During seasons seven and eight of the beloved ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders, John Hopkins gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Sergeant Dan Scott, working closely with the show’s lead, John Nettles. 

But while his role propelled the Bedfordshire-born star into the spotlight, his time on the show was relatively short-lived. After appearing in just 14 episodes, his character was written out without explanation, having called in sick and never to be seen again. 

His unexpected exit left fans wondering why the actor left the show and what he’s been up to since. 

Keep reading to find out all we know…

Why did John Hopkins leave Midsomer Murders?

Having begun his career performing on stage with The Royal Shakespeare Company, John was eager to return to his roots following a two-season stint on Midsomer Murders.

In a recent interview, the Poldark actor admitted that it was “the right job at the wrong time”.

“It was a funny job, because looking back on it now, I almost wish that I could do it again,” he told The Express. “I was so young and hungry, it was almost the wrong time for me in some ways. I loved doing it but I was always wanting to be on the stage again, full of arrogance and energy.”

John explained that as soon as his contract ran out, he left the show to return to the theatre.

“I almost wish I could go back and do the job again from a different perspective,” he shared, adding: “I look back at it now with enormous fondness but maybe it was like the right job at the wrong time.”

Where is John Hopkins now? 

Since leaving Midsomer Murders, John has appeared in a number of major films, including 2010’s Alice in Wonderland and the 2014 thriller, The Face of an Angel. Most recently, he voiced the role of Mr. Pricklepants in Toy Story 5. 

As for his small-screen roles, John played Sir Francis Basset in the BBC period drama Poldark, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in A Very Royal Scandal and Dr. Wendell ‘Smokey’ Stover in the war drama, Masters of the Air. 

He’s also guest starred in the fantasy drama Merlin, Apple TV’s Trying, ITV’s Endeavour and Father Brown. 

John still performs on stage, most recently playing General Ripper in a production of Dr. Strangelove at the Noël Coward Theatre, alongside Steve Coogan. 

John also narrates the Midsomer Murders audiobooks.