Eric Millegan Explains to Us All
May 20, 2008 by Lynn
I know, we’re all still in shock aout last night’s season finale. Just now, I got an email from Eric Millegan that tells us how he feels about leaving the regular cast of the show. I won’t paraphrase. Here’s what he says:
Okay. If you’ve seen the season finale, you’ve found out what I found out two months ago. I will no longer be a series regular on “Bones.” Creatively, they decided to carry out this storyline in which my character, Zack, was the apprentice to the Gormogon serial killer. The storyline landed Zack in a psychiatric facility and so he is no longer working at the Jeffersonian. This wasn’t my choice, but I embraced the challenge as an actor.
Over the last two months, I have been auditioning for some very interesting projects and I will keep you informed as to how it all goes. I’m also planning on bringing my cabaret show to NYC before the year is over. Once the date is set, I will let you know. I want to apologize to all of you for the times, over the last two months, in which I’ve had to be vague about still working on the show. I know that I told TV Guide that no one was leaving the show and well, you never know, my character is alive and there’s always the chance that he could return. Maybe they’ll have to visit Zack to help solve a case! I couldn’t tell you the whole truth because I was sworn to secrecy by the producers to tell no one about my leaving the show until now. I hated not being able to tell you (it really really s ucked) but well, unfortunately, it was my job to keep the secret.
There you go. I will really miss being on the show and I will really miss working with my friends David, Emily, Michaela, TJ, John, Tamara, Patricia and company. I loved working with Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan, Barry Josephson and all the other producers, writers, and directors. I enjoyed working with the crew and it was an honor to be a member of the FOX family for 3 years. Finally, thank you for your continued support.
Namaste,
*sniff!* sniff!* How sad…. We’ll miss him on the show!!
[Photo: ©2007 FOX Broadcasting]
bones, tv, Television, Eric Millegan
That´s just sad. I hate, when someone is “kicked” out of the show like this. It will be terrible loss, at least they could go on just with Bren and not hire another anthropologist.
Honestly, I still can´t imagine it without Zach, especially after the beautiful scenes with Bren in hospital, because that was just great. Finally we saw, how she loved Zach.
Not even mentioning, that there won´t be the great, crazy experiments, which Zach did with Hodgins anymore. Wannabe was a shock, complete shock. But Pain… that´s making me sad more and more with every hour.
Well, I hope we´ll see Eric on the show again and soon, I already miss him.
They CAN’T just endear us to such a wonderful character like Zach (remember him singing ‘Love is a Many Splendored Thing’) and then just get rid of him like he’s some expendable extra. I love Booth and I love Brennan but I don’t feel I’ll be as compelled to watch the show as much. It’s obvious the writers don’t have a clue as to what they’re doing or the attachments viewers have to this cast. Just WHO is going to perform explosions, er, EXPERIMENTS in the lab with Hodgins? This is the ascent to the descent of Bones. It’s going to jump the shark. And soon.
NO! That’s too sad, Zack can’t leave. He is one of the best things about this show! Hodgins/Zack is one of my favorite things….like, ever. “Bones” will never be the same.
Thank you, Eric, for letting us know your side of things. It means a lot that you care about your fans enough to give us a good explanation. That being said, I am really upset about your character no longer being on the show. Zack has always been my favorite character because of his dry humor/clulessness and, of course, that he is from Michigan.
I think you are a splendid actor and singer and I wish you well in your future endeavors. I hope to see you return to “Bones” in some way.
And I’m definitely going to write Hart Hanson and tell him that he gave me the worst birthday present ever…
Thanks Eric, thanks for clairying us on that cuz we really were meesed up!!!
We’re really srry u’r leaving the show.You were on the top of the it, be sure of that.And we’ll miss you a loooooooooooooooot a lot ! we’re gonna miss our Pavaroti nd our favourite “smartass” boy.But we think you’re gonna have a great way forward cuz you have the singing talent besides ur amazing way of acting.Hoping you really really good luck on your new way/and we sure are waitin the Bones crew to need ur help, so we could see you again.
Lots of greetings: Eranda nd Marissa
THANK YOU DOCTOR ADDY.
This show will never be the same without you, we’ll miss you SO much… I’ve loved your character, his interactions with the team (Hodgens&Zach were AMAZING), his “weirdness” and his intelligence…I definitely hope to see you again on Bones.
You have shown us what a great actor you are and I really wish you all the best for your next working projects.
Good luck Pavarotti!
We are going to miss him. A LOT. Thanks a lot to Eric for letting us know his pint of view in all this and I’m looking forwards to see him back at some point. As Hart said, we haven’t seen the last of Eric yet. So that gives me hope!
I’m still shocked with him being Gormagon’s apprentice and I know that the squint squad will definitely not be the same without him.
I know this might be considered heresy here. While, I loved the character of Zack Addy. I think that for shows to continue to be successful that periodic changes in the dynamic of the show are necessary.
There are numerous examples of shows that survived the departure of original cast members and continued to evolve for the better.
Here are some examples:
MASH
Cheers
The Law and Order franchises
Homicide Life on the Street
Monk
The dynamic of the show will change but, it is too early to say whether it will be for good or ill.
The inclusion of Clark Edison in place of Zack at the beginning of season three was only a temporary plot device and as such the writters probably did not allocate resources to the development of Zack’s replacement at that time. However, the development of Clark’s character in the Verdict in the Story I would argue is indicative of the ability of the writers to develop new characters.
For example in some of the sides that have been posted on the web there is a character who is one Brennan’s grad’s students who has had four greatly varying careers and is an older male.
Such a male figure would provide a good foil for Brennan and Hodgins, Sweets in the work environment and provide a counselor for the male characters much in the same way Angela counsels the female characters.
WHAT!!!! I might stop watching this show. I LOVE HIM!!!
I have to say, I didn’t like Zack much when I first started watching the show. But the more I watched, the more and more I started to like him.
I was disappointed and a little disgusted with a lot of things in last night’s episode, and Zack being Gorgomon’s apprentance was one of them.
Still, Eric you are an amazing actor and I wish you luck in everything you do. Bones is not going to be the same without you.
what the heck.. in the beginning of the season, they basically said hes irreplaceable.. but now they kicked his character out.. and we all saw that the squints couldnt come up with good results without Zack.. well,i guess i am interested in wuts coming up nxt season.. good luck to u Eric Millegan! great job on bones!
Thanks so much for that Eric.
Im definatly going to miss you on the show. Zach was definatly my next favourite thing (after my Booth/Brennan fangirlness)
I hope we see more then just a little of you on the next season. Failing that, I hope to see you on lots of other shows/movies/whatever
-Love Neochick
Zak is one of my favorite characters and this ending colors things backwards for me. It will be hard to see any of the old episodes and think of him as a killer. WRONG ANSWER. Sloppy ending to the season, strike or no strike.
Eric all the best, peace, light, and positive energy!!!
Zack is my favorite character. I will miss seeing him so much. I hope that this story line, or another one involving Zack, is further developed and that we do get a chance to see him again. I do not think he is in any way replaceable and I am frustrated that the writers did not go another way, but I understand that they may have wanted to change things up, if you will. However, I am really going to miss Zack’s interactions, especially with Hodgins (who is my 2nd fave), but also with the rest of the team. I also wish we could have seen more with Booth. He barely gave Zack the time of day and I know that was because he thought of him as an annoying squint, but I think a one-on-one scene with them would have been nice. I guess there isn’t enough time to include everything.
Thank you Eric for explaining things and letting us know about the details of your departure from the show. I wish you well and will always support you in your endeavors. You are very talented, so I know you won’t have trouble finding roles. I would love to see you in your cabaret show, but since I probably won’t make it to NY anytime soon (I live in LA), I hope I’ll get to see you in some upcoming tv shows and/or movies.
Take care, and best of luck to you, always.
I don’t get to see the episode till May 29th but I unfortuntly found out what’s happening (I Hate Spoilers)
That’s all i can say without seeing the episode.
I wish him good luck and any future tv/movies he does I’ll be sure to watch.
x x
Catrin, the episode wont screen in new zealand for another seven weeks. >< (We are so slow)
This was a most disappointing finale. I hope the writers strike was to blame and things will improve with more time. The whole Gormagon line took a wrong turn in my opinion and making Zach a murderer was a horrible mistake. It looks like lack of creativity to me. Writers can make or break a show – I hope they don’t break this one!
Oh no,that sad.I wish Zach stay on the show for 4 season *Sad*.
You know, the point isn’t just that a favorite character is gone. I wish they had just let him die in the explosion if they just wanted to change things up and get rid of Zach. Instead they made a favorite character – a really likeable, boyish, naive, socially awkward nerd – a murderer. And not just any murderer – the apprentice if a cannibalistic serial murderer. Nice. I hated the season finale for just that reason. This completely came out of nowhere and seems a lazy, sloppy conclusion to the Gormagon storyline that got rushed due to the strike.
I don’t like to be picky about people’s work because I know they must all work very hard because this is a great show but I don’t know what they were thinking. Zack was the best and one of the reasons I started watching. He added an edge of awkwardness and comedy that I think was integral to the dynamic of the show. I just don’t get why they had to taint the character this way. I hope he can be somehow redeemed.
I hope to see Zack again in the future episodes. He added so much of the comical experiments with Hodgins. With all of the “King of the Lab” contests and social ackwardness of Zack now gone, it has definitely made the season finale a bittersweet episode.
The more I think about it, the more I’m disappointed by this years season finale! The loss of Zack is an incredible waste of Eric’s talent and the chemistry and history that his character shares with the rest of the cast. Remember when he cut off his scruffy hair to be more professional? The show has butchered the season with this episode! By rushing the Booth gets shot and Bones doesn’t know story line and by turning one of our favorite sweeties into a villian, Bones has upset this fan.
First time posting just to say — Eric, I’m going to miss you! Thanks for taking the time to explain it all. I’m with you all, this is so sad. I’m totally bummed out about the finale. The storyline did seem rushed, and as much as I love this show, I just didn’t buy that Zack would ever kill someone, unless it was in defense of a loved one. They turned our heroic Zack into… i just don’t know. Seeing Zack drawn into Gormogon’s world could have been fascinating & a great character study, but there was no chance to explore it. The characters on this show are what make it so great. I hope we do get to see Zack again in future episodes & I wish Eric all the best for all the great projects ahead of him – I’ll keep an eye out!!!
I am shocked still about how it turned out, I wasn’t expecting it at all, I am sad but this show is awesome, and they being able to sacrifice a character for a great plot is a good thing, the series evolve and so do its characters. I know a lot of people will not agree with me, but the producers were very brave. Long life to Bones.
Could this whole storyline be a ruse? Could Zack be going undercover for the FBI? Anybody think that might be a possibility?
Afterall they fooled everyone about Booth’s death?
What’s the chance . . .
i loves Zack! his character added something great to the show, i can’t even believe that he will not be on the show anymore!!!!! i hope that they bring him back in future episodes! I loved Zack portraying a smart comical innocent guy trying to be king of the lab with Hodgins. All viewers i think will miss what Zack brought to the show! Wish you much success Eric Millegan!!
I am really perplexed that the writers/producers felt they were in a hole with this character. There were plenty of great stories left to tell about Zack Addy – none of which included cannibalism. Judas on a Pole is my favorite episode and it makes me sad to think of that wonderful character and actor being dispelled of in such a way. Some of the biggest laughs came from Zack in S1 and S2. I think Eric is being valiantly professional and gracious. I’m not anywhere as close to the character of Zack or to the show and I’m pissed.
well, that does it for EVER watching any reruns. what a stupid ending.
I can’t believe that Eric is leaving the show, he is a major part of the ‘Squints’ and it is sad!!! I’ve not seen the final apisode as I am writing this (as I am in the UK and it isn’t aired until next week) but I knew someone was leaving, I just hope it is only “Zack” and not David as he has been shot!
I think the writers of Bones are braindead. The season finale had the most half-assed storyline. Basically, we’re supposed to believe that our delicate Zack was brainwashed by some flesh-eating maniac and convinced to kill people in secret societies, all in the space of one episode. YEAH RIGHT! While I can believe that Zack has a sensitive soul and is easily manipulated, I don’t believe he would fall prey to this because it’s simply not logical. Perhaps secret societies are detrimental to the whole of society but WHY EAT THEM?!?! Not to mention all the other ritualistic BS too, like the canine dentures, why would Zack take part in that? Now, Zack only admitted to stabbing a guy, not eating him, but that is kinda the whole point of being the Gormagon’s apprentice. You carry on his sick BS into a new generation. If I were to envision Zack as a killer, he would be a clean methodical killer, not a cannibal. I know this is all kind of off-topic and probably not the most appropriate place for this review but I just needed to vent. I’m really upset Zack is leaving the show. While he wasn’t my favorite character, I thought he was an essential part of the show and that out of all the characters he had the most potential for development (lazy writers.)
I was sooo depressed after watching that finale, ya never know, maybe the writers have something big coming up involving a big shock, realizing he was trying to cover for one of his mates or somthing?! Did we actually get TOLD what he did to get sent home from iraq? And hodgins knew Zack was Gormogon’s apprentice before Booth and Bones, in the hospital, Zack was trying to tell Angela and Hodgins why he was the only one who could have switched the jars and Hodgins pressed the painkiller button until Zack was knocked out. Ya never really know what the writers have up their sleeves, dont lose hope in Bones!
i’m very sad, and shocked.
i don’t understand why he leaving the show.
it was very very stupid ending
I think this was bad writing and agree with cenovis and misspris. That was out of character for Zack, and the whole concept was contrived and ridiculous. It’s as if they rushed things and didn’t think it through.
Terrible writing and a stupid creative decision. Zach was the innocent par excellence. There was absolutely no foreshadowing of this – as Hitchcock would bemoan; surprise rather than suspense. What was the message supposed to be here? The week before Zach was singing away quite merrily; and meantime stabbed someone quite coldly in the heart and was going around faking evidence and collecting bones for his master? Come on guys, please. This is screenwriting 101 material that should have been handed back with a ‘try harder next time’ grade. If you can’t do better than this, get a job in a Supermarket and let someone who can really write have a go. I’ve been a fan a long time and I’m strongly disinclined to watch the show any more.
Yup, jumped the shark on this one for sure. Just not believable in the least that Zach would join Gormagon. Great acting on Eric’s part and the rest of the cast though. That was the only redeeming thing about the episode. Still hoping they will fix this mess somehow.
I need Eric 2 come bak 2 Bones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I <3 Zack and he rox and the Gormagon crap didnt make sense 2 begin with!!!!!!!!! imagine Bones w/ out Zack!!!!!!!!! I guess ppl cant ‘cuz Zaccaroni would never do anything like that!!!!!! poor Eric, he didnt want 2 leave!!!!! it is the pain in my heart and every1elses i’l misss him 2 much!!!!!!!!
I am a chinese girl who are carzy zbout this episode , and zack is my favourite charactor, the bones won’t be the same without you, how could they do that to you, that’s not necessary at all , what’s the matter? I even don’t have enough incentive to watch the bones without you , and I can’t go to NYC, which means I would miss your show, how sad! Hope I can say you in other intereating porjects, I have toally faith in you ability.
I am totally peeved!! What a completely wretched, non-sensical thing to do to such a sweet, beloved character. As much as I love Bones, I am really soured on it now! The writers had better find some way to reedeem (and/or bring back entirely) Zack. What a waste of a fabulous talent. I can’t see the show recovering from this in my eyes.
I can’t believe that Zack is gone; and it wasn’t even his choice. I love Zack with all if my heart. He is the main reason why I watch the show. I love Zack and I will still watch the show hoping that I will see or even hear about Zack Addy.
I was so angry when I saw Zack’s character being written out of the show. What were the writers thinking?? Shame on them!!! I hope they can prove themselves and bring Zack back…. Let’s hope it was all a bad dream one of the characters was having!! Let’s have the BRING ZACK BACK STRIKE!!!
I was absolutely sick after that ridiculous season finale! What an unbelievable twist! Made no sense for Zach’s character and I think the writers blew it big time! This season has been so-so and I sure hope it picks up or they’ve lost viewership! And the whole Jack/Angela breakup was also a turnoff. Loved their romance! The idea posted by Sue last May 21st that Zach’s gone undercover for the FBI…now that’s great writing! She needs to be a Bones writer!!!!
I have not watched Bones at all this season because of what they did with Zach.
Seems to me that when the writers take away one of the main reasons for watching a show, it is only logical to stop watching the show. It appears logical that the only way to make a point with those in charge of changing things that frustrate us, the viewer is to hit them in the pocket book. I will stop watching this show and stop buying the products aired on the show.
I think it was a mistake to take Eric ie Zack off of the show. It is still one of my favorite shows but I truely miss Eric and T.J. and their King of the Lab. I find it hard to believe the show being as highly rated as it is, can’t afford his salary or what ever. He Sorely missid.
I was really bummed out when Zack was injured and then triple that when he was revealed to be Gormagon’s apprentice. I just don’t see that as an organic plot development. Zack was weird and a bit robotc, but he was deeply moral and, well, you know the rest. I thought it was a crummy way to resolve that plot line. I hope Zack is somehow exonerated and brought back. And I wish Millegan well in his future endeavors.
I loved Eric on the show. I have to admit, I was never really interested in the show. My parents said I should watch it, and when I did, I fell in love with it because of him. I don’t really want to watch it anymore now that he is gone. He is an extraordinary actor. I would certainly love to meet him one day! He’s too cute!
why zack!!!?
awww I love the personaje, awww, when I saw the episodio I did cry!, because I could not believe!, and when say that dav died, I cried!! jaajaja
but I guess the serie is not the same because zack is not there
Well, I believe it’s the standard, dump on the gay guy type thing that always happens. The writers don’t want to be brave enough to develop the character in the obvious natural direction he was going (it was obvious he was gay) instead of letting it happen, and growing a secondary beautiful love story. They dump him with some lame out of character thing and expect the general populace to buy it.
I tried watching the show without Zack and to honest it is very different, and very dull. I don’t watch it anymore. And by the dramatically decreased ratings, the core audience didn’t like the change either.
I am an amateur writer, and even I know you don’t get rid of your most colorful characters.
Zack was the main reason I watched Bones. I got bored of the whole will they won’t they of Booth and Bones. (I still do honestly.) And watching it now, it’s not the same anymore. Why does everyone else get to be so super close and have great story lines and Zack gets put in the loony bin?
I was excited the one time since he was locked up that they showed him getting out. I LOVED that he was able to get himself out and tricked Sweets etc. And I like the reveal they did. Now he needs to have everyone find out somehow and get him back to the Jeffersonian or something. It’s not the same without him. Without Zack it’s quite honestly become all sappy love story drama between the other four. Zack should have gotten some kind of love story or something. Hell, even Sweets got two different love story things with two different girl. What gives? BRING ZACK BACK!!!
estuvo bueno esa parte de la historia, me gusto, pero que no lo saquen de la serie, yan q es un personaje que le cae bien a todos