The Originals: Claire Holt Sets Record Straight on Why She Left

Fans were shocked earlier this month when The Originals star Claire Holt suddenly exited the show before the end of Season 1. Though some speculated that Rebekah Mikaelson's story line had run dry, Holt set the record straight at Saturday's PaleyFest event.

The Originals shocker: Which series regular has left the show?

"I wasn't pushed out," she said. "I didn't quit midseason. This was something we discussed form the start. I made a life choice, not a career choice. I made a choice to come home for a while. I realized I hadn't seen people that I loved and cared about for a while. It was so tough for me."

The last we saw of Rebekah, her brother Klaus (Joseph Morgan) had vowed to kill her after discovering that she had brought their dastardly father to New Orleans in the past. But the two came to a détente, with Klaus setting Rebekah free. Fortunately, that's not the last time we'll see Rebekah. see more

New Episode of ‘The Originals:’ Claire Holt Reveals Real Reason for Leaving

The Originals is all new tonight, and things are not looking good for Rebekah. Speaking of, Claire Holt recently opened up about the real reasons why she is leaving the series.
In tonight’s new episode of The Originals, Rebekah gets a taste of her own medicine. The official plot synopsis for tonight’s new episode, titled “Long Way Back from Hell,” reads:
“Rebekah gets locked up in a sanatorium where she worked in 1919. A witch seeks revenge against her and plans to reveal dark secrets that could destroy Rebekah if exposed. Meanwhile, Elijah makes a decision that puts Klaus and Rebekah in further danger.”

Earlier in the month, it was announced that Rebekah actress Claire Holt decided to leave the show. Rumors about the reasons behind Claire’s departure from the series began to fly.
Recently, Holt opened up to Buzzfeed about why she left, shooting down the rumors that writers ran out of material for her:
“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...This show has been so amazing for my career, and I’ve had such unbelievable material, it was just never my intention to be away from home this long.”
She went on to add that she plans to return to the show somewhere down the road: See more

Vampire Diaries actor Claire Holt quits spin-off to return home

It isn't an easy choice for anyone, but Australian actress Claire Holt has revealed she quit the hit The Vampire Diaries spin-off, The Originals, because the time had come to choose family over work.
"It was a tough choice that I didn't fully make it right up until the end, because I was enjoying myself so much," she said.
"I realised 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."
Holt was one one of the stars of the series, about ancient vampires living in modern day New Orleans. Prior to that she starred in the show's parent series, The Vampire Diaries, for three years.

Holt played "original vampire" Rebekah Mikaelson in the series. She was one of two Australians with roles in the series; the other is her former H20: Just Add Water co-star Phoebe Tonkin, who plays werewolf Hayley Marshall.
Both shows are filmed in Atlanta, a location which has kept Holt from seeing her family in Australia and Los Angeles.
"This show has been so amazing for my career, and I've had such unbelievable material, it was just never my intention to be away from home this long," Holt told the US entertainment news website BuzzFeed.
In the US both series air on The CW network. In Australia, they are owned by the Nine Network.
Holt indicated her departure from the series may not be permanent.
"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," she said. "I am simply looking at this as a temporary absence."
Her comments come after speculation in the US media that she was frustrated with the material in the series, or that the show's producers had run out of ideas for the character. See more

'The Originals' PaleyFest panel: Claire Holt's 'temporary hiatus,' Joseph Morgan talks 'Klaroline' and more scoop revealed

When the cast of The CW's "The Originals" took to the stage for their PaleyFest panel on Saturday (March 22), the main question on every fan's mind was about Rebekah's recent exit from New Orleans and the show in general. Claire Holt decided to put the topic to rest once and for all, explaining how it was actually her decision to leave the series, and that had been the plan since the very beginning of "The Vampire Diaries" spinoff.

"As far as I'm concerned, this is a temporary hiatus," Holt says. "I'm taking a little vacation in the sun but I'm going to return to my New Orleans family. I just want to make it clear to everyone that these incredibly talented writers did not run out of story. They never will."

In fact, Holt made sure to let fans know that she wasn't "pushed out," or that she "quit mid-season."

"This was something that we'd discussed from the start, and I completed my initial commitment," Holt explains. "And I made a life choice, and not a career choice. I made a choice to come home for a little while and I realized that I hadn't seen people that I loved and cared about for a long time and it was so tough for me. And it really was a toss-up right to the very end, and even having this little space that I've had, I do realize that I am so not ready to let go of the Mikaelsons. And so I hope that there's many more stories to tell." See more

The Originals: Claire Holt Sets Record Straight on Why She Left

Claire Holt
Fans were shocked earlier this month when The Originals star Claire Holt suddenly exited the show before the end of Season 1. Though some speculated that Rebekah Mikaelson’s story line had run dry, Holt set the record straight at Saturday’s PaleyFest event.
The Originals shocker: Which series regular has left the show?
“I wasn’t pushed out,” she said. “I didn’t quit midseason. This was something we discussed form the start. I made a life choice, not a career choice. I made a choice to come home for a while. I realized I hadn’t seen people that I loved and cared about for a while. It was so tough for me.”
The last we saw of Rebekah, her brother Klaus (Joseph Morgan) had vowed to kill her after discovering that she had brought their dastardly father to New Orleans in the past. But the two came to a détente, with Klaus setting Rebekah free. Fortunately, that’s not the last time we’ll see Rebekah. See more

'The Originals' CW Cast Reveals Spoilers For Episode 7 as Show is Picked Up For Full Season, Tyler's Klaus Revenge Has 'The Vampire Diaries' Michael Trevino Hinting Hayley will 'Absolutely' be Killed?

The CW hits series "The Originals" which just got picked up for a full season has only begun to wow us as one of its reoccurring cast members dished some juicy spoilers for episode 7 "Bloodletting."
Tyler who is played by Michael Trevino in "The Vampire Diaries" has crossed over to New Orleans where he plans to kill Klaus, but the actor recently revealed that the vampire hybrid may not be his only victim.
The actor said that this time around Tyler will be more prepared to face off with Klaus compared to his last failed attempt.
Trevino explained to TVGuide, "Here the tactics are more psychological because he's coming with a little bit of information and background on Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin), something we don't know about her yet ... and it's going to affect a lot of people."
As far as Tyler's relationship with Hayley goes, the actor insists the reunion will not be a joyful one. Trevino admitted, "It's not good. She backstabbed him, and so Tyler is really coming to New Orleans as a villain."
As a villain Tyler will seek revenge and he may use Hayley to do it. The actor said, "Tyler has always been surrounded by death, and Klaus killed his mother, and Hayley had something to do with that. So is it in him? Absolutely."
Now that we are guaranteed a full season of "The Originals" you must be wondering if Tyler will stick around and continue to meddle in Klaus' life.
Unfortunately not even Michael Trevino can answer that question. He told the publication, "Well my percentage just went up a little bit then. But it's to be determined. I don't know if I'll be going back and forth between both shows or not." See more

'The Originals' Claire Holt's Exit: Personal Decision to Leave as Series Regular, Co-Star Joseph Morgan Proud of Aussie Actress

"The Originals" Episode 16 titled "Farewell to Storyville" was accurately a send-off story for Original vampire character Rebekah Mikaelson and Australian actress Claire Holt who portrays the role. Fans of the CW spin-off series were quick to react and ask a lot of questions and the latest reports reveal that it was completely the Aussie actress' personal decision to leave as series regular and not a creative decision.
The ending scene showed Rebekah Mikaelson leaving New Orleans and looking happy to be free to do whatever she wants after Klaus decided to just let her go instead of kill her for the betrayal that she did. The BuzzFeed report confirms the exit from the successful TV series was actress Claire Holt's decision and she has not given any comment yet on the current situation of her character as well as the series creator Julie Plec.
Rebekah Mikaelson may be a fool when it comes to love but the character still became a fan-favorite because of her kick-ass personality. Rebeka's exit in "The Originals" had fans discussing and hoping that the blonde Original vampire will still come back to New Orleans and reunite with Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Klaus (Joseph Morgan).
Other speculations even suggest Rebekah Mikaelson will go back to Mystic Falls and reunite with "The Vampire Diaries" gang. Unfortunately, the Hypable report on Claire Holt's exit further revealed that it may not be the case.
 "Sources close to the actress claim that Holt never intended to play Rebekah for as long as she did, since her character was originally planned for a three-episode arc in The Vampire Diaries. This change is especially interesting given that The Originals has been renewed for a second season and now only has two Originals. It would be odd to have a show all about the Original family with only two of them left to tell the story," the report reads. See more

'The Originals' react: Chapter 2(000)

I have two words for you all: Baby Mikaelsons! How adorable were the accented little ones in those flashbacks?! I’m pretty positive there’s nothing better, though I’m still not sure why Elijah’s had an Australian accent, but never the mind! This episode was all about the three siblings, their 1,000-year story thus far, and where they go from here. Let’s dive in.
We started on a flashback to the days when baby Rebekah was scared of a thunderstorm and baby Klaus promised to always stay with her, no matter what. We then cut right from there to Klaus’ angry “Rebekah!!!” yell we’ve come to know so well. Standing between his younger siblings, Elijah told Rebekah to “leave us now.” It was Papa Tunde’s knife vs. the white oak stake and age vs. hybridness as Elijah vowed to protect Rebekah for “as long as it takes, by whatever means necessary.”
Meanwhile, Marcel was trying to use Davina to find a loophole in Celeste’s spell. The only problem was that a bag full of scented candles didn’t seem to erase the awful memories Davina had of death. Although the other three harvest witches that had been resurrected claimed their ancestors helped them on the other side, Davina’s experience wasn’t so bright and shiny. Because she had betrayed her own kind, the witches threatened to do horrible things to Davina if she misused her magic again. Davina wasn’t sure whom she could trust, so Marcel went straight to Genevieve, who was now in charge of the French Quarter coven. Genevieve explained how Davina was shunned by her ancestors because of her alliance to Marcel. In order to lift the boundary spell on the cemetery, Genevieve wanted Davina to come live with her own kind. She promised to teach her, and Marcel agreed. See more

Claire Holt no longer a series regular on 'The Originals'

EW has confirmed that Tuesday night was Claire Holt’s last episode as a series regular on The Originals, meaning the Original sister has officially left the building, at least in some capacity.
Holt no longer being a regular leaves the door open for her to guest star in future recurring arcs, even as early as sometime later this season, we’re told. However, as of right now, nothing is certain in terms of her potential return. See more

Claire Holt Is Leaving The Originals

This week's episode of The Originals, titled"Farewell to Storyville," should have been titled  "Farewell to Claire Holt," because the actress, who's portrayed Original vampire Rebekah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and its subsequent spin-off since 2011, has left the show. According to BuzzFeed, it was entirely Holt's decision to exit, and not a creative decision. Neither Holt nor series creator Julie Plec has commented on the situation.
In Holt's final episode as a series regular—and there are slight spoilers ahead if you haven't watched it yet!—Rebekah was last seen driving away from New Orleans after being released by her maniacal brother Klaus. Holt's abrupt departure comes as a shock to fans of the series, not only because Rebekah was The Originals' de facto female lead, but because there was absolutely no sign that something like this was coming. See more

‘The Originals’ episode 17 preview: Joseph Morgan, ‘Move Over Bourbon Street,’ and a party

Before we do anything else when it comes to “The Originals” right now, let’s start things off by trying to deconstruct that title for a minute. This big installment is called “Move Over Bourbon Street.” Seriously, you’re telling the biggest party street in the country to move over? If you are doing that, you better well have one of the biggest bashes of all time that will knock people over with pure excitement.
Before we really get into talking about the promo, let’s star here with sharing a synopsis that really does a much better job of actually telling you what the story for this big hour is going to be:

“After accusing Klaus (Joseph Morgan) of doing nothing while their control over the Quarter crumbles, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) makes a move to take matters into his own hands. He receives an intriguing offer of support from Francesca (guest star Peta Sergeant), a beautiful woman from a powerful New Orleans family. In an attempt to bring the warring factions of the city together, the Mikaelsons throw an extravagant party, where Klaus offers Jackson (guest star Nathan Parsons) a tempting deal, Elijah and Hayely share a dance, and a violent fight comes to a surprising end. Finally, even as Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) works on a new path to power, he continues to help Cami (Leah Pipes) deal with her Uncle Kieran’s tragedy (guest star Todd Stashwick).” 
See more 

Originals Star Charles Michael Davis Hopes Marbekah Becomes the Next MerDer

When you’re part of a television series, especially on the CW, shipping is just part of the game. So far on The Originals, we have two solid ships — Marcel and Rebekah (Marbekah) and Elijah and Hayley (Haylijah) — but when it comes to shipping, Charles Micheal Davis has a clear favorite: Marbekah, duh!
Sure, Marcel and Rebekah’s star-crossed love story has spanned centuries, but can these two really rank up there with some of the most epic TV ships? (We’re looking at you Buffy/Angel, Joey/Pacey, Ross/Rachel, and Damon/Elena.) Charles Michael Davis seems hopeful.
"I hope it ranks up there with all the great ones — from McSteamy and Doctor Grey to Lois Lane  and Clark Kent,” he told Zap2it. 
Well, Marbekah certainly has enough drama for an epic love story. These two may love each other, but so far, they’ve failed at making things work. We recently learned that Marcel and Rebekah conspired against Klaus in 1919 — a decision that nearly killed Marcel and drove Rebekah out of New Orleans for nearly a century. Needless to say, these lovebirds don’t have the best track record, especially when it comes to Klaus. However, Marcel seems determined to save Rebekah from Klaus’ wrath. But will he end up choosing his empire over Rebekah once the dust is settled? See more

Break the Cycle with this Producers' Preview of The Originals Episode 1.16 - Farewell to Storyville

While The CW is airing repeats of most of its shows this week, "The Originals" is new; and here's a Producers' Preview of Ep. 1.16, “Farewell to Storyville," in which exec producers Julie Plec and Michael Narducci discuss if Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah can break their troubled cycle.
"The Originals" Ep. 1.16 - "Farewell to Storyville" (airs 3/11/14, 8-9pm): TRAPPED IN THE CITY OF THE DEAD - Despite Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) rage, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) is determined to protect Rebekah (Claire Holt) while the three of them are trapped in the City of the Dead cemetery by a witch’s boundary spell.
Klaus and Rebekah trade bitter accusations until Elijah steps in to reveal a long-held secret from the family’s past.
Meanwhile, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) races to free Rebekah, ultimately finding himself forced to make a deal with Genevieve (guest star Elyse Levesque).See more

Claire Holt HINTS Storyline for 'The Originals' Actress Leah Pipes, Season One Episode 16 SPOILERS: Can Elijah Stop Klaus From Killing Rebekah

The Mikelson siblings have some serious deep rooted issues, and things will only intensify for Klaus, Elijah and Rebecka in the upcoming episode of "The Originals" as the three find themselves trapped in a graveyard!
According to Wetpaint, episode 16 titled, "Farewell to Storyville," sets out with the Original vamps entangled in a spell keeping them trapped in a graveyard for 24 hours, courtesy of Celeste. But with Klaus on a mission to seek vengeance on his sister, tings will only continue to spiral out of control for the family.
In the promo trailer for episode 16, Klaus is seen yelling out his sister's name while making it pretty clear she will not be forgiven for her previous mishaps against him anytime soon.
"Rebekah!" Klaus yells. "You are accused of betraying your own blood!"
"Stay as far away from him as you can," Marcel warns his beloved Rebekah over the phone as the vampire sister is forced into a game of hide and seek with her deranged brother.
"He's going to kill me," Rebekah responds.
Luckily, the blonde beauty has some help on the inside as her brother Elijah makes Klaus very aware that he's not going to allow him to hurt their sister.
"How long will you protect her?" Klaus asks Elijah.
"As long as it takes!" Elijah replies.
Looks like a war is brewing between the Mickelson's, and as Klaus as adamant on unleashing his furry on to Rebekah we can only hope Celeste's spell is broken before Klaus finds her.
While we have to wait for the next episode of "The Originals" to air before we can find out exactly how Rebekah manages to survive Klaus, actress Claire Holt, who plays Rebekah, recently dished that another character who's often in the hot seat will continue to survive the wrath of the vampires! See more

The Originals’ Season 1 Episode 16 Spoilers: Elijah Faces Off With Klaus in Order to Save Rebekah's Life

Fans of "The Originals" should brace themselves for the Mikaelson sibling showdown in the next all-new episode of the CW series on Tuesday, March 11.
In the last episode of the vampire thriller, the witches threw a boundary spell on Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah, trapping them in the City of the Dead cemetery for 24 hours, while Klaus tries to kill his sister Rebekah. Plus, Davina was jolted back to life, reports WetPaint.
The next episode, "Farewell to Storyville," will pick up where the epic cliffhanger left off as Elijah faces off with Klaus in order to protect their sister.
A promo for Episode 16 starts out with Klaus yelling his sister's name, and vowing to make her pay for betraying her family.
"Rebekah!" Klaus roars. "You are accused of betraying your own blood."
In another clip, Marcel warns Rebekah to "stay as far away from him as you can." However, she responds by telling Marcel, "He's going to kill me."
The last clip in the promo shows Klaus asking his brother, "How long will you protect her?" To that, Elijah replies, "As long as it takes."
In addition, the CW released another sneak peek of the Kluas vs. Elijah face-off in which the two brothers go toe-to-toe inside the cemetery, talking trash and trading sneers.
According to Dread Central, a synopsis of "Farewell to Storyville" states: "Despite Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) rage, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) is determined to protect Rebekah (Claire Holt) while the three of them are trapped in the City of the Dead cemetery by a witch's boundary spell. Klaus and Rebekah trade bitter accusations until Elijah steps in to reveal a long-held secret from the family's past. Meanwhile, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) races to free Rebekah, ultimately finding himself forced to make a deal with Genevieve (guest star Elyse Levesque). Finally, Rebekah and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) connect over their shared concern for Hayley's unborn baby. Jesse Warn directed the episode written by Michael Narducci. See more

'The Originals' Spoilers: Can Klaus Kill Rebekah with Elijah Protecting Her? Watch Promo Video Released For Episode 16 'Farewell to Storyville'

Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) is the force that stalls Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) plan of killing Rebekah (Claire Holt) for her betrayal. Can the angry Original hybrid succeed in killing his baby sister Rebekah with Elijah standing by her side and protecting her?
The promo video for the next "The Originals" episode has been released and it teases about the cat-and-mouse chase between the Mikaelson siblings since they are all trapped in the cemetery, thanks to Celeste's (Shannon Kane) boundary spell before she died in Episode 15 "Le Grand Guignol." In the upcoming Episode 16 titled "Farewell to Storyville," expect to hear more of Klaus' voice yelling "Rebekah!" as his desire to get even with Rebekah intensifies.

Additionally, expect the Mikaelson siblings throw insults at each other in the next episode as they deal with their family issues. "You are accused of betraying your own blood," Klaus declared.
The next scene shows Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) talking to Rebekah on the phone telling her that she should stay as far away from Klaus as she can. "He's going to kill me," Rebekah answered, realizing her fate is in Klaus' hands.
Can Marcel find a way to save and protect his lady love? Aussie actress Claire Holt teased in the MTV report that Rebekah and Marcel's relationship is currently fractured with the exposure of their deep dark secret. See more

‘The Originals’ season 1, episode 15 recap: Family drama

The Originals season 1, episode 15, “Le Grand Guignol,” aired this week and it brought us to a very, very interesting showdown. Check out our recap and let us know what you thought of the episode!
Being Progressive
-Episode begins in 1919, where Klaus is partying with his brother and their werewolf friend. Werewolves, vampires and witches were all friends then.
-In present day, Klaus is ill in bed from the dagger he got stabbed with.
-Elijah called Cami to help Klaus because he thinks she’s the only person he’ll listen to.
-Elijah takes the dagger out of Klaus and asks Cami to keep an eye on Klaus and have him feed on her since her blood is laced with vervain and it’ll keep him weak until he listens.
-Meanwhile, Haley kidnapped Sabine and brought her to her family’s cabin. She wants Sabine to undo the curse on her family that she performed in the ’90s.
-Cami asks why Klaus hates her sister, and it’s because she ripped his heart out by bringing Michael.
-In 1919, Klaus is well aware that Rebekah and Marcel are dating. He does a toast to them.
-Klaus tells Rebekah she just wanted her to be happy, that’s why he killed her loves.
-Cami thinks Klaus is consumed by revenge he’ll never achieve; Marcel and Rebekah can be anywhere.
-Rebekah and Marcel are hiding in their car, and they think Klaus will chase them forever. They need a cloaking spell, and want to bring back Davina.
-They have to kill the three witches that brought Klaus down, and Klaus realizes this.

Haley: Love or Leave her?
-Elijah goes to visit Monique Deveraux and thinks that Sabine will disappear. He says there’s a way for Monique to be safe no matter what Sabine’s objectives are.
-Rebekah and Marcel go to Thierry for their help, and he is not enthused.
-Michael, their father, comes to talk to Marcel after watching him with Rebekah earlier. He can tell that Marcel wants Klaus gone, but he has no idea who he called.
-Michael promises not to hurt Rebekah, and that he can have the city but he wants to know where Klaus is.
-Sabine gives Haley a potion to help break the spell that was put on her family.
-Elijah comes and thinks that she shouldn’t trust Sabine, so he runs away and takes the potion and Sabine with him.  See More

‘The Originals’ episode 16 preview: Joseph Morgan, Claire Holt, and a faceoff

If you were waiting for the epic showdown of the century on “The Originals,” it looks as though you are going to get it come the new episode airing on The CW Tuesday night. This one is going to feature some of our main characters trapped, and when you stop to think about that for a minute or two, it really only spells one thing to us: Bad news for all parties involved. Klaus still wants to kill Rebekah, Rebekah wants to find a way to escape, and of course Elijah is most unfortunately stuck in the middle of everything. When it comes to a few more details, here is what we can tell you. The episode is entitled “Farewell to Storyville,” and that in itself is a pretty interesting name. Could this be interpreted as an end to an illusion, or a hope that the family was going to get along? Possibly. You can also of course check out the promo and the official synopsis below and draw your own conclusions:
“Despite Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) rage, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) is determined to protect Rebekah (Claire Holt) while the three of them are trapped in the City of the Dead cemetery by a witch’s boundary spell. Klaus and Rebekah trade bitter accusations until Elijah steps in to reveal a long-held secret from the family’s past. Meanwhile, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) races to free Rebekah, ultimately finding himself forced to make a deal with Genevieve (guest star Elyse Levesque). Finally, Rebekah and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) connect over their shared concern for Hayley’s unborn baby.” More at

The Originals 1x16 Promo HD "Farewell to Storyville"

Despite Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) rage, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) is determined to protect Rebekah (Claire Holt) while the three of them are trapped in the City of the Dead cemetery by a witch's boundary spell. Klaus and Rebekah trade bitter accusations until Elijah steps in to reveal a long-held secret from the family's past. Meanwhile, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) races to free Rebekah, ultimately finding himself forced to make a deal with Genevieve (guest star Elyse Levesque). Finally, Rebekah and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) connect over their shared concern for Hayley's unborn baby. Jesse Warn directed the episode written by Michael Narducci.

CW's The Originals S01E16 - Farewell to Storyville

CW’s The Originals Season 1 Episode 16 will be titled Farewell to Storyville and will air this upcoming March 11, 2014 starting 8PM. Our favorite vampires; Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies), Rebekah (Claire Holt); end up trapped in the City of the Dead by a witches spell. Elijah drops yet another game changing family secret on Klaus and Rebekah. This episode looks to have many things going on, read below for full details. More at