A lethal distraction
Crawford apologizes for his ‘bad behaviour’
It’s that time of year when broadcast networks are deciding which shows to keep and which shows to axe — so actors never want to give executives a reason to lean toward cutting.
But Deadline Hollywood has reported that Clayne Crawford, one of the stars of Fox buddy cop dramedy Lethal Weapon, had become such a problem on set that he was “threatening the future of the show” and that a potential recasting of his character was “being explored.”
“I have learned that Crawford has had a history of bad behaviour on the show, and that he has been disciplined several times over complaints of emotional abuse and creating a hostile environment,” reporter Nellie Andreeva wrote. “I hear the issue has escalated to a point where other actors as well as crew on Lethal Weapon would feel uncomfortable being on set with him.”
Lethal Weapon, which airs Tuesdays and will wrap up its second season May 8, was initially seen as an easy renewal for Fox, averaging
about seven million viewers a week. Based on the hit films from the 1980s, it stars Crawford as Det. Martin Riggs (originally played by Mel Gibson) and Damon Wayans stars as Det. Roger Murtaugh (originally Danny Glover). But TVLine — owned by the same company as Deadline — hinted last month that an unnamed actor on a popular series “has become impossible to work with, and his massively disruptive behavioural issues are causing the network/studio to rethink bringing the series back.” (TVLine said Monday the actor was Crawford.)
On Tuesday afternoon, Crawford released a statement on Instagram and confirmed he was recently reprimanded twice this season. The first time was after he reacted angrily “over working conditions that did not feel safe or conducive to good work under the leadership of a guest director and assistant director.” Afterward, he wrote, he met with human resources and apologized. And at the request of studio Warner Bros., he completed therapy and gave part of his paycheque to “one of the parties involved.”
The second incident, Crawford said, occurred when he was directing a recent episode, and an actor was hit by a piece of shrapnel. He said he took full responsibility.
“I absolutely love, respect and care for my crew and cast and would never intentionally jeopardize so many jobs. Moreover, I love the process of making film and television. I appreciate and respect the work of everyone involved,” Crawford wrote. “It takes a village, and I am incredibly sorry if my passion for doing good work has ever made anyone feel less than comfortable on our set, or feel less than celebrated for their efforts. Furthermore, I apologize to all the crew and cast for any negative attention Lethal Weapon is receiving because of these incidents.”
While no decision has been made about the future of Lethal Weapon, Fox will present its fall schedule to advertisers in New York on May 14.