ABC's "Scandal" cuts Henry Ian Cusick

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/scandal-season-2-henry-ian-cusick-not-returning-335341

'Scandal's' Henry Ian Cusick Not Returning for Season 2 (Exclusive)
by Lesley Goldberg

Former Lost star Henry Ian Cusick will not be returning for the second
season of ABC's Scandal.

The actor and showrunner Shonda Rhimes came to the mutual decision for
him not to come back for the second year of the D.C.-set political
fixer drama, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Rhimes
and Cusick's parting was described as an amicable split.

Cusick played Stephen Finch on Scandal, a charming ladies' man who
used his (handsome) skillset as a member of Pope & Associates to
obtain information for Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope.

While the character's back story was featured here and there, he was
not a large part of the first season's central story line, which in
addition to cases of the week featured the team working on a scandal
connected to President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn).

The seven-episode freshman drama was renewed in May for a second
season and marks one of three series Rhimes has at the network.

Cusick's departure comes after Rhimes' Private Practiceparted ways
with original cast member Tim Daly, whose contract not picked up for
the medical drama's upcoming sixth season. ABC's Body of Proof also
will return for its third season sans some of its regular cast.
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