‘The Originals’ Claire Holt On Leaving: ‘I Wasn’t Pushed Out!’

Claire Holt’s random appearances on The Vampire Diaries seemed to be at an end, when the creators debuted The Originals and there finally seemed to be a show tailored to Ms. Holt’s passionate, if sometimes misguided, vampire, Rebekah Mikaelson. Everything seemed fine, as The Originals started, and Claire, along with co-stars Joseph Morgan and Daniel Gillies, fell into the beginnings of a compelling ensemble cast, but it soon seemed obvious that Ms. Holt wouldn’t be utilized as regularly as her Originals co-stars.

Following sporadic appearances throughout the first season of The Originals, Claire Holt was ultimately replaced on The Originals through a unique subplot that had Holt’s character, Rebekah Mikaelson, switching bodies with Eva Sinclair. The Originals then introduced Maisie Richardson-Sellers as the new Rebekah.

Speculation bounded, as Claire was lost and The Originals moved on without her, as most theories suggested that The Originals‘ writers had run out of ideas for her character and had used the Eva Sinclair storyline to force Ms. Holt off of The Originals.

Claire responds to such conjecture with as much passion as the mythic vampire she once played on The Originals had so often displayed in response to her brother Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and his devious plots.

“It’s ludicrous. I want to be very clear that they didn’t run out of material, I wasn’t pushed out, I wasn’t fed up with Rebekah, I didn’t quit mid-season, there was no drama, there was no rift between cast members; it really came down to the fact that I completed my initial commitment and made a life choice, not a career choice.”

In truth, Claire was homesick. She missed her family and her friends. The Originals is filmed in New Orleans, making it difficult for Ms. Holt to travel home.

“This show has been so amazing for my career, and I’ve had such unbelievable material,” Ms. Holt said. “It was just never my intention to be away from home this long.”

“It was a tough choice that I didn’t fully make it right up until the end, because I was enjoying myself so much. But three seasons later, I realized I hadn’t been home to Australia in years, I hadn’t seen my family, and I hadn’t spent time with the people I loved,” Ms. Holt said. “But I want to make it so clear that this show has such a special place in my heart. I am so glad I was able to do The Originals, and I want to be a part of that family for a long time.”

As any fan of The Originals knows, Claire Holt’s departure was done in such a way that allowed for Rebekah to return to her former body at any time, but does that mean Ms. Holt is open to returning to The Originals in the future?

“I am simply looking at this as a temporary absence.”

[Featured image: Claire Holt courtesy of Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]