1. George Reeves
George Reeves became the beloved small-screen Superman in Adventures of Superman (1952–1958), capturing hearts with charm and heroism. But behind the cape, Reeves struggled deeply. He grew frustrated by being typecast, earning little while the show soared in popularity. He felt his dramatic ambitions were eclipsed by his comic-book image, and by age 40 he was aching for something more nuanced. That creative suffocation led Reeves to turn down renewing his contract, pursue independent projects, and even step behind the camera. Sadly, that longing to escape Superman and to have a real career may have influenced the despair that preceded his tragic and mysterious death in 1959 at just 45 years old.
2. Tina Louise
Tina Louise shot to fame as Ginger Grant on Gilligan’s Island (1964–1967), but to her it was both blessing and curse. She quickly grew dissatisfied when Ginger’s character became caricatured, sarcastic and superficial, diverting from her hopes for more depth. Louise even voiced her concerns early on, leading to a change in writing, but the damage was done for her. Refusing to be boxed in, she skipped all three back-to-back reunion movies in the late ’70s and resented fan events and conventions. While she later softened, eventually calling Ginger “a joy,” she remained committed to carving out a serious career beyond that iconic swimsuit role.
3. Adam West
Adam West’s deadpan portrayal of Batman in the iconic 1966 series made him a legend, but it also trapped him. He became the poster boy for camp, unsure how to find roles afterward. In a 1988 interview, West admitted he rushed into films hoping to break free, but his Batman label “kept coming back to haunt him,” like an “albatross” around his neck. West spent years trying to escape that shadow, auditioning for countless roles and stepping away when offers were clearly tied to the same campy persona. But over time, he made peace with it, embracing reprised cameo work and voice roles in animated Batman projects.
4. Sally Struthers
As Gloria Stivic on “All in the Family” (1971–1979), Sally Struthers became “America’s daughter,” delivering heartfelt and powerful scenes. Yet behind that success, she felt stifled by the show’s tone and her character’s frequent tears. She often had only a few repetitive lines per episode and was left out of major creative decisions by the writers and creator Norman Lear. Struthers noted that she felt undervalued (“the fourth banana,” she said), even suing to break her contract after five seasons, though ultimately she lost those efforts. She later admitted that the lack of depth in her early episodes left her longing for more meaningful engagement, and greater recognition.
5. Robert Reed
Robert Reed, a seasoned Shakespearean actor, took on The Brady Bunch but was soon sinking under the show’s simplistic scripts. He frequently clashed with creator Sherwood Schwartz, sending handwritten memos pointing out unrealistic motivations or laughable gags. Reed believed the material deserved more depth, even refusing to appear in the series finale when a cartoonish hair-plot went unchanged. Behind the scenes, this frustration wasn’t personal, Florence Henderson recalled Reed loved working with the cast, but creative: he thought blending farce with sitcom flatness was beneath the show’s potential. He yearned for nuance and authenticity, not bubblegum clichés, and his departure left a legacy of what a sitcom could, but didn’t, become.
6. Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery radiated charm as Samantha in Bewitched, but over time, she vented about the formulaic scripts and stunted writing. After her husband and show creator Bill Asher stepped away, the sitcom leaned heavily into gimmicks rather than character depth, something Montgomery quietly resented. In private interviews, she reflected on how Samantha’s perfect life masked bigger emotional truths, like repression and unexpressed potential, but found the scripts rarely explored these undercurrents. She longed for her character to evolve, not just fly in the same loops she’d been cast in since 1964.
7. Bill Bixby
Bill Bixby poured his heart into playing Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk, but behind the scenes, the focus squarely rested on the green creature, not the man behind it. Bixby found the physical grind of filming grueling, daily transformations and heavy prosthetics eventually wore on him. In interviews, co-stars and crew describe him as meticulous and committed, yet often frustrated when Banner’s emotional depth took a backseat to CGI and stunts. Bixby longed for dramatic moments that honored his performance, but in the end, it was the Hulk who always got the spotlight.
8. Ron Howard
Ron Howard began Happy Days as the all-American Richie Cunningham, but it wasn’t long before The Fonz claimed center stage. As Henry Winkler’s charisma soared, studio executives shifted focus away from Richie, Howard admitted he was treated with “disrespect” and felt like a “secondhand citizen” on his own show. Though Richie remained beloved, Howard says that experience fueled his ambition to direct his own stories, so much so that he left after season 7 to pursue filmmaking. His departure speaks volumes: Richie was his start, but not his destiny, and moving behind the camera became his true calling.
9. Richard Dawson
Richard Dawson brought charm and boldness to both Hogan’s Heroes (as Cpl. Peter Newkirk) and Family Feud (as the flamboyant host). Off-camera, however, he had a reputation for being hard to work with, intelligent and competitive, he knew when to choose his battles. On Family Feud, he pushed boundaries with his kissing gimmick, TV executives pushed back, but audiences loved it, and he defended his choices: “kissed for love and luck”. Still, his ego caused friction both at game shows and during Hogan’s Heroes reruns, where he reportedly burned bridges with producers and colleagues frustrated by his relentless intensity.
This story 9 Stars from ’60s and ’70s TV Shows Who Hated Their Most Famous Role was first published on Daily FETCH
