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Ioan Gruffudd Pens Sweet Farewell Note to Forever Fans After Cancellation

ioan gruffudd on forever's cancellation
Ioan Gruffudd took to Instagram to write a heartfelt letter to fans of Forever after ABC canceled the show on May 7

Forever had to end someday — but did it have to be today? Fans of the Ioan Gruffudd-starring ABC show Forever were left devastated on Thursday, May 7, when the series was axed after just one season. But no one was more torn up over the cancellation than Gruffudd himself.

Shortly after the news broke, the Ringer alum, 41, took to Instagram with a long, heartfelt letter, in which he mourned the end of the show and expressed gratitude for the fans' loyalty.

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"My dear friends, fans, supporters," he began. "Tonight, as you all now know, I received a phone call that I was hoping not to receive, and to be honest, I really wasn't expecting it. I knew the numbers hadn't been great, but I also knew the studio and the network both loved the show, and of course that it had an incredible fan base…so I thought we were in with a pretty good chance." 

He continued: "But sadly no, this time the cards weren't dealt in our favor. Show business is like that. Hell, life is like that. You ride to the top of the wave and then you come crashing down again. I asked Alice [Evans, his wife] to send out the sad news because I was a little bit shaken up and needed time to gather my thoughts."

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To that end, he sat down to read the many, many tweets from fans in response to Forever's cancellation. "And the more I read, the more I couldn't believe it," he wrote. "The love, the sense of solidarity, the hope, the kindness, the support. Not just for the show, but for each other. And slowly I began to focus on what we had gained in the past year, rather than what we had lost in the last five minutes." 

Gruffudd went on to note how grateful he is to have played "the role of [his] dreams, even if it was only for one year." He also expressed awe at the show's devoted followers.

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"Watching the interaction of the FOREVER fans come together and share their love for the show has been breathtaking," he wrote. "It was you guys who held me up when I thought I could no longer go on. (Those days were LONG!) You made me smile when you pointed out the little things I did on screen that I thought had gone unnoticed. You gave me confidence when I accidentally found myself reading less than shining reviews. You were always with me, every step of the way, waving your flags, shouting your support for the show."

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He finished the note with a little play on words. "The memories belong to us. We get to keep them 'forever'!" he quipped. "Thanks again a million times for your unwavering support. Stay strong, be brave, and show kindness as often as you can!"

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