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On Mission: Impossible, tape recorders and latex masks were the real stars. If an actor asked for a raise or grew tired of pulling off masks in silence, the studio simply swapped them out.

Creator Bruce Geller designed a series where the format, rather than the cast, took center stage. Because the characters had no personal lives, no backstories, and no emotional arcs, executives viewed the actors as replaceable puzzle pieces.

The turnover started immediately in season one. Steven Hill, who played original team leader Dan Briggs, was an Orthodox Jew whose religious observances prevented him from working past sundown on Fridays, causing significant production delays. Hill also chafed at the script's action demands, frequently refusing to perform basic stunts or climb around on sets because he felt it was unsafe or beneath him. He was suspended and replaced by Peter Graves (as Jim Phelps) for season two.

Money drove the most famous departures. Real-life married couple Martin Landau (Rollin Hand) and Barbara Bain (Cinnamon Carter) became massive fan favorites, with Bain winning three consecutive Emmy Awards. After season three, they demanded significant salary increases. By this time, Paramount Pictures had taken control of the production company and refused to negotiate. The studio called their bluff, and both actors walked away from the hit series.

For others, the issue was pure creative boredom. Leonard Nimoy was brought in to replace Landau, but he left after just two seasons. Nimoy had been promised that his character, The Great Paris, would receive meaningful development. Instead, he found himself trapped in the same rigid structure as everyone else—executing clockwork plots with minimal dialogue. Frustrated by the lack of actual acting opportunities, he asked to be released from his contract.

Later additions faced similar fates, often let go when they no longer fit the machine. Lesley Ann Warren was dropped after one season because producers felt she lacked the sophisticated femme-fatale edge required for the role. Sam Elliott was originally brought on to replace Peter Lupus, but when fan outcry saved Lupus's job, Elliott became redundant and was written out.