The Real Reason John Francis Daley Left Bones (We Shouldn't Blame Him)
Sometimes you have to lose to win.
When almost all the characters in your crime show are scientists working with evidence, you need someone who understands the people, their quirks, and their mental illnesses.
In the first two seasons of Bones, this job was done poorly by the main character, FBI Agent Seeley Booth, but the show needed a professional psychologist, and in Season 3, Bones found one in the charming John Francis Daley.
The young prodigy Lance Sweets, part naive, part super-competent, fits right in and proves to be a warm addition to an already solid cast – perhaps the most charming crime-fighting team on TV.
Daley Left Bones Because of the Offer He Couldn't Ignore
However, in Season 10, one of the main viewers' favorites was killed off. Why did Dr. Lance Sweets suddenly disappear from Bones? Was it the writers' decision? No, it was actor John Francis Daley himself who wanted his character's blood.
The thing is, John was offered to direct the comedy Vacation, and Daley, who had always dreamed of a career as a director, realized that Sweets no longer fit into his plans. The character had to go, and fast.
There was simply no other choice, as it would have taken at least four months to shoot Vacation, and it was impossible to combine that story with the show. How would the writers explain Sweets' disappearance and then his unexpected return?
After consulting with showrunner Stephen Nathan, Daley concluded that it would be easier to kill off the psychiatrist – which happened at the very beginning of Season 10.
In one of his interviews, John confirmed the reason for leaving Bones:
“It wasn’t something I was going to walk away from because the movie was a huge opportunity for me. I was super pumped to do it, but sad I had to leave the show that I had been on for seven years.”
So it's something you have to do sometimes – sacrifice in order to move forward.
What is Vacation About?
Vacation is a 2015 movie that was the fifth and final installment in the franchise.
Following in his father's footsteps and hoping for some much-needed support for his very disparate family, an adult Rusty Griswold decides to surprise his wife Debbie and two sons with an offer to travel across America to the family vacation park Walley World.
Source: Vulture