Riverdale shocked fans when the show announced Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols would not be returning as series regulars for the fifth season of The CW show. Now Ulrich is shocking fans with the real reason why he left.
The exits were announced in February before The CW confirmed the series would be skipping college and jumping ahead in time to feature the teen characters as young adults.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the friendships I've made on Riverdale, and I will miss seeing everyone on a daily basis," Ulrich said in a statement to E! News. "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."
While he hinted at exploring "creative opportunities," Ulrich took it a step further during an Instagram live stream with girlfriend Megan Blake Irwin.
"I'm leaving Riverdale because I got bored creatively," Ulrich said. "How's that? The most honest answer."
Ulrich joined the show as FP Jones, father of Cole Sprouse's Jughead Jones, in a recurring role in season one. He was upped to series regular in season two.
Riverdale will return for a fifth season in January 2021. The CW announced it is holding the premieres of new and returning shows until next year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The fifth season will pick up where season four left off, completing high school for Archie (KJ Apa) and the crew before jumping ahead in time.
"Season five of Riverdale will begin with our characters' final days as students at Riverdale High. From an epic Senior Prom to a bittersweet Graduation, there are a lot of emotional moments and goodbyes yet to come—with some couples breaking up, as everyone goes their separate ways to college—or elsewhere," The CW said in a release. "Then, we will redock with our gang as young adults, all returning to Riverdale to escape their troubled pasts. And life—and romance—will only be more complicated now that they're in their twenties…"