From the dawn of time, or since they started making movies and television shows at least, actors have been a funny old bunch.
While most just get on with facing the camera and saying the words, some object to storylines and plots that threaten their comfort zone. So much so that, on some occasions, actors have felt obliged to quit their shows – or at least kick up a stink and threaten to do so.
Even a misplaced hankie can be enough to set them off. Here are the times when the television shows pushed their stars too far.
1. David Suchet, Poirot
For millions of Agatha Christie fans, Suchet is the very embodiment of the pedantic Belgian sleuth – but he almost ditched the twirled 'tache during filming on the very first series, and all because of a hanky.
In his memoir Poirot and Me, Suchet revealed that he clashed with director Ed Bennett while shooting the first episode, with the source of conflict being the placement of his handkerchief on a park bench prior to him sitting down. Bennett dubbed the act "ridiculous" but Suchet was playing the character how he felt Christie had written the role.
Suchet stated in his book: "If I lost the argument, it would mean that my custodianship of Poirot's character was in severe jeopardy – so much so that I really thought that I might not be able to go on playing him. I had to play the character she created, I was certain of that. I would not compromise."
In the end, the argument was resolved when the producer stepped in and sided with Suchet. The actor later told Radio Times: "It was very serious. As charming as I may appear, when it comes to defence of character or my work then I will fight and I will not compromise... I will serve my writer. I will not ever be told how to play a role."
He added: "And if the time comes when it's make or break, then I will walk... I would have walked at some points had I not got the support of my producers."
2. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead
Morgan joined the cast of the AMC zombie show in the sixth season finale as Negan, where he caused quite the stir by killing off a couple of much-loved characters.
The actor told Interview magazine that forcing Rick, played by Andrew Lincoln, in the season seven premiere to almost cut off his son Carl's arm was the hardest scene to film. "All of that was hard," he explained.
"It got to the point where I didn't want to do it anymore. Emotionally, I was completely drained. It was a hard episode, and having to get there time and time again to do these horrible things..."
Poor lad. Still, Morgan couldn't have been that shaken, he's still there.
3. Jemima Kirke, Girls
Kirke told Girls' creator and star, and her longtime friend, Lena Dunham that she wanted to quit the HBO show after one season, just days before production was to begin on the second season.
Jemima, who played Jessa Johansson, revealed: "My sense of who I was and what I wanted was really thin. I really wasn't sure what the f**k I was doing."
Kirke, who also threatened to punch Dunham during filming, had a change of heart and stayed with Girls until the final season last year.
4. Jason Alexander, Seinfeld
The US sitcom is unimaginable without the many moods, the many shades, the many sides of George Costanza.
Jerry's best friend stood beside him for nine seasons, for which Alexander was nominated for many Emmys and Golden Globes; but, as revealed in the book Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, the actor wasn't impressed with how his character was portrayed early on in the show's run.
Alexander's concerns came to a head with the season three episode, 'The Pen' – which only included Jerry and Elaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and didn't feature George at all. After a read through of the story, Jason reportedly took writer and executive producer Larry David to once side and said: "If you write me out again, do it permanently."
David, who went on to find solo success with HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, tried to defend the situation given they had four leads to keep happy each week, which earned this retort from Alexander: "Don't tell me your problems. If you don't need me here, I don't want to be here."
Thankfully, for all involved, David and Seinfeld kept Alexander happy.
5. Roseanne Barr, Roseanne
Chuck Lorre, co-creator of shows such as Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, landed a role of supervising producer on Roseanne in 1990. His first big role.
Recalling dealing with his lead star, he revealed it wasn't easy. Barr wanted to deal with "sensitive social issues", while the network just wanted to make a comedy, Lorre told The Hollywood Reporter.
Not only did she refuse dialogue and frequently walk off the set, Barr also threatened to quit the show which, at the height of its popularity, would regularly get over 20 million viewers in the US alone.
Roseanne recently returned to TV screens.
6. Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead
The zombie show again, proving it's just as difficult for the actors as it is for the fans.
Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie, said that she considered quitting The Walking Dead after one particularly difficult episode in the AMC show's third season. The scene in question saw Maggie performing a C-section on Lori to save the baby. Baby Judith survived, though Lori did not.
Talking in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio in 2016, Cohan said she approached co-star and on-screen husband Steven Yeun and said: "I have to leave the show. I don't think I can do it."
Continuing, Cohan explained: "It affects you so deeply to the core to touch on, to dive into so much of this material... [but] bad stuff happens, and what's the point in not getting real about it?"
However, recently it was revealed that Cohan has signed up for a comedy pilot from US network ABC and has not committed to season eight of The Walking Dead. Showrunner Scott Gimple said the actress is still in talks to return and he is "pretty positive" she will.
7. Gillian Anderson, The X-Files
Now we're speculating here, but Anderson has recently quit as FBI agent Dana Scully. And, with the fan furore surrounding the recent X-Files season finale (and the actor's final episode for the show), we might have found out why.
The controversial storyline didn't go down well with fans or, it seems, Anderson. Her response on Twitter said it all.
"I think you will want to sit down and watch the series finale very carefully," was her response when asked if her character was given a "proper goodbye". So were the events of the season 11 climax too much for Anderson?
Well, she's not back for season 12 should it happen. We expect the file on this particular departure to be reopened over the years.
