Josh Charles Explains Exit From 'The Good Wife', Held Secret For Over A Year

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Sunday's episode of the show The Good Wife featured an unexpected twist that has fans of the series reacting deeply.

The character Will Gardner, played by actor Josh Charles, was surprisingly and shockingly killed off from the show after being shot by a client in a courtroom scene.

As was revealed on The Late Show with David Letterman, the character's demise was reportedly due to Charles' decision not to extend his contract on the show.

"At the end of last year, my contract was up, and I was just kind of ready to move on," Charles said on David Letterman's Late Show.

More shocking than his character's death, however, may be the fact that Charles' decision to leave the show was kept a secret so well for over a year.

"It is kind of amazing (that) we've been able to keep it a secret for an entire year," Charles said. "I told some family members that I know could keep a secret — which is a very few."

According to Marques, even producers for The Late Show were unaware of the plot twist, which was filmed in January, when Charles was booked for the show.

One of the few people who were aware of the direction of the show was actress and fellow co-star, Julianna Margulies.

"I cried. I have known Josh for a long, long time, and when I heard he would be leaving, I called the producers and said 'how about we try and keep him for at least half of next year, and write his character out'," Margulies said. "Out of that came this incredible writing."

While Charles left his role as Will Gardner, he has not left the show entirely, as he is slated to direct an upcoming episode later in the season.