According to the actor’s own account, Grant Show left Melrose Place in an attempt to prolong his acting career. Show revealed in an interview with Studio 10 that he feared getting stuck on a show like Melrose Place would limit his future career opportunities.
Show says the following during the interview:
"The reason I left was, at the time, an actor that stayed on a show like that, past their initial contract, probably wasn't going to have too long of a career."
He goes on to point out that his fears probably weren’t valid in retrospect and that the industry was evolving to a point where an actor could be on a show like Melrose Place and still get work afterward.
Other Theories Why Grant Show Left Melrose Place
Although Show publicly revealed his reasons for exiting Melrose Place in 1997, the internet is full of speculation about other contributing factors to his departure.
Check out some of the theories below:
Off-Screen Relationship Dynamics
Melrose Place’s writing staff member, Charles Pratt, Jr, told Vulture, “After a few years on a show like this, the actors all lose their minds.” Pratt was speaking in the context of off-screen relationships impacting on-screen storylines.
Pratt states that Show and Laura Leighton (Sydney) requested to be paired on-screen because they were dating in real life. Pratt also alleges that Courtney Thorne-Smith (Alison) probably left Melrose Place because of her real-life breakup with Grant Show.
Failed Contract Negotiations
While the specifics of Show’s contract negotiations are unclear, the L.A. Times generally blamed the series’ demise on “failed contract negotiations.”
The article cites Show’s exit from Melrose Place in the 1996-1997 season and several other cast members as the catalyst for the series’ ultimate demise.
As viewers witnessed a mass exodus of popular Melrose Place characters, the series’ ratings tanked considerably.
When Did Grant Show Leave Melrose Place?
Show leaves Melrose Place at the end of Season 5. His last episode is Season 5, Episode 33, Who’s Afraid of Amanda Woodward?: Part 2, where Jake settles in Ojai to run his own restaurant/diner.
Grant Show’s Career After Melrose Place
After leaving Melrose Place, Show went on to star in several TV movies, including The Price of Heaven, Ice, and The Alchemists.
Show later appeared on TV series like Arli$$, Grey’s Anatomy, Accidentally on Purpose, Private Practice, CSI, and Devious Maids.
Most recently, Show has appeared as Blake Carrington on 108 episodes of Dynasty spanning 2017-2022.