“All American”'s Daniel Ezra Had a 'Gut Instinct' That It Was Time to Exit the Series

After six seasons as the CW show's lead, the British actor felt he'd "completed the mission as far as Spencer’s story"

Daniel Ezra trusted his gut when deciding to leave All American after six seasons.

The actor confirmed to PEOPLE in June that he had made the "difficult decision" to exit the show, calling season 6 "Spencer's goodbye." His final episode as a series regular aired on July 15.

Spencer's journey came to a close with his long-awaited wedding to Olivia (Samantha Logan), and Ezra, 32, told Entertainment Weekly that he knew it was time for him to depart because they had "completed the mission as far as Spencer’s story."

Related: Is All American Based on a True Story? How Former NFL Player Spencer Paysinger Inspired the Show

"A lot of it was my gut instinct," he said. "For me, the goal was always to take this broken teenager, put him back together, and then turn him into a man. We’ve done that. We got him to the NFL, he got the girl. He accomplished his dreams. He’s gotten to a place where he’s able to impart that wisdom to a younger generation to give back to his community. He’s done literally everything he set out to do."

Ezra said that while it "snuck up" on him, he's "a big believer in going out on top and as far as Spencer’s story specifically it just felt right."

In his statement to PEOPLE, Ezra called Spencer "the most life-affirming character I’ve ever played," adding, “I’ll miss him. I’ll miss our cast and crew. I hope it’s been as fun to watch him as it has been to play him.”

Though he'll no longer be a series regular, he does plan to return to the CW series as a guest star in the future, and he told Deadline he's "looking forward to being a fan from the outside."

"I think it’s safe to say there’s going to be new people to fall in love with, a new generation to follow. I’m excited for them, and I’m really happy for them. I can’t wait to help guide them," he told the outlet. "This is a weird thing, handing it off to other people. But there’s also like a proud, sending your kid off to college type of moment as well."

Related: Taye Diggs Departs 'All American' After Shocking Episode but 'You Haven't Seen the Last of Billy Baker'

In the aftermath of Ezra's departure news, executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll said that the actor "truly is a gift and brought so much to the character on and off the field.”

“Partnering with Daniel Ezra over the last six seasons to bring Spencer’s story to life has been such an amazing, fulfilling, experience,” Carroll said. “And while Spencer has achieved his NFL dreams, I’m grateful Daniel will still remain an important part of this family, both in front of and behind the camera as we step into a new, exciting chapter of All American.”

Ezra isn't the only big star to exit the series. Last year, longtime cast member Taye Diggs' character Billy Baker was killed off the show.

At the time, showrunner Carroll said in a statement: "We wish Taye the very best in this next chapter of his life. He remains a beloved member of the All American family, so you haven't seen the last of Billy Baker."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Seasons 1-5 of All American are available to stream on Netflix.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.