Josh Charles admits he never saw the tidal wave coming.
At a Glance
- The 54-year-old actor told The Hollywood Reporter he was blindsided by the emotional fallout after Will Gardner’s on-screen death in 2014
- Fans still DM him daily saying they “sobbed again” or felt like they “watched a friend die”
- Charles cites the grind of 22-episode seasons as the reason he walked away, saying he “didn’t have the stamina”
- Why it matters: His candid comments show how deeply audiences bond with fictional characters-and how that reality can catch even seasoned performers off guard
In a Jan. 15 interview, the actor reflected on his decision to leave the CBS legal drama after five seasons, a choice that ended with his character being fatally shot in court. While Charles helped craft the exit, the intensity of viewer grief floored him.
“I knew it would be a surprise, but the impact and response to it was one that honestly, I wasn’t fully braced for myself,” he said. “You live in these bubbles and forget that, oh my God, there are a lot of people watching this who are invested in the show. You forget sometimes.”
Daily Messages Still Pour In
Nearly a decade later, the moment still follows him.
- Strangers approach him on the street
- New viewers binge the show and write, “I just rewatched this and I started sobbing again”
- Long-time fans describe the scene as “watching a friend die”
Charles called the ongoing reaction “an odd thing to experience” but added, “I’m just really proud of it.”
Creative Spark Amid the Grind
Behind the scenes, the workload wore him down. The series produced roughly 22 episodes each season-far more than the 10-episode runs common on streaming platforms today.
“It was a bit of a grind in a way that, at that time in my life, I felt like I had done it,” he explained. Charles has previously said the relentless schedule left him exhausted and craving new challenges.
He now believes shorter seasons might have kept him in the role. “If it had been 10 episodes a year, I probably would’ve done that until the wheels came off,” he confessed.
Praise for the Kings
Despite the fatigue, Charles praised creators Robert and Michelle King for giving Will Gardner a powerful send-off.
“Finishing the arc of that character was some of the best writing I’ve ever had for anything,” he said. “I just feel so indebted to them.”
The entire experience, he noted, reminded him why actors chase complicated roles.
“At the end of the day, you are trying to build characters that people care about, that they connect to. And I think people did with him,” he reflected.
Key Takeaways
- Charles initiated his exit, but the audience’s heartbreak caught him off guard
- The 22-episode broadcast model pushed him to leave; shorter streaming seasons might have retained him
- Fans’ continued emotional attachment validates both the performance and the writing
- The actor still hears daily testimonials proving Will Gardner’s cultural staying power
All seven seasons of The Good Wife are currently streaming on Paramount+.
