Seann William Scott may be taking Clayne Crawford’s place alongside Damon Wayans at the front of Fox’s “Lethal Weapon,” but he’s not taking his name.
When it was first announced Scott would join the cast next season as a new character who will partner with Roger Murtaugh (Wayans), some fans thought he might be a member of Martin Riggs’ family. Instead, he will be playing the part of Wesley Cole, a war veteran and a father, a person with knowledge of production tells TheWrap.
“Psych” star Maggie Lawson will also be joining the cast, playing emergency room surgeon Natalie Flynn, who is Cole’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child.
According to the character description, the two met in an active war zone years earlier (where Natalie served as a medic) and had a brief romance that resulted in a child. Over a decade later, Cole is once again a regular in Natalie’s ER, and he’s moved to Los Angeles to get closer to both her and their kid.
“Lethal Weapon” was renewed for another season by Fox back in May, but Crawford’s contract was not. A representative for Warner Bros told TheWrap at the time that the studio had “decided not to renew Clayne Crawford’s contract for ‘Lethal Weapon,’” following incidents of bad behavior.
In June, footage surfaced of Crawford and Wayans exchanging expletives in an argument about an injury Wayans sustained while Crawford was directing. In another incident, Crawford can be heard off-camera losing his temper during a scene because of background noise. Two months before that video leaked, Crawford apologized for his behavior, saying he’d “been reprimanded twice during the past two seasons of ‘Lethal Weapon.’”
After news of his firing, Crawford wished the rest of the cast and crew good luck on Season 3. “”To my cast and crew – CONGRATULATIONS on season 3!” Crawford wrote on Instagram. “To the Fans – Thank you for the overwhelming support and love. Riggs was a dream role and the experience will live with me forever. My heart is full. Good Luck nxt season!!”