Josh Charles opens up about the lasting emotional impact of his exit from The good wifeand admitted that he wasn’t quite prepared for how strongly fans would react to the death of his character, Will Gardner.
More than a decade later, the answer continues to follow him, reminding him of the deep connection viewers formed with the show and its characters.
In an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter on Jan. 15, Charles reflected on his departure from the 2014 legal drama.
While he was involved in the decision to leave the series during its fifth season, he said the scale of the audience reaction surprised him.
“I knew it would be a surprise, but the impact and the reaction to it was one that I honestly wasn’t quite ready for myself,” the 54-year-old shared.
“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.”
The actor explained that the experience made him truly appreciate the power of television storytelling.
He described how audiences don’t just watch characters, they invest in them emotionally and follow their journeys closely.
This realization, he said, was both humbling and eye-opening, reinforcing why stories matter so deeply to viewers.
Charles played along The good wife from its premiere in September 2009 to his unexpected exit in 2014, but the show’s influence has not faded.
According to the actor, fans still reach out regularly to share how his character’s death affected them.
“I have people DM me or come up to me every day. ‘I just saw this for the first time.’ ‘I just saw this again and I started sobbing again.’ ‘It was like watching a friend die.’ It’s a strange thing to experience, but I’m just really proud of it,” he said.
Looking back, Charles said the goal was always to create characters that people really cared about.
“At the end of the day, you’re trying to build characters that people care about, that they connect with. And I think people did that with him,” he added.
He also fondly reflected on his time working with creators Robert and Michelle King, saying he went into the series not knowing what to expect, but walked away with a deep appreciation and love for the experience.
