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Charlie writing not Pennys boat.Scandoval.
Robert and Michelle King who co-createdThe Good Wifeand wrote the episode in question, Dramatics, Your Honor agree.
Despite knowing how much fans cared for Will, they never expected such a reaction.
We were hated for a while.
The decision to kill Will was, unsurprisingly, not easy to make.
The grind had gotten to me, the actor, 52, recalls.
I was ready to move on to the next chapter.
Still, Charles didnt want to exit on a sour note.
But both options seemed so easily reversed, the Kings say.
Charles was immediately onboard with the plan.
Crucially, Margulies approved too.
She understood how that turned up the emotion to 11, the Kings recall.
Still, it was a risky bet.
It was amazing we were able to pull it off, Charles says.
Leading up to the episodes air date, the Kings fretted about how viewers would respond.
We worried it would be seen as melodramatic and not intrinsic to the show, they recall.
There was no question about it: Fans were going to be seriously upset.
And then it was time.
Reaching out to people who were bereft felt like the right thing to do, he says.
It feels like the true tragedy of life: We all grieve alone.
Yet viewers responded positively remarkably so.
He has moved on from Will Gardner well, probably.
Whenasked by Deadline in 2014if he would ever revisit the role, Charles replied, Who knows?
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly dated Charless interview with Deadline.
It took place in 2014.
