Why did Theo James leave the series “Sanditon”? The reason is easier than the fans thought

When it became known in 2021 that Theo James would not return to Sanditon’s 2 and 3 seasons, Fanchats were filled with theories. And the most crazy thing about them sounded as follows: the actor is said to fall in love with the partner in shooting Rose Williams and decided not to hurt his wife and child, to leave the project.

The makers of the series added oil to the fire: they did not look for a new actor for the role of Sidney Parker, but simply killed the character behind the scenes. In season 2 we learn that the hero of Theo James died tragically and Charlotte remains with a broken heart. For some this was an emotional blow, for others it was a long -awaited relief:

“I prefer Sidney in season 2, when he is already dead. The problem is not in the actor – only the character himself behaved terribly with Charlotte,” admits a spectator.

In the meantime, fans dig further.

Someone accused James of the “exchange” of the series for projects with a large budget: the HBO nominal “Time Traveler” and the historic drama “List of Mr. Malcolm” (2022). Both work was not brought to James: the first project was closed after 6 weeks and the second passed almost unnoticed and only received 5.8 points at Kinopoisk.

“He literally refused to return to Sanditon to shine in the” traveler of the traveler “(looks terrible), and now also here. Laughing and alone,” complained one of the viewers.

The real reason to leave is much easier

But what about the actor himself? Theo James explained that he considered Sidney’s story in the final of the first season and called it a “broken, fantastic” end in which the tragedy made the moment unique. According to him, it would be wrong to continue this line.

As a result, the real reason turned out to be much more prosaic than fantasies of fans: the actor simply saw no development for himself in the role, and a dense work schedule became an extra factor to leave.