Bay Area native Will Forte’s suicide drama draws fire
Will Forte has often leaned into the darkly offbeat when it comes to his TV and film projects. But at least one mental health expert believes the Lafayette native is about to take things too far.
Bill Smith, the founder of Inseparable, a mental health nonprofit, has described Forte’s upcoming suicide drama, “Expiration Date,” as a “wildly irresponsible concept that will, no doubt, endanger countless viewers.”
“Glamorizing suicide leads to contagion, that is a fact,” Smith said in a statement. “At a time when our country is already suffering a mental health crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left Americans’ mental wellbeing at a two-decade low, the last thing we need is a reckless show hinged on the question of ‘will he or won’t he’ succumb to the devastation of depression — an all too real and painful experience for millions of Americans.”
The news of Smith’s criticism was first reported by Variety.
According to the show’s description, “Expiration Date” — being developed for NBCUniversal’s Peacock
streaming service — has Forte playing a suburban man named Robin “who, consumed by grief, finds a life insurance policy that covers suicide, provided that the individual doesn’t carry out the deed within one year. Content that his family will be provided for, Robin sets his expiration date and contemplates how he will spend his final year. It’s going to be a long 12 months.”
Smith admitted that he wasn’t aware of the plotline specifics, but insisted that “NBCUniversal would do well to rethink such a dangerous idea that could lead to an increase in suicide among viewers.”
His concerns recall the storm of criticism that met “13 Reasons Why” when it premiered in 2017 on Netflix. The series, filmed in the Bay Area, was pegged in its first season to the suicide of a teen girl. Suicide prevention experts and many parents slammed “13 Reasons Why” and Netflix eventually re-edited the threeminute suicide scene.
Of course, it’s often inadvisable to slam a show or film without any insight into how the story will play out. Who knows? Forte’s character might eventually have a change of heart as the saga unfolds and learn some life-affirming lessons.
A source with knowledge of the show told Variety that the creative team understands the sensitive nature of the subject matter and will be working closely with consultants in the mental health field through the development and production process.
Either way, it should be noted that “Expiration Date” is in development and has not been yet ordered to series. Meanwhile, Forte, a 1988 Acalanes High School grad, has plenty of other projects to keep him busy.
The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and Emmy-nominated star of “The Last Man on Earth” is currently providing voice work for the Fox animated series “The Great North.” He’s also a member of the voice cast in “Housebroken,” an animated series premiering on Fox in late May, and will be starring in a TV series adaptation of “MacGruber” for Peacock.
On top of all that, Forte and his fiancee, Olivia Modling, are expecting their first child.