Community star Joel McHale has responded to Chevy Chase’s damning criticism of the sitcom and his former co-stars.
During a recent appearance on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Chase, 80, candidly reflected on his time on the popular NBC sitcom, which ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015.
“I honestly felt the show wasn’t funny enough for me, ultimately. I felt a little bit constrained,” the former Saturday Night Live breakout cast member said.
“Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me,” Chase added of his time portraying moist towelette tycoon Pierce Hawthorne in the first four seasons. He later returned for a guest role in the fifth series.
“I didn’t mind the character. I just felt that it was... I felt happier being alone. I just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much,” he said of his co-stars.
In a new interview with People, McHale, who starred as series lead Jeff Winger, dismissed Chase’s remarks, saying: “Hey, no one was keeping you there.
“I mean, we weren’t sentenced to that show,” added the 51-year-old Ted actor. “It was like, ‘All right, you could have left if you really wanted that.’ But yeah, you know Chevy. That’s Chevy being Chevy… I wrote about this in my book, but I was like, ‘Hey, the feeling’s mutual, bud.’”
(From left) Ken Jeong as Senøor Chang, Danny Pudi as Abed, Gillian Jacobs as Britta, Joel McHale as Jeff Winger, Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley, Alison Brie as Annie, Donald Glover as Troy, Chevy Chase as Pierce in ‘Community’— (Mitchell Haaseth / © NBC Universal, Inc.)
McHale detailed his tense interactions with Chase in his 2016 memoir, Thanks for the Money: How to Use My Life Story, including the comedian’s alleged use of racial slurs on set.
According to the sitcom’s creator Dan Harmon, Chase was the actor who would improvise the most. In 2012, it was reported that Chase allegedly used a racial slur on set while questioning a line of dialogue involving Black characters played by Donald Glover and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Chase “apologised immediately” and came to a mutual agreement with NBC to leave the show, a source told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
Addressing the controversy with podcast host Maron, Chase claimed he had no ill feelings towards Harmon.
“I have no idea if we’re okay,” the Caddyshack actor admitted, noting he hasn’t seen Harmon since 2012. “I’ve never been not okay. He’s kind of a p***er. He’s angry. He called and said he was sorry. I love him now.”
Last month, it was announced that the long-promised Community the Movie would be going ahead, with McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong all set to return for the film.
Just last week, however, Harmon suggested that the movie was up in the air due to the Hollywood actors’ strike. Either way, Chase is not attached to the project.
