Why Did Richard Dean Anderson Leave Stargate SG-1?

If you're going to give a Kurt Russell blockbuster the TV spin-off treatment without the involvement of your star, you better have some sort of trick up your sleeve. In the case of "Stargate SG-1" — a continuation of the story that began in Roland Emmerich's 1994 movie "Stargate" — the showrunners brought in MacGyver himself to help lead the show and fill the hole left by Russell.

Richard Dean Anderson played the United States Air Force Colonel Jack O'Neill in "SG-1," giving the character a more sarcastic edge than Russell in his big-screen performance. For the first eight seasons of the series, Anderson was the lead, heading up the special operations team that traversed the universe via the titular portal. But by the time his character was promoted to brigadier general at the start of season 8, Anderson had already begun to scale back his involvement in the series. That promotion meant that Jack O'Neill was no longer the lead character, allowing other members of the team to step up and take center stage. After O'Neill was promoted to major general and reassigned to Washington D.C., the character became even less of a focal point, with Anderson taking on a recurring, rather than starring, role in seasons 9 and 10.

The Sci-fi channel, now "SyFy," canceled "Stargate SG-1" after that tenth season, but for those who tuned in to witness Anderson's uniquely sardonic take on Jack O'Neill, the question remained of why the actor had appeared so infrequently towards the series' end. Thankfully, there was no controversy here, and as it turns out, the explanation is actually quite straightforward.

Put simply, Richard Dean Anderson left Stargate SG-1 to spend more time with his daughter. The actor is widely quoted as saying, "Being a father, well, I don't know if this is a change, but it makes me want to get out of here faster. Get off the clock. Just because the baby is my reason for living, my reason for coming to work."

Michael Shanks, who played Dr. Daniel Jackson in "SG-1," confirmed as much when he spoke about Anderson's decision to leave in an interview with author Thomasina Gibson for "Stargate SG-1: The Illustrated Companion: seasons 5 and 6." The Canadian actor talked about how Anderson's departure prompted him to return to the series after his character was killed off in season 5, saying:

"Richard Dean Anderson has decided to spend more time with his daughter, and devote more of his energies in that direction. One of the results of his decision is that all the other characters will have the opportunity to do a bit more. This increased responsibility and chance to get involved a lot more was another reason why I wanted to come back."

In that same book, a section on the 2002 season 6 episode "Nightwalkers" explains how this was the very first installment not to feature Anderson in any capacity, indicating that the actor had already begun reducing his time on the show before his departure. Director Peter DeLuise explained how, during season 6, he and the crew "had limited access to Rick [...] he had 42 days off that year." 

Considering the original "Stargate" was supposed to be the first of a trilogy, Anderson sticking around as a series star for six seasons of "SG-1" surely earned him enough goodwill among fans who'd missed out on the two other movies that hadn't materialized. 

There are a few examples of Richard Dean Anderson himself talking about his desire to leave "Stargate SG-1" in order to spend more time with his daughter. But in an interview with actor Don S. Davis, who played Lieutenant General George S. Hammond in "SG-1," Anderson's departure is similarly attributed to the star wanting to "spend more time with family and his environmental causes."

For the remaining cast members, the star's exit clearly left a big hole. Speaking to The Companion, executive producer Paul Mullie recalled how "things were definitely different" after Anderson scaled back his involvement, adding:

"There was a gap there for sure because he had been such an integral part of it for so long. But I think the show had sort of grown up around him. At first, it was Richard Dean Anderson and the rest of the show. Then, over time, the rest of the show grows up and he's, like, 'Well, I can leave now and this will stand on its own.' I think that's exactly what happened."

It seems, aside from wanting to spend more time with family, then, Anderson was confident that "SG-1" had grown enough to function without him at the center. After all, this was not "MacGyver." The series didn't technically need Anderson to remain popular — a fact that became clear after "SG-1" continued for multiple seasons following the actor's reduced involvement.