Lindsey Morgan explains why she left Walker and the hard choice she had to make

When Walker debuted on The CW, it was an instant hit. Loosely based on the 1990s CBS series with Chuck Norris, Jared Padalecki played Cordell Walker, a top member of the Texas Rangers. As the show opened, Walker was partnered with the feisty Micki Ramirez, played by Lindsey Morgan.

Micki was a great highlight of the show, handling the action scenes and a romance with Trey (Jeff Pierre). She also had to handle personal issues, such as the discovery her “mother” was really her aunt who was raising her when Micki’s real drug-addict mother abandoned her. 

So it was a shock to fans when, mid-way through season 2, Morgan suddenly left the series. The episode had Micki learning her ex-fiancé was murdered, bringing up her feelings for Trey and she needed time for herself. She thus quit the Rangers, bidding a sad farewell to Walker before heading off. 

She was replaced by Cassie Perez (Ashley Reeves), who would continue on with the series until its end. At the time, Morgan simply said she was stepping away for personal reasons but the actress is now opening up about the shocking truth. 

The real reason Lindsey Morgan left Walker

On the I Never Said this Before podcast, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan shared the stunning revelation that she’s suffered a serious spinal injury as the series began. She’d tried to hide the signs so as not to lose a starring role, but it became too much.

"I had a spinal injury, which was affecting my nervous system and my brainstem. I was really blessed and lucky that I started working and didn’t stop. But, looking back, I realized my mistake in the sense of, like an athlete, I was working, working, working, outputting, outputting, outputting, outputting, but I wasn’t recovering. All my dreams were coming true, and I was a mess. Me, personally, was not in a good place. My anxiety was through the roof. I feel like I did not do good work. And looking back on it now, it was because I was so stressed out in my body — mentally and physically. I was a mess. I couldn’t figure out why. I have all of this responsibility on my shoulders, and I felt like I was failing everyone — and myself."

Morgan’s doctors told her she needed to either cut down on a job that had her working 16 hours a day or keep it up with medication she’d have to take for the rest of her life and possibly open her up to worse injuries down the line. After much deliberation, Morgan chose to leave. But she admits it wasn’t an easy decision. 

" I’m somebody that really pushes themselves and has really high standards, and I never want to let anyone around me down. I felt a little bit like I let Jared [Padalecki] down, or let the show down, and that was the hardest part for me, because it still makes me emotional, which I know is silly, because I was doing what I needed to do to take care of myself, and that’s more important."

It’s sad but very understandable that Morgan would choose her personal health over continuing the show. As fun as Micki was for the series, it wasn’t worth Morgan risking her future health to keep up the role. Being the female lead was a big break for her and Morgan didn’t want to lose it but she chose her health first. 

So fans finally have an answer as to why Micki had to depart and few could blame Morgan for caring about her own health. It’s a shame we never got to see Micki again on the show but at least her departure left some good memories for Walker fans.

Walker seasons 1-4 are streaming on Max.