Jennifer Morrison Announces She's Leaving 'Once Upon a Time' After Playing Emma Swan for 6 Seasons

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ABC

Jennifer Morrison told ET exclusively that starring on Once Upon a Time has been the "most unbelievable thing" that has ever happened to her, but it's time for her to move on from the ABC series.

On Monday, the 38-year-old actress announced that after portraying Emma Swan on the show for six seasons, she had reached the end of her contract and would not be renewing. "After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on," she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. "Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My six years on Once Upon a Time has changed my life in the most beautiful ways."


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Morrison further expressed her gratitude to the viewers of OUAT. "I am absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Oncer fans. I am so honored to have been a central part of such a special show," she continued. "As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows. I always look forward meeting the fans."

But this may not be the last we see of Emma Swan! "If ABC Network does in fact order a season seven, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch Once Upon a Time," Morrison revealed. "The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show. #Onceuponatime #EmmaSwan #UglyDucklings."


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ET's Leanne Aguilera was on set with Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue for the wedding episode of Emma Swan and Killian Jones, where Morrison hinted at her plans to exit OUAT. "I mean, what I've always said is that I would never completely abandon the show, but also my contract is up and I have been on network television for 13 years," she explained. "But I'm definitely in a head space where I definitely feel like I need to find some balance in my life. I need to find a way to be able to be a a part of it if it continues, but also have that balance in my life."

As for O'Donoghue's future on the show, he replied, "We'll just have to wait and see what happens and if there's a season seven and all that. Then it'll be interesting to see where we can go with the stories and with the show."

Here's an inside look into the highly anticipated wedding episode:

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