“Lethal Weapon” is looking for a new Riggs.
Following incidents of bad behavior on set, studio Warner Bros. Television is exploring recasting Clayne Crawford’s role on the Fox procedural, an individual with knowledge of production tells TheWrap.
According sources who spoke with the The Hollywood Reporter, Crawford has been fired and multiple actors have been given the offer to take over the part of Martin Riggs — if the show were to get renewed for a Season 3, that is — and have passed. The news comes just ahead of the network’s upfront presentation in New York Monday.
Riggs was played Mel Gibson in the original buddy cop movie series.
Last month, Crawford apologized for two on-set incidents, which led to recent reports saying the drama was on the verge of cancellation due to his actions.
“As you can imagine, yesterday’s headlines were incredibly distressing,” the actor wrote in a statement on Instagram. “It is true that I have been reprimanded twice during the past two seasons of ‘Lethal Weapon.’”
The statement goes on to outline the two incidents that led to him being disciplined, both stemming from the working conditions on set. One was a confrontation with a guest director and assistant director earlier in the season, and the other came during the filming of an episode Crawford directed, when an actor was hit by a piece of shrapnel from a stunt.
“I take great pride in treating everyone in life with dignity and kindness,” he continued. “I am very grateful for my job, and I work extremely hard at it. I have a responsibility to do good work for my coworkers, my family, and my home state, and most especially for the fans. I hope they will stick with me and stick with the show.”
Deadline first reported that Crawford’s behavior put the well-performing Fox series at risk of not receiving a third season from the network. The report claimed Crawford had been the subject of “complaints of emotional abuse and creating a hostile environment” to the point that cast and crew felt uncomfortable working with him.
Crawford took responsibility for his role in both incidents, explaining that he has since completed Warner Bros.-mandated therapy.
“I absolutely love, respect, and care for my crew and cast and would never intentionally jeopardize so many jobs,” Crawford wrote. “Moreover, I love the process of filmmaking and television. I appreciate and respect the work of everyone involved. 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 set or feel less than celebrated for their efforts.”
Fox and WBTV declined TheWrap’s request for comment.
Tony Maglio contributed to this story.