The Real Reason Bebe Neuwirth Left Madam Secretary

If "The West Wing," "Veep," and "Madam Secretary" taught us anything, it's that behind every good (or not so good) politician is an army of staff members attempting to keep them out of trouble and on message. For Madam Secretary — and later President — Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni), the person leading that army for four years was her Chief of Staff Nadine Tolliver, played by screen and stage legend Bebe Neuwirth.

Between 2014 and 2017, Neuwirth brought the steely-eyed glare and sharp wit that she polished as Lilith on "Cheers" and "Frasier" to the unflappable Nadine. But unlike Lilith, Nadine had a warm side, and she did let her hair down, figuratively and metaphorically. She quickly became a fan favorite, and when Neuwirth left the show after four seasons, audiences wondered why.

Nadine's final scenes had all the answers about the character's decision to resign her prestigious post. Having grown tired of the viciousness that goes with politics, she decided to leave D.C. for San Francisco, to be near her son and her soon-to-be-born grandchild. But the explanation behind Neuwirth's departure was less clear-cut. Here's the real reason Bebe Neuwirth left "Madam Secretary."

Sometimes, an actor leaves a show because the writers run out of compelling storylines for their character. That wasn't the case with Neuwirth, who has revealed that she left "Madam Secretary" of her own accord. Nadine's final appearance came in the third episode of Season 4, and on the night of its airing, Neuwirth took to social media to address her exit. She posted three tweets in which she praised the show and told fans that she was going to miss her character. She also thanked the network, writing, "So grateful to @CBS for accepting my request to depart @MadamSecretary and writing a beautiful exit for me. #IllmissNadine."

Of course, a lot of actors choose to remain publicly amicable towards their show and network after leaving, no matter what really went down. For example, fans initially believed that the real reason Pauley Perrette left "NCIS" was because she wanted to start a skincare line, something Perrette denied. She indicated that there were no hard feelings, but after her final episode aired in May 2018, Perrette claimed that she left because of her strained relationship with Mark Harmon. Perrette alleged that Harmon's dog attacked someone on set and that they clashed afterward, leading to them filming their scenes separately. It goes to show that we don't always get the full story, but when it comes to Neuwirth's departure from "Madam Secretary," it seems as though the veteran actress simply wanted a new challenge.

Bebe Neuwirth has remained busy since leaving "Madame Secretary," dividing her time between the big screen, the small screen, and the stage. On television, she's recurred as Kelly Peterson on "Blue Bloods," voiced Baba in the Adult Swim animated series "Teenage Euthanasia," and played Avis in the HBO comedy drama "Julia." She's popped up in "The Good Fight" as Judge Claudia Friend, who she first played in "The Good Wife," and she also reprised her role as Dr. Lilith Sternin for the "Frasier" revival.

In the film world, Neuwirth also reprised a classic role, making a cameo appearance as Nora in "Jumanji: The Next Level." In 1995's "Jumanji," Neuwirth's Nora becomes the guardian of her nephew Peter (Bradley Pierce) and her niece Judy (Kirsten Dunst) after the death of their parents. One of her most notable recent big screen roles came in Lin-Manuel Miranda's feature directorial debut "Tick, Tick... Boom!," based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson.

Of course, Neuwirth is no stranger to the stage herself: Her second home has always been Broadway. She's a two-time Tony winner, having scooped awards for her turns in "Sweet Charity" and "Chicago" back in the '80s and '90s, respectively. In 2024, she was nominated for a third Tony for her performance as the lovelorn Fraulein Schneider in the revival of "Cabaret." While reaction to the revival itself was lukewarm, Neuwirth scored rave reviews across the board. Theater Mania called her performance "lucid and powerful," while Theatrely called her "astounding" in the role.