The real reason 'Riverdale' star Skeet Ulrich left the teen drama and his rocky relationship with fame
'Riverdale' star Skeet Ulrich was a 90's heartthrob. His journey to fame was meteoric. He was constantly compared to Johnny Depp, a comparison he was absolutely uncomfortable with. (He opined Depp was way better and there was never a need to compare). “There are certainly worse people to be compared to … I always thought he was a very good-looking guy," he said in a 2017 interview.
"It hurt when people compared our acting and [said] I’m not half the actor he is. And yet I think I’ve done some stuff he couldn’t do. He also did — what was it called, [with] Angelina Jolie? The Tourist. So we all have ‘em."
Blessed with a wiry, athletic build, and an intense gaze, Ulrich could melt hearts with consummate ease. Yet, his relationship with fame was always like riding a car on a bumpy stretch. Ulrich is synonymous with 'Scream' as a serial killer who licked the blood off his fingertips like ketchup.
The reason why Ulrich is being talked about at the moment is for his comment of "being creatively bored". The 50-year-old cited this as the reason for leaving 'Riverdale', The CW's most subversive and audacious teen drama that he was an integral part of. He played FP Jones, a jailbird father of Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). Again this was a recurring character role where he was first introduced as a pipin' hot mess of a dad.
But he was one of those top characters who built a solid fan base ever since his introduction. Drunkard. Gang leader. Father. Sheriff. The character evolution was stellar since his official move up as series regular. Midway through season 4. Ulrich and co-star, Marisol Nichols dropped a shocker when they said they would be exiting the show.
In a heartfelt statement to E!, he wrote: "I'm incredibly grateful for the friendships I've made on Riverdale, and I will miss seeing everyone on a daily basis. I'm proud to have been part of such a talented group of people, in front of the camera and behind. But I've decided that it's time for me to move on to explore other creative opportunities."
However, in a recent Daily Mail report, he dropped another bomb while on Instagram Live, explaining his abrupt decision to leave the show."I'm leaving Riverdale because I got bored creatively. How's that? That's the most honest answer." And that will surely come as a disappointment for fans.
Ulrich's rocky relationship goes way back to his early acting days. There was a time when he was on a break of sorts. In an interview with Patti Greco from the Cosmopolitan, he said, "I’m sure [my distance from the scene] hurt me in the long run — when you’re not in producers’ faces when you’re not at the parties and all that stuff, it took its toll, for sure. But I wouldn’t trade it." He also added: "I stockpiled some money on a couple of movies I shouldn’t have been a part of."
This was followed by a move back to television. Call it rotten luck as he was hamstrung by some projects that never really took off. ABC's Miracles in 2003 was canceled after six episodes. 'Jericho' (CBS, 2003) was taken, revived owing to fan demand, and pushed down again. 'Law & Order' was great until the time his character was killed off. 'Riverdale' could be rightfully looked at his stratosphere-level rise in recent times. Except, he won't be coming in as a series regular anymore.
That said, there is still hope for 'Riverdale' fans as showrunner, Aguirre-Sacasa, in an interview with TVLine has said Ulrich and Nichols will be back to complete the arcs after season 4 didn't complete filming due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. The first few episodes of the next season will see the storylines of season 4 tied up and that means there is that chance of Ulrich fans seeing him again.