While other TV procedurals struggled with cast turnover, the Blue Bloods roster stayed relatively consistent for its 14-season run: Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, and Tom Selleck played Reagan family members from the CBS drama’s 2010 start to its 2024 end. (And now Wahlberg is filming the spinoff Boston Blue, hitting CBS on Friday, October 17, at 10/9c.)
That said, some of the Reagans’ colleagues and family members came and went on Blue Bloods. Below, see every series regular who left the show early, plus the major recurring actors who exited before the curtain call.
Flex Alexander (Det. DeMarcus King)
Alexander got star billing from CBS for Blue Bloods’ first season, but he ended up appearing only in the pilot episode, playing DeMarcus King, partner to Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan. In a 2010 interview with UrbanBridgez.com, Alexander explained he was dropped from the show in favor of a female partner for Danny. “It didn’t have anything to do with me or my skills,” he added.
Jennifer Esposito (Det. Jackie Curatola)
After DeMarcus vanished from Blue Bloods, Danny found a new partner in Detective Jackie Curatola. But Esposito left the show midway through Season 3 as Jackie took a leave of absence to deal with stress. CBS said at the time Esposito was only available part-time, per The Hollywood Reporter, but Esposito explained on Twitter that her doctor mandated a reduced schedule due to her celiac disease diagnosis, and she accused the network of putting her on unpaid leave and blocking her from working elsewhere. Esposito did, however, return as a guest star in Blue Bloods’ final two seasons.
Amy Carlson (Linda Reagan)
Danny’s wife, Linda, was killed in a helicopter crash — later revealed not to be an accident — off screen between Seasons 7 and 8. As it turned out, Carlson’s seven-year contract was up, and she didn’t re-up for more seasons. “Amy decided to move on,” executive producer Kevin Wade told TV Guide Magazine, after the Season 8 premiere. “I was very surprised.”
Sami Gayle (Nicky Reagan-Boyle)
There’s no official explanation for Gayle taking a step back from Blue Bloods after 10 seasons of playing Nicky Reagan-Boyle, daughter of Erin Reagan (Moynahan). Gayle did, however, reveal in 2023 she had graduated from Wharton School with an MBA degree — right as she was starring in Bad Cinderella on Broadway — so perhaps Nicky headed off to San Francisco on screen so that Gayle could pursue more education and other acting roles off screen.David Ramsey (Mayor Carter Poole)
Nicholas Turturro (Sgt. Anthony Renzulli)
As Renzulli, Turturro was a near-constant presence in Blue Bloods’ first three seasons. For the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons, however, he only appeared in one episode apiece, and then he disappeared from the storyline without explanation from the actor, producers, or network. The character’s reduced screentime wasn’t for lack of trying: As Season 4 got going, Turturro urged Twitter followers to “write to CBS and Blue Bloods that we need more Renzulli.”
