Downton Abbey Season Three Finale (with spoilers)

Actor Dan Stevens opts out at the end of his contract...

Dan Stevens explains why he left Downton Abbey.

We can all think of actors who opted early out of successful acting gigs and franchises (which is tough considering how hard it is to be a paid actor who can pay their bills in the first place).

This does not even consider actors who turned down great movie and stage roles.  Or actors who chose poorly in taking a role.  Which just goes to say deciding what to do with acting gigs is tough.  That said, if you are in a good show, run with it.