'Gossip Girl': Connor Paolo says 'Revenge' marks the end of Eric van der Woodsen

Have we seen the last of one of the Upper East Side's most angst-ridden teens?

Connor Paolo, who's played Eric van der Woodsen for four seasons of "Gossip Girl," says his commitment to new ABC thriller "Revenge" will keep him from returning to the CW series that put him on the map.

"Eric's going to college and he's going to stay there," Paolo told reporters, including Zap2it, at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. "He doesn't come home for Christmas anymore."

This is hardly a surprise given his regular-status on "Revenge" -- something he famously turned down on "Gossip Girl" in favor of remaining Serena's little brother in only a recurring status. It also sort of works with his character.

"He's been trying to get out of the household for quite some time," Paolo says of Eric, who spent much of last season like a little lost lamb, befriending drug dealers for lack of anything better to do.

When pressed for the circumstances of his exit, Paolo pleads the fifth. "I'm not the one to ask," he says. "I guess the future of the family is left in Josh [Safran] and Stephanie's [Savage] ample fingers. But as of now, my schedule is dominated by 'Revenge.' So I don't know that Eric's coming back from Sarah Lawrence [College]. We'll see."

If anything, we'll probably be seeing more of Paolo this fall. He plays Declan Porter on "Revenge," one of the few working class and honest characters on the Emily VanCamp-starring series loosely based on "The Count of Monte Cristo."

"Revenge" premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC.