Why Did Kyra Sedgwick Leave ‘The Closer’? Know the Truth

Kyra Sedgwick played the role of Brenda Leigh Johnson in TNT’s The Closer for over seven years.

To date, it is still her biggest work and many people remember her for it. In fact, it got her nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, also winning her the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2010.

However, when the show ended in 2012, it was by Sedgwick’s own decision.

Why Did Kyra Sedgwick Leave The Closer?

When talking to TV Line back in 2011, the actress shared that the seventh season of The Closer would be its last.

“It’s obviously very emotional for me,” she said of her decision to end the show. “Making this decision was really hard.”

Sedgwick revealed the main reason for her decision to bring the show to an end stemmed from The Closer being a procedural.

“At the end of the day, [The Closer] is still a procedural, and I think that probably fits into my decision a bit,” she shared. “Even though there’s all this amazing character stuff, that’s still what it is.”

Sedgwick noted she had mulled over the option for over a year before finally deciding.

Furthermore, she added that it finally came down to her wanting to do other things creatively. “I’m an artist, and I want to express myself in other ways and other places.”

At that time, there was a lot of speculation about her leaving The Closer because of her two children with husband Kevin Bacon. However, she said it wasn’t a factor, as they were already young adults.

Kyra Sedgwick with husband Kevin Bacon (Source: Instagram)

While ending the show after seven successful seasons was a tough choice, Sedgwick shared she was happy with TNT making a spinoff titled Major Crimes.

“I’m really glad that they’re going to go on and do another show,” she said of the spinoff. “That really helps soften the blow.”

Kyra Sedgwick After ‘The Closer’

After The Closer ended, Sedgwick has continued acting in a plethora of movies and TV shows.

Her first notable project following the police procedural series’s end was The Possession: Dybbuk Box documentary.

In it, she plays a protective mother who turns against her estranged ex-husband when their daughter displays bizarre and sinister behavior.

When talking about the project with The Hollywood Reporter, Sedgwick spoke about what she missed from The Closer.

“I really miss the people. I miss being that creatively fulfilled on a daily basis and having to push myself to my absolute limit every day,” she said.

“I’m also grateful that I’m not having to push myself to my limit every single day and have time to actually let my imagination roam to other things and explore other possibilities.”

The actress further added that her dream was to keep doing film with great actors and great directors.

Some of Sedgwick’s more notable works in the recent years are Ten Days in the Valley (2017), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2014-2020), and Call Your Mother (2021).