How Donald Glover Graciously Dealt With Community Behind The Scenes Drama
Apparently, one of the cast members was jealous of another's talent.
Community is one of the most wholesome and beloved sitcoms of all time, with many fans around the world still waiting for the final wave of goodbye in the form of a movie. Unfortunately, even the friendliest cast couldn't survive six seasons without some behind-the-scenes drama.
According to various sources, there was one particular star on the show who just couldn't filter his words and let some gross racial slurs slip out right on the set. That person is Chevy Chase, who played Pierce Hawthorne for four seasons of Community before being fired by NBC (by mutual consent).
While neither Chase nor the network representatives ever revealed any details about the scandal, both the series' creator Dan Harmon and actor Donald Glover, who played Troy, recall numerous times that the atmosphere on the set was anything but friendly.
Reportedly, Chase tried to justify his insensitive language by saying it was appropriate for his character and the script, but the Community team was not convinced by the explanation. For Glover, who was the target of Chase's comments and was certainly hurt by them, the insults were an indication of his co-star's inner turmoil: he thinks Chase couldn't deal with becoming less relevant as a comedian, losing the competition to younger stars.
"I just saw Chevy as fighting time — a true artist has to be OK with his reign being over. I can't help him if he's thrashing in the water. But I know there's a human in there somewhere — he's almost too human," Glover shared in an interview with The New Yorker.
Fortunately, the actor didn't find the experience too damaging, as the rest of the Community team clearly stood by him, and Dan Harmon personally apologized for Chase's inappropriate behavior after one particularly uncomfortable night.
Today, the uncomfortable situation has been pretty much forgotten, and Glover seems to hold no grudge against his veteran co-star.
Meanwhile, fans of Community are eagerly awaiting any updates on the future-length spin-off of their favorite sitcom, which is expected for release in 2025. Until then, you can always binge-watch the original series on Netflix or Hulu.
Source: The New Yorker