Watch CBS News

Josh Charles opens up about exit from "The Good Wife"

Inquiring minds want to know: Why did Josh Charles leave "The Good Wife"?

The actor, whose character Will Gardner was killed off Sunday on the legal drama, tried to clear things up during a visit to the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday.

Letterman cut to the chase at the start of the interview: "What the hell happened?"

Shocking exit on "The Good Wife" 02:47

Charles, 42, said, "Yeah, we've known this since last year. It's been one of the greatest gigs for me in my entire career, but at the end of last year, my contract was up and I was just ready to kind of move on."

He admitted that it's tough to leave a steady job, but added, "I think it was great for the show and also I think was a proper goodbye to the character, so that was special."

Charles and the rest of the cast members had to keep their lips sealed about his pending departure for about a year. Charles, though, said he told a couple of family members he "knew could keep a secret."

Viewers are still coming to terms with Sunday's shocking episode, and Charles noted that he appreciates fans' comments. "It's meant a lot," he said. Even his neighbors were upset. The actor said he found a note by his mailbox from neighbors he didn't even know that said: "We feel like a family member had died."

So, what's next for Charles?

"Oh, I have no plan," he said.

According to IMDb, Charles is attached to two 2014 projects: a film called "Bird Keeper" and a second movie titled "Brother's Keeper," co-starring Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale.

Prior to "The Good Wife," Charles appeared in the films "Dead Poets Society" and "Four Brothers" and had a role on the TV series "Sports Night."

Watch part of his Letterman visit here:


View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.