Jesse Metcalfe: Why He Left Hallmark Chesapeake Shores

Fans of Jesse Metcalfe were no doubt sad to see the last of his character, Trace Riley, on Chesapeake Shores. His last performance on the Hallmark Channel aired on Sunday, August 22, 2021. Jesse has now opened up to reveal why he decided to leave the popular show.

Chesapeake Shores – Jesse Metcalfe Leaves Chesapeake Shores

Fans of Chesapeake Shores were shocked in May to hear that Jesse Metcalfe was leaving the Hallmark show, of which he has been a part since it debuted in 2016. However, it turns out there were a number of factors that went into the actor’s choice to leave. These included the production delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the change in leadership on set.

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Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Jesse said that life is “all about growth.” He said he tends to put himself in challenging situations, because he feels like that is the fastest way to grow. Jesse, 43, said that no one saw this decision coming for him to leave Chesapeake Shores. However, sometimes the hardest decisions are the best ones to make and the “ones that you grow the most from.” According to Metcalfe, he thinks this is one of those decisions.

Jesse said he was “very creatively fulfilled” for four seasons. However, he then felt there wasn’t really anything else he could do with his character. Metcalfe noted that they had gone through three showrunners in the five seasons of the show. He said that getting to know a new showrunner and creating a working relationship with a new person wasn’t necessarily something he wanted to do.

Jesse felt that this was the time to “turn the page” and start the next chapter of his career. He definitely wants to pursue his career in film with greater focus and is always looking for the next challenge. Metcalfe said he is very proud of the work that he did on Chesapeake Shores and is “verY proud to have been a part of a great ensemble cast.”

Chesapeake Shores – Trace And Abby O’Brien Part Ways

Fans saw Trace and Abby (Meghan Ory) parting ways in Sunday’s episode, as he decides to leave town. While Metcalfe is “satisfied” with that ending, he said he didn’t have any conversations with the new showrunner, Phoef Sutton, about how he would be written out of the show.

Jesse said he and Phoef had lunch together prior to the pandemic. When the pandemic did hit, Phoef and his writing team had plenty of time to put together season 5. However, Metcalfe said he never heard from the production side and was given the scripts for the first couple of episodes. He said the “creative relationship” was not really established this time.

The Door Is Still Open

However, Jesse’s fans shouldn’t give up hoping, as he did note that Trace isn’t dead. He said the character could always come back to the show. While he said he certainly doesn’t have a crystal ball, and doesn’t know what the future will bring, he hopes that fans will enjoy season 5.

Metcalfe went on to wish his former and new cast members much success. While he said it is always challenging for a show to get good numbers, he is pulling for Chesapeake Shores. Meanwhile, he is looking to the future and what’s next for Jesse.

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Jesse added that he is “so thankful for the opportunity and for the experience.” He said it was incredible and he hopes to do more great projects with Hallmark. At that stage, Metcalfe added that he certainly hasn’t shut the door. He would definitely be open to returning, as the show is continuing to have new seasons down the line. However, Jesse did say that a lot hinges on season 5 as to how long the show will ultimately run.

Fans can read the full interview on Entertainment Tonight here.

Chesapeake Shores airs Sundays at 8 pm ET/PT on the Hallmark Channel.