Sometimes The Exit Is The Beginning
Leaving a hit show can look reckless when the role has already made someone famous. Yet some actresses used that moment to expand into movies, music, producing, directing, or an even bigger television role. For them, walking away made the next chapter possible.
Margot Robbie Left Ramsay Street For Hollywood
Margot Robbie played Donna Freedman on Neighbours from 2008 to 2011 and later credited the soap with invaluable on-camera training. She chose not to renew her contract and headed for Hollywood. After Pan Am and About Time, The Wolf of Wall Street launched her into major films, Oscar nominations, and producing.
Screenshot from Pan Am, Sony Pictures Television (2011–2012)
Karen Gillan Traded The TARDIS For Blockbusters
Doctor Who made Karen Gillan internationally recognizable as Amy Pond, but her 2012 departure was a mutual decision with producers. She then moved into Hollywood, playing Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and joining the Jumanji franchise. She also wrote and directed the 2018 film The Party's Just Beginning.
Screenshot from Doctor Who, BBC (1963–1989)
Goldie Hawn Graduated From Laugh-In To Movie Stardom
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In turned Goldie Hawn into a television sensation, and her three-season run ended in 1970. Her film career was already accelerating: Cactus Flower brought her the Academy Award for supporting actress. Hawn went on to major movies including Shampoo, Private Benjamin, Overboard, and The First Wives Club.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Tina Fey Left SNL And Built Her Own Universe
Saturday Night Live made Tina Fey famous as a writer, head writer, performer, and Weekend Update anchor. After nine seasons, she moved on to create and star in 30 Rock. The series won three consecutive Emmys for outstanding comedy, while Fey became an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and author.
Screenshot from 30 Rock, NBCUniversal (2006-2013)
Mindy Kaling Went From Supporting Player To Showrunner
Mindy Kaling became known as Kelly Kapoor on The Office, where she also wrote, directed, and produced. She left after eight seasons as her own series was taking shape. The Mindy Project made her a lead actor and showrunner, paving the way for later producing and creating work.
Screenshot from The Office, Universal Television (2005–2013)
Julianna Margulies Walked Away From ER At Its Peak
Julianna Margulies became a major television star as Carol Hathaway on ER, staying for six seasons before leaving while the drama remained enormously popular. Nearly a decade later, she returned as the lead of The Good Wife. Alicia Florrick became another defining role, keeping Margulies at the center of prestige television for seven seasons.
Screenshot from The Good Wife, CBS (2009–2016)
Sandra Oh Found An Even Bigger Lead Role
Sandra Oh spent nearly a decade playing Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy, winning a Golden Globe and earning five supporting-actress Emmy nominations. She left in 2014 and later starred in Killing Eve. The role brought another Golden Globe, this time for lead actress in a drama.
Screenshot from Grey's Anatomy, ABC (2005-2026)
Sarah Michelle Gellar Left Daytime For Prime-Time Immortality
Sarah Michelle Gellar played Kendall Hart on All My Children from 1993 to 1995 and won a Daytime Emmy for the role. Two years later, Buffy the Vampire Slayer made her a defining television star of the late 1990s and a fixture of the era's youth-oriented pop culture.
Screenshot from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The WB (1997–2003)
Demi Moore Used General Hospital As A Launchpad
Demi Moore spent two years on General Hospital as reporter Jackie Templeton before moving into movies. St. Elmo's Fire helped establish her in the 1980s, while Ghost made her a major film star. A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, and Disclosure followed.
Screenshot from St. Elmo's Fire, Columbia Pictures (1985)
Julianne Moore Left Oakdale And Kept Climbing
Julianne Moore won a Daytime Emmy for playing half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina on As the World Turns, then left after three years. Her movie career grew through the 1990s with The Fugitive, Boogie Nights, and other acclaimed projects. She later won the Academy Award for best actress for Still Alice.
Screenshot from The Fugitive, Warner Bros. (1993)
Kylie Minogue Turned Soap Fame Into Pop Superstardom
Neighbours made Kylie Minogue a phenomenon as Charlene, and her music career quickly eclipsed her soap fame. Her debut album Kylie reached No. 1 in Britain in 1988. She ultimately scored eight UK No. 1 singles and 11 UK No. 1 albums.
Keven Law from Los Angeles, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Natalie Imbruglia Left Neighbours And Found A Global Hit
Natalie Imbruglia became familiar to millions as Beth Brennan on Neighbours before leaving the soap and eventually relaunching herself as a recording artist. Her 1997 single “Torn” became a worldwide hit. In Britain, it reached No. 2, sold more than a million copies, and launched a music career that continued for decades.
Isla Fisher Started Over After Home And Away
Home and Away gave Isla Fisher early fame in Australia, but after leaving she deliberately started over, studying at a clown school in Paris instead of rushing straight to Hollywood. Wedding Crashers became her major American breakthrough in 2005, followed by films including Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Great Gatsby.
Screenshot from Confessions of a Shopaholic, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (2009)
Farrah Fawcett Wanted More Than Charlie's Angels
Farrah Fawcett became an instant icon during the first season of Charlie's Angels, then left in 1977 seeking more challenging roles. The decision eventually reshaped her reputation as an actress. The Burning Bed earned her an Emmy nomination, while Small Sacrifices and The Guardian brought additional Emmy recognition.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Suranne Jones Turned Soap Fame Into Prestige Television
Suranne Jones made her name as Karen McDonald on Coronation Street before quitting in 2004. She built a career around ambitious drama, including Scott & Bailey and Doctor Foster. The latter brought her the 2016 BAFTA for leading actress, while Gentleman Jack further established her as a major British television star.
Screenshot from Gentleman Jack, HBO (2019–2022)
Sarah Lancashire Left The Street And Became A Drama Powerhouse
Sarah Lancashire left Coronation Street in 1996 after five years as Raquel Watts. Her post-soap career eventually included Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley, bringing extensive critical acclaim. She won BAFTA leading-actress awards for Happy Valley in both 2017 and 2024.
Screenshot from Happy Valley, BBC One (2014–2023)
Jenna Coleman Refused To Stay In The Soap Box
Jenna Coleman has said she stayed on Emmerdale longer than she wanted and later struggled to escape the assumptions attached to soap actors. She eventually broke through on Doctor Who, then chose to leave that series for the title role in Victoria. The transition expanded her international profile.
Screenshot from Victoria, ITV (2016–2019)
Olivia Wilde Left House For Movies, Then The Director's Chair
House made Olivia Wilde widely known as Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley. She left the series in 2011 to focus on films, a move the show supported. Her biggest reinvention came later behind the camera, when she made her feature directing debut with the acclaimed 2019 comedy Booksmart.
Screenshot from House, NBC Universal Television (2004–2012)
Meg Ryan Went From Daytime Soap To Rom-Com Royalty
Meg Ryan's first substantial acting success came on As the World Turns, where she played Betsy Stewart from 1982 to 1984. After leaving, she moved into movies, appearing in Top Gun before starring in When Harry Met Sally. Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail later cemented her as a defining romantic-comedy star.
Screenshot from Top Gun, Paramount Pictures (1986)
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