NCIS: New Orleans - Why did Lucas Black leave the CBS police procedural? Star's exit revisited

NCIS: New Orleans, a spin-off of CBS's most popular police procedural NCIS, has seen many cast entries and exits throughout its seven-season run. But Lucas Black's Christopher LaSalle will always have a special place for fans.

Debuting in September 2014, the spin-off was planned after the groundbreaking hit of its predecessor, and it also proved itself fairly. Black is well known for his character, Sean Boswell, in the Fast and Furious franchise, Friday Night Lights, American Gothic, and Chicago Hope.

He left NCIS: New Orleans in Season 6 to spend more time with his wife and children, which he could not do earlier due to a busy shooting schedule.

More on Lucas Black's character in NCIS: New Orleans in our story.

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Exploring Lucas Black's character on NCIS: New Orleans

Lucas Black's Christopher LaSalle was a Senior Feild Agent, who was introduced in Season 1. He was the primary aid to Scott Bakula's Dwayne Pride and was thus a major part of the show.

Like many main characters in a police procedural, LaSalle is also given a troubled backstory to make the audience feel connected and sympathetic towards him. His high-school girlfriend Savannah was revealed to have been murdered in Season 1, an incident which left a deepening mark on him.

After Savannah's death, LaSalle did not engage in any serious relationships throughout New Orleans. However, he did have many casual ones on the show.

However, his character was killed off after Black decided to leave the procedural in Season 6. In Episode 6, while he was investigating his brother's murder, he was shot and killed by the Alabama drug ring.

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NCIS: New Orleans concluded with Season 7, after LaSalle's death

When LaSalle was shot, he was rushed to the hospital, but since the decision was already made, he did not make it out alive, and fans lost one of their beloved characters in NCIS: New Orleans.

The fans did not take Black's character dying positively, and while shows still survive their main protagonist's death, NCIS: New Orleans was not one of them. While US viewer ratings spiked in Season 6 during LaSalle's death arch, peaking in Episode 10, it failed to continue after that.

Fans showed their protest through social media for killing LaSalle's character, and ultimately, the show was concluded in Season 7, after Black's exit in Season 6.

In a 2021 interview with Express, Black opened up on his decision to leave New Orleans, stating that he used to work 70 hours a week, which was not good for his family life:

“All throughout my career there was a concern, because I would observe how the entertainment industry would destroy families, and destroy families.''

He added:

“The way it’s run, you’re travelling, it’s a very fast pace, lots of long hours, especially in television.”

After pondering for a while, he decided to bid goodbye to his character and spend more time with his family.

And looks like he was serious about his decision because Black has not done major movies or TV shows after his departure from New Orleans. He reprised his character for cameos in Fast and Furious 7 and 9, but apart from this, he has not appeared in major projects.

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