All Of The Stars Who Have Left Hallmark's When Calls The Heart

The Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" centers around Erin Krakow's character, Elizabeth Thatcher, but there are also many integral roles and storylines surrounding the other residents of Hope Valley. Over 11 seasons, actors have come and gone, which was often disappointing to viewers after they'd gotten to know the characters. Although Krakow has been a mainstay in the long-running series, executive Brian Bird thinks that the show can go on without her, according to Soaps. He emphasized that he didn't want that to happen, but added that the townspeople are what make up the heart of the show. "People have fallen in love with the community and then they have these focal points with specific characters that they're deeply in love with. And I do believe that the show could continue if we had to by morphing, if necessary," Bird stated.

Thankfully, Krakow has returned for Season 11, but there was one notable face missing — Kayla Wallace. Other seasons have also revealed absences from fan-favorite actors and whether they left on their own or were fired from the network. Here are all the stars who were written off "When Calls the Heart."

Season 6 of "When Calls the Heart" introduced Fiona Miller, played by Kayla Wallace. Over the course of five seasons, Miller became a staple in Hope Valley along with her barbershop, where a lot of town conversations took place. However, in Season 11, Wallace's character was suddenly dropped from the show,and it was revealed that Miller had decided to remain in Nashville to help with the women's rights movement. The star and executive producer of "When Calls the Heart," Erin Krakow, shared with TV Insider that Wallace's departure was simply a case of schedule conflicts. "Kayla had a really incredible opportunity on another TV series that films out of town. We're excited for her," the actor stated. She added, "We are hoping that we'll be able to have Fiona back for some episodes. Who knows? But yeah, we truly, truly over the moon thrilled for Kayla."

Wallace announced her upcoming role in "Landman" on January 29. "THRILLED. So grateful. Let's GO!" she wrote on Instagram while sharing a picture of a Deadline press release. She had the full support of Krakow, who commented, "Finally we can scream it from the rooftops, superstar!!!"

Lori Loughlin was one of the most family-friendly actors in the industry, having played Aunt Becky in "Full House" and Abigail Stanton in "When Calls the Heart." However, after that 2020 college admissions scandal, Loughlin got the axe from Hallmark. She and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were found to have paid $500,000 to falsely get their daughters into the University of Southern California. The actor was sentenced to two months in prison, while Giannulli was slapped with five months. "We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations. We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin," the network said in a statement to USA Today.

Hallmark addressed Loughlin's departure in "WCTH" by revealing that her character went home to take care of her sick mother. All wasn't lost for Stanton fans, though. A year after her firing, Deadline announced the return of Loughlin to her role — this time in the spinoff show, "When Hope Calls," on the Great American Family network. Hallmark made sure that viewers knew the media company had completely severed ties with Loughlin. "Hallmark Channel has not cast Lori Loughlin in any current projects, including When Calls the Heart, nor do we have any plans to cast her in the future. She was cast by GAC Family, a wholly separate cable network not affiliated with Hallmark Channel or Crown Media Family Networks," they said in a statement to Radar.

There's nothing more final than when a character dies in a beloved show, as it makes it all the more unlikely they'll ever return. That is unless they return as a ghost or in a flashback. Such wasn't the case for Daniel Lissing, whose character Jack Thornton met his tragic fate at the end of "When Calls the Heart" Season 5. According to ET, during a Facebook Live, Lissing shared why he really left "When Calls the Heart." He vaguely stated, "Circumstances arose for me where I needed to leave 'When Calls the Heart' for reasons that are very personal to me. I went to Hallmark and they were nothing but supportive of me. I went to the girls and they were nothing but supportive of me."

Leaving "WCTH" was actually a blessing in disguise for Lissing. He told ET, "It's funny the way the world works. If I had stayed on the show and been there during season 6, and shot and all that kind of stuff — then I wouldn't have met [my fiancee] Nadia, you know?" He continued, "And I wouldn't be getting married, and I wouldn't be at this place in my life where I feel really in line with what I'm meant to be doing personally and professionally. So, no regrets at all."

Fans of Elizabeth Thatcher and Jack Thornton can rejoice. Variety reported that the two are reuniting for the 2024 Hallmark Christmas movie, "Santa Tell Me." While it probably won't be a historical fiction like "WCTH," Hallmark Channel viewers are always up for a fun, lighthearted rom-com.

Paul Greene played Dr. Carson Shephard in "When Calls the Heart" for five seasons before making the decision to step away from the show. His character was written off as moving to Baltimore to embark on a medical fellowship, thus ending his relationship with Faith Carter, played by Andrea Brooks. In an interview with TV Insider, Greene explained, "I loved being on it, but there are so many other projects I wanted to do. I helped produce a pilot." He continued, "I also had a baby and was able to be there for the whole pregnancy. I would never give up any of that for extra seasons. I have my gift ... I make music, I have a podcast. I'm writing a parenting book. I try to be as present for all the little things."

As reported by People, Greene and his real-life love, Kate Austin, welcomed their first son together, Austin, in December 2021. "Austin is the most wonderful Christmas gift that Katie and I could give each other. We are so in love with him. Not only is he adorable, but chill and considerate — a really good baby," the "Sweet Home Carolina" actor shared. 

Since leaving the Hallmark Channel, Greene has starred in a few made-for-television Christmas movies, as well as the film "Autumn and the Black Jaguar."

Eva Bourne joined "When Calls the Heart" in Season 2, and her character, Clara Stanton, went through some rough times. She lost her husband in a mining accident just two days after their wedding but found love again with Jesse Flynn, played by Aren Buchholz. The two got married, and despite some bumps in their relationship, they took off on a vacation at the end of Season 8. In the Season 9 premiere, it was revealed that Stanton and Flynn are living off the land in Montana.

While it's unclear why Bourne — and Buchholz — were written off of "WCTH," she returned to the Hallmark Channel with the movie "Make Me A Match." She shared with Just Jared, "I was super grateful for the opportunity, and I was excited that this was the script that I got to have the first leading role with. I had a lot of ideas swirling around in my head about all the things that would come with a lead, but to be honest, all of my worries, were completely gone once the second day came." As for Bourne's role in "WCTH," producer John Tinker shared on Facebook that he had spoken to her about addressing her unfinished storyline with Flynn and hinted that fans may see them again in upcoming seasons.