Dunkleman, out!
Ryan Seacrest may be the face of American Idol, but that wasn't always the case. Once upon a time, the TV personality had a cohost on the popular singing competition. Brian Dunkleman, who left the Fox series after season 1 back in 2002, opened up about his decision to quit during a new interview on Tuesday, January 5, one day before Idol's 15th and final season premiere.
Dunkleman, 44, decided to leave the Emmy-nominated show to purse an acting career. Looking back, he admits that may have been a mistake.
"Of course, when it comes to the financial aspect, of course there are regrets. I wouldn't be human if I said no," he told CNN. "I don't even know who I would be if I was still on that show. … I knew that if I had stayed, I wouldn't have had a chance [to pursue acting]."
He added: "I was very upset about it for a long, long time. You got to make up your mind that either you are going to be that angry guy for the rest of your life, or you gotta move on. It's taken me a long time to get there."
Since his departure, Dunkleman has appeared on shows such as NYPD Blue, Ghost Whisperer and Las Vegas. He has yet to catch his big acting break, but is grateful that he got to be a part of American Idol — even for a little while.
"It's a celebration of a show that had a huge cultural impact, and I was a part of that," he said on Tuesday. "I'm proud of the fact that I got the job in the first place. It's an accomplishment that can never be taken away from me, regardless of my outcome."
American Idol has gone through other changes over the years. The three original judges — Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson — have all stepped down since the show's debut. Other judges have included Ellen DeGeneres, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and, most recently, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.
