Stana Katic Was ‘Hurt’ & ‘Confused’ After Being Fired From ‘Castle’
Some Castle fans still have trouble looking back on the series knowing what a ninth season would have looked like, but time seems to have changed one star’s perspective.
The plan wasn’t for the series to end with Season 8 when it first was announced that stars Stana Katic (NYPD Detective Kate Beckett) and Tamala Jones (medical examiner Lanie Parish) wouldn’t be returning. Over the years, Katic has spoken about being let go, most recently in an interview with the Daily Telegraph (via the Daily Mail). “I was confused by the entire experience. I was hurt,” she said, but added that she was “grateful for the awesome run.”
Even after what happened, she’s able to look back on the show fondly. “I am so thankful to have been a part of that project, for it to have affected as many people as it did,” she continued. “People loved that couple and loved the story we told, loved all of those characters.”
Fans were obviously surprised by the thought of the show without Beckett and Lanie. Yes, the series was titled Castle, but how could it continue on without at least its female lead? What would it mean for the central couple, Kate and Castle (Nathan Fillion)?
Previously, Katic admitted she wasn’t “clear on the thought process behind the way [her exit] went down” in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2018. She used similar words to describe her experience on the show and her exit — “hurt” and “grateful” — and also spoke about how its stories and characters affected fans.
“I met so many beautiful people on that project … It would be a disservice to those people, to the work that we did together, and to my work, which I feel contributed, in part, to the success of the show, to be anything but grateful,” she’d said. “We told a love story that I feel moved people, touched people.”
During Castle Season 8, ABC announced both Katic and Jones’ departures with the following statement: “Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years. We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.”
Ultimately, the show wasn’t renewed for a ninth season and the series ended with a happily ever after for Beckett and Castle; though they were shot, they survived and were raising kids together years later.
