Lindsey Morgan reveals why she left Walker in its second season.
In an upcoming episode of Tommy DiDario I’ve never said this before podcast, obtained by The Hollywood Reporteractress — who played Micki Ramirez on the CW series — said her deteriorating health forced her to drop out of the role.
“I had a spinal injury, which affected my nervous system and brainstem,” she said, noting that it left her struggling with crippling anxiety and stress to the point where she was unable to function at work.
Morgan, 34, admitted it was hard to give up “a dream come true” after landing the lead role in the TV series.
“I was really blessed and happy that I started working and I didn’t stop,” she explained. “But, looking back, I realized my mistake in the sense that, like an athlete, I worked, worked, practiced, gave, gave, gave, gave, but did not recover. All my dreams were coming true, and I was a mess. I personally was not in a good place. My anxiety was immense.”
“I feel like I didn’t do a good job. When I look back on it now, it was because I was under a lot of stress in my body – mentally and physically,” she continued. “I was a mess. I couldn’t figure out why. I have all this responsibility on my shoulders and I felt I feel like I’ve let everyone down – including myself.”
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Lindsey Morgan as Micki Ramirez in Walker.
Rebecca Brenneman/The CW
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Morgan said on the show that doctors ultimately gave her two options: continue her stressful 16-hour work day and take lifelong medication to cope; or completely change your lifestyle to reduce or eliminate stress. She said her failing health made her feel like she had failed.
“I’m someone who works really hard and has really high standards and I never want to let anyone down around me,” she said, according to THR. “I felt like I let Jared down [Padalecki] or let the show down, and that was the hardest for me, because it still makes me emotional, which I know is stupid, because I was doing what I needed to do to take care of myself, which is more important. ”
Back in December 2021, the actress announced her exit from the series for the first time, saying so Entertainment Weekly that it was “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life”.
“I really need to take some time to take care of myself and my well-being physically, emotionally and mentally, and review how I got to where I am and make some changes,” she said at the time.
“My life revolved so much around my career, I didn’t take enough care of myself in my 20s,” Morgan told the outlet. “All that work, running and ambition caught up with me and now I’m dealing with a lot of burnout.”
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