Why Did Simon Rex Leave the CW Show 'What I Like About You'?

Thanks to the multitude of streaming platforms available to consumers, new generations of viewers are now becoming privy to shows they missed the boat on when they originally aired. One such example is What I Like About You, which originally aired on the CW back in 2002.

While it went on for four seasons and 86 episodes, one of the show's main characters, played by Simon Rex, wasn't in subsequent seasons. So why did he leave What I Like About You?

There's been speculation around Rex's departure of the show for years. Some thought that the actor's exit may have just been a creative direction on behalf of production. His character, Jeff, was only slated to be involved for a single season, and that was that.

But others thought that since he was effectively a "founding" member of the series, along with Amanda Bynes, Jennie Garth, and Wesley Jonathan, that he would've been part of each and every episode of the show. However, this didn't turn out to be the case.

Us Weekly writes that Rex didn't directly address his departure from the series, and that audiences believe that "his storyline just ran its course." However, the outlet did pen an interesting quote from the actor while he was promoting his 2021 movie Red Rocket, for which he received a lot of praise.

"In America, we love watching someone rise — then fail. And then we love watching them come back. Americans love the cycle. It's just more interesting. In the past, I was distracted by women and parties, always chasing pleasure. But for the first time in my life, I'm focused on creating meaningful work — and on humility. It took me a long time to become a good Jewish man, but I'm finally there."

Rex went on to add: "I lived in Hollywood, surrounded by beautiful women and endless parties. I'd show up to auditions hungover — I wasn't taking my work seriously. As I got older, my body and mind just couldn't keep up with that lifestyle anymore. So I told myself, 'OK, it's time to grow up.' I'm lucky to be a working actor, and now all my energy is focused on my craft."

Despite ruminating on his past, Rex states that he's "at peace with [his] regrets," saying, "If I had done things differently, I wouldn't be here now."

Forum posts from Sitcoms Online captured fan disappointment upon learning that Rex would no longer be on the series.

One person in a September 2003 thread wrote: "Where is Simon? I hope he didn't quit!" Someone else replied that "he didn't quit, he was written out. I went to the taping of the season [2] premiere episode, and the warm-up comedian guy said that he was written out because him and Valerie broke up."

To which another person penned that they were upset to hear he was leaving the show: "Out of all the characters, I wouldn't have expected his character to leave, even if they did break up, but that's just me," they penned.

Following his turn as Mikey in Red Rocket, Simon went on to act in a series of projects, including My Dead Dad, Snapt, Down Low, Americana, Bupkis, and The Sweet East.

He played Russ Waddell in an episode of Poker Face, and also starred alongside Bryan Cranston in Everything's Going to be Great. His latest flick, Easy's Waltz, also featured a star-studded cast, with Rex sharing the screen with Cobie Smulders, Mary Steenburgen, Al Pacino, Kate Mara, Vince Vaughn, Shania Twain, and Shane Gillis.