Why Jennifer Morrison Really Left ‘Once Upon A Time’ Before Season 7

When “Once Upon a Time” premiered on ABC in 2011, Jennifer Morrison was the fantasy series’ lead. That will all change going into the program’s Season 7 premiere.

Friday’s first episode of Season 7 will feature a much different cast of characters and storylines than viewers are used to. While “Once Upon a Time” will see the return of several fan favorites, Morrison’s Emma Swan/The Savior will not be one of them.

Morrison announced her departure from the series in May. In a Facebook post the 38-year-old explained that while she was invited back to be a series regular by showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, she felt it was time to move on after six years of filming the series. She also revealed she had agreed to appear in one, final episode.

“After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on,” she wrote. “Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My 6 years on ‘Once Upon A Time’ has changed my life in the most beautiful ways. 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. I will be forever grateful to Adam, Eddy, and ABC for giving me the gift of playing Emma Swan.”

It’s not just one single episode Morrison’s fans can anticipate. In her post, she revealed she would also be continuing to attend fan conventions involving the series whenever her “professional schedule allows.”

Morrison concluded her statement by saying that just because she will no longer star on “Once Upon a Time” that doesn’t mean she will quit tuning in. “I will most certainly continue to watch ‘Once Upon A Time.’ The creativity of the showrunners has always inspired me,” she said. “I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show.”

Morrison expanded on her decision to leave the series in a post-announcement interview, saying that after spending 13 years of career on network shows, including “OUAT,” “House” and “How I Met Your Mother,” she was tiring of living with the “grueling” filming schedules.

“I’ve been transitioning into doing more directing, I’ve had some opportunities that I’ve passed up along the years in order to fulfill these network schedules, and I really had to weigh where I was in my life,” she told Deadline. “I’m just at an age and a time in my life where I want to be home, I want to be with my family and my friends, to have a chance to have a personal life for a while, and also wanted to be available to do other creative things.”

And creative things is just what Morrison has been doing since announcing her “OUAT” leave. She has several movies in post-production and has previously revealed she’s also interested in doing a period piece.

While Morrison won’t be a regular on this season of “Once Upon a Time,” several familiar faces are returning. Lana Parrilla, who portrayed the Evil Queen/Regina, will be taking on another new persona, Roni. Colin O’Donoghue, fresh off marrying Emma as Captain Hook/Killian, will play Rogers. Finally, Robert Carlyle will return as the delightfully evil Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

The “Once Upon a Time” Season 7 premiere, titled “Hyperion Heights,” will follow a grown up Henry (now portrayed by Andrew J. West), who is challenged to help the cursed fairytale characters of Hyperion Heights.

“Once Upon a Time” Season 7, episode 1, premieres Friday at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.