-74 version of Nirvana (no not the group with Kurt Cobain) but Nirvana Perfection in the Grid and its Players.

Amen.

And with all that being said, it must be noted that, yes, Reed hated the show:D:D:D . But Mike Brady never let down, whether through ABC's original showing, or the Syndicated Reruns on TBS, N@N, and such like.

And the Brady Bunch or Brady Grid:

Righteous Man.

Pernell Roberts hated doing Bonanza.

All the rest I can think off, have been mentioned.

What I found the most interesting is Priscilla Barnes not liking her time on Three's Company. I grew up with Three's Company, but wasn't aware of that.

Robert Reed may have hated doing the Brady Bunch, but he did appear in all their reunions.

Originally posted by lurkernomore


Robert Reed may have hated doing the Brady Bunch, but he did appear in all their reunions.

I'm not that big of a BB fan, but I do admire Reed for doing all those reunions. Anybody else would've said to get somebody to replace him in the reunions, but at least he knew how to suck up the bad feelings and do the reunions.

Originally posted by mister bluster
Jerry Van Dyke didn't want to be on My Mother the Car, at least at first:

Right, especially after being offered the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island. He turned it down for My Mother, The Car. It took Jerry Van Dyke over 20 years to get into the mainstream with his role as Luther on the long-running sitcom Coach. He's a very funny man who I think found success too late in late.
Better late than never I guess. :)

Nancy Dussault hated to be part of Too Close for Comfort because the writers and producers did not allow her to develop her character, Muriel Rush, in a way that made her more part of the show. She felt the characters on the show were too cartoonish. I agreed with her.

Meredith Baxter Birney grew unhappy with Family Ties for the way her role was being diminished. She almost did not come back for the final season and the situation got rectified.

Bonnie Franklin was not happy during the first season of One Day At A Time because the scripts and the show was not kept to the original concept. After Bonnie voiced her unhappiness and having input on the storylines the show got better and her performances were powerful as well.

I understand Betty Buckley had a difficult time in her first season on Eight Is Enough and the producers nearly canned her.

I always heard Vivian Vance on "I Love Lucy".

Originally posted by Robert Tilton
... Mike Brady was always centered on Brady Grid totally.

Actually, Robert, Mike was in the bottom center square of the grid. Alice was in the center square (what I thought you meant by the words "centered on Brady Grid"), Carol in the top center, Marcia, Jan, and Cindy down the left column, and Greg, Peter, and Bobby down the right column.

I just remembered, George Reeves, the original Superman, didn't like playing that part.

Didn't Ray Walston have some issues with My Favorite Martian? I don't know if he totally hated the whole experience, but didn't he have problems with typecasting for awhile that made the MFM days sour to him? I think I heard that on his Biography special.

In the movie "Man On The Moon" (the story of Andy Kaufman), he was portrayed as having no love for his role as Latka Gravas on "Taxi".

I also remember reading somewhere that Fred MacMurray really didn't care for his role on "My Three Sons", and appeared less and less on the show during the final couple of seasons.

I don't know if Vivian Vance disliked playing Ethel Mertz, but she couldn't stand working with William Fraley, who played her husband Fred. He was very mean spirited towards her during the entire time they worked together.

It's true, William Frawley was mean spirited to Vivian, Lucy, and Desi, all three. They would have fired him, but the audience loved Fred so much it would have killed the show. Vivian also hated playing the older married lady and having to dress frumpy.

Concerning Robert Reed, he was very close to his on-screen children. He was divorced and didn't see his own daughter (don't know how long), and the Brady kids were a subsitute family.

Not long ago, I saw a TVOgraphy of Charlie's Angels. Of the angels, only Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd were on. I get this feeling that the 2 angels that left, Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson, don't want to be reminded of the show.

Tina Louise(Ginger; Gilligans Island)

Benjamin Bratt hated his appearance on Law & Order and so does Jessie L. Martin. They need to bring Chris Noth back to Law & Order!

Originally posted by RainMan
Benjamin Bratt hated his appearance on Law & Order and so does Jessie L. Martin. They need to bring Chris Noth back to Law & Order!
Good idea...then bring back Chris Noth as Mr. Big on Sex and The City. He's a hottie. :happyface

Originally posted by lurkernomore

Not long ago, I saw a TVOgraphy of Charlie's Angels. Of the angels, only Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd were on. I get this feeling that the 2 angels that left, Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson, don't want to be reminded of the show.

I can see Farrah not liking the show, but Kate Jackson has been interviewed about the show before. She was in the Inside TV Land special for it. Maybe she wasn't able to interview for the Tvography? Also, Shelley Hack I don't think has ever interviewed about her role after she was fired, though in her case that's understandable.

I can only think of Robert Reed-- who hasnt heard that story before?


I know stars like Nancy McKeon dont like to be REMINDED of their shows, but Im sure they dont hate it. Most stars Im sure dont hate doing the show, but the majority hate the after life of the show because of TypeCasting.

I was just wondering about Jack Burns (Warren on The Andy Griffith Show). Ya know he was booted from the show, so I wonder if he hates even being reminded of the show since he got kicked off. Anybody know? Hmm...I think I'll put this on the TAGS board.

Marcia Strassman of Welcome Back Kotter. She did not like the limitations her character had and with so little to do. I heard her say that she prayed the day the show was cancelled.

Originally posted by Sean Snow


I can see Farrah not liking the show, but Kate Jackson has been interviewed about the show before. She was in the Inside TV Land special for it. Maybe she wasn't able to interview for the Tvography? Also, Shelley Hack I don't think has ever interviewed about her role after she was fired, though in her case that's understandable.


About Kate Jackson not liking Charlie's Angels, that was just an assumption of mine, because I have never seen her interviewed anywhere about her time on Charlie's Angels, and I had read somewhere that the show prevented her from doing the movie "Kramer vs. Kramer", and she had sounded bitter about that.

If she was interviewed about Charlie's Angels, I would have loved to have seen it.

I don't have any new people to add, but I do have a comment.
Like someone else said earlier, isn't it better to be a household name and have a job than to be not working at all. I think alot of the stars get so hung up on themselves that they forget about all the fans and the shows that actually got them where they are. After all, they could be working in a toilet factory or something. You think the guy that builds toilets for a living wouldn't rather be doing something else? But, it's a living.:lol:

So, I say bravo to those actors/actresses who stuck with their rolls, did the reunions, and lived with it. And to those who didn't. Well, you might want to think about where you would be today without that show.:idea:

Originally posted by James


Actually, Robert, Mike was in the bottom center square of the grid. Alice was in the center square (what I thought you meant by the words "centered on Brady Grid"), Carol in the top center, Marcia, Jan, and Cindy down the left column, and Greg, Peter, and Bobby down the right column.

I should have said Mike was 'devoted' to Brady Bunch or Brady Grid, meaning his life was into or 'centered' on the Brady Bunch lifestyle, but you do have a point.

So for all people out there, here's a breakdown of Brady Grid Positioning by Grid and by the Role they played on the show. Let's begin with:

Alice: As 'center center', Alice is right in the middle of the Brady Grid for good reason. She was 'center' both in Grid and Structure of the Brady House. For she was responsible in the areas of maintenance, preparing meals, cleaning, some Grid psychology (sometimes talking to kids or Brady Parents), some security when available (answering the door), serving where needed, being on 24 Hour Call for Emergencies (she was Grid Disaster Coordinator), preserving discipline (by telling on the kids), trip consultant (for she went on all Brady Trips to assist Brady Bunch), that sort of thing. Typically when Alice was 'off center' or in other words unable to function in Grid Activities, the Brady House would be chaotic for a time (with one famous ep having her cousin Emma replacing her and doing military style drills!). Her role was outstanding in this regard in preserving the Grid and its Constituents and is considered irreplacable in the Brady Legacy by Law. Amen.

And briefly, Mike and Carol were 'center' in the other 2 slots of Grid like you mentioned + as Brady Parents, they ran the show together with the 'center center' Alice (or her replacements Emma and Kay) reporting to them directly at 24 Hour Call in Emergencies (though most of the time, Brady Life was Condition Stable). Mike of course (this is debatable) ran the business of the Brady House, the finances, breadwinning, major repairs, major decisions (Sell the House?), architecture, that sort of thing. Carol ran the more family aspects of Brady House (with Mike) in all things pertaining to Brady Kids. And Alice ran the rest. So in a nutshell, you have 3 'centers' each important in their own way. But in Brady Land there must be order. So here it is:

The Brady Bunch Chart of Positions and Influence

-Alice is primary 'center center'. Her role is vital. W/out her, Brady Bunch would Never Work at All.

-Mike and Carol are secondary 'centers'. Both have complete authority over Brady Grid as CEOs on the Brady Bunch Board of Directors with Alice being a VP Brady Grid Member Emeritus. Sherwood Schwartz is Ultimate Final authority over All that is Brady.

-Brady Kids complete the Grid as 'sides'

-1st wave of 'Off Grid Support' includes Sam, Mr. Phillips, Essentials like Family Doctors, Family Teachers, or Family Food. Brady Kid Friends, Brady Parent Friends, Alice Friends. Anyone that provided essential services for Brady Bunch, from Major Players like Sam or Minor Players like Lennie Bremen the Exterminator.

-2nd wave of 'Celebrity Off Grid Support'

-3rd wave of 'Minor Off Grid Support' like Jerry Rogers or Tank Gates; those that merely "passed by" the Brady Household.

-Finally, there's Cousin Oliver:D:D:D

And the Brady Grid:

Righteous man.

Now to get this back On Topic or OT instead of Off Topic or OT, here's one that's interesting:

Alan Alda.

He 'hated' M*A*S*H so much he became a director in the later 'not as good' episodes and ruined them with his preaching. Or so Jump the Shark says.

Ha Ha!

Seriously though, I seem to remember Ed O'Neill on Married w/Children having a fit about something and telling FOX he would never do a reunion.

I seem to remember Ed O'Neill on Married w/Children having a fit about something and telling FOX he would never do a reunion. [/B]

Recently, the "E! True Hollywood Story" did a segment on "Married With Children". Ed O'Neill enjoyed being on the show, but he did not like the way FOX handled the cancellation of the program - they never told the cast, and never gave them the opportunity to do a "farewell" episode. He felt they deserved this courtesy, since MWC literally launched the FOX network - it was the very first program broadcast by the network when FOX made its debut in 1987.

Ed O'Neill was in the parking lot of a hotel, when a pair of newlyweds (who were also staying at the hotel) came up to him and told him how sorry they were to hear that the show had been cancelled. O'Neill told them this is the first he'd heard of the cancellation. He then took the couple inside, and bought them a drink in the lounge. He told them he'd much rather hear the news from a couple of fans like themselves, rather than the suits at FOX.

{John Amos also left Good Times because of the J. J. character, and never did come back;}


John Amos didn't quit the show because of the character J.J. John Amos was fired because he told a newspaper about the backstage fights.

{John Amos also left Good Times because of the J. J. character, and never did come back;}


John Amos didn't quit the show because of the character J.J. John Amos was fired because he told a newspaper about the backstage fights.

I heard him say on some show that he was fired because he was always fighting with the directors about how the J. J. character should be played, so I guess it could have been both of those things.

I know Rebecca Holden didn't like her role on Knight Rider as April because she was brought in to replace Patricia McPherson after she was fired for her lack of slizzle after season one. David Hasselhoff was pissed over the firing of McPherson and told the producers he wanted McPherson back. McPherson was back for the next season and Rebecca Holden was let go of. She was mad over the fact that she they let her go and doesn't like to talk about her days on Knight Rider. But she did get along well with Hasselhoff but he was close with McPherson he said he had no bad feeling towards Holden. But Holden also lack in chemistry with Hasseloff too, she was more of a red head version of barbie than a mechanic. When McPherson was under Hasselhoff's car's hood she looked like she knew what she was doing.