Most people who pay close attention to pop culture are aware of Donald Glover's extreme
range of talents.
He's the Emmy-winning creator, writer, star, and occasional director of the FX series Atlanta,
the Grammy-winning rapper Childish Gambino, and even the young version of Lando Calrissian.
But before Glover was all of those things and more, he was shining bright as the lovable
jock Troy Barnes on the beloved sitcom Community.
"You'd be surprised at how many of your favorite football players got started at community
college.
“Really, name one.
Who's your favorite player?”
“Me, whoa."
Running for six seasons between 2009 and 2015, Community focused on the bizarre and whimsical
exploits of a group of seven students attending a community college.
It was never a huge hit in the ratings, but it had a devoted fanbase and helped kickstart
the careers of its cast members.
Sadly, during the hiatus in 2013 between Community's fourth and fifth seasons, it was announced
that Glover would be leaving the show at some point during the upcoming season.
NBC wound up cancelling Community after season 5, and though the now-defunct streaming service
Yahoo!
Screen revived it for a sixth season, it never fully recovered its early magic without Glover
around anymore.
So why did he leave in the first place?
Let's investigate.
In 2011, during Community's third season, NBC put the show on an indefinite hiatus.
While it did return later that season, it was an ominous sign of what was to come.
In May 2012, after the third season ended, Sony Television, which produced the show,
fired creator Dan Harmon.
Then after a rocky season 4, regular cast member Chevy Chase left the show as well,
in the wake of his increasingly aggressive and reportedly racist on-set behavior.
Considering all this turmoil, it's not all that surprising that Glover decided to take
the star power he gained from Community and try something new on a show that was decidedly
calmer behind the scenes.
In August 2013, it was announced that Glover was creating the half-hour comedy-drama Atlanta
for FX.
Though Harmon eventually returned for Community's fifth season and even managed to persuade
Glover to appear on five episodes before truly calling it quits, he admitted that Glover
had outgrown the series.
A few months after Glover announced his impending departure from Community, he revealed that
his reasons for leaving were more than just professional in nature.
In October 2013, he posted to Instagram a series of letters explaining that he left
Community because he wanted to be on his own and was working through difficult events in
his personal life that made him reassess what he truly wanted to do.
He admitted to a ton of fears, including that he was worried that Dan Harmon hated him,
that he was scared of "letting everyone down" by moving on from Community, and that he believed
his future projects might fail.
That kind of stress adds up.
“ahh.”
Nevertheless, he said that he wanted to release his album Because the Internet that Christmas
to give people hope for the next year.
Shortly thereafter, Glover clarified his jumbled thoughts in an interview with VIBE, noting
that his heart really wasn't in it anymore and while Community was a great show, it wasn't
his show.
“I just want to make dope,dope s--- from now on, like on my own terms."
In 2016, Glover was more direct about his decision to depart from Community.
Two years after his last episode aired and a year after the show wrapped for good, he
revealed that he chose to leave partially because he appreciates the future opportunities
that endings create.
At the Television Critics Association summer tour, Glover explained that while he wasn't
trying to run away from Community, he feels that every good thing must come to an end
in order for growth to happen.
This, of course, includes his run on the sitcom.
As he explained,
"I just like endings.
I think everything should have death clauses in them like humans have death clauses [...] It's
important that things end.
It forces events to progress."
Since leaving Community, Glover has received seven Emmy nominations, including two wins,
and seven Grammy nominations, including five wins.
As for Glover's fears about his Community colleagues' resenting him for leaving them
behind, they appear to have nothing but love and admiration for him.
Troy's sailing endeavor may not have gone well, but Glover's horizon is burning bright.
"Now, Troy, I know it's gonna be difficult for you to interact with me."
"No, no.
That was the original Troy.
I'm his clone.
Let's get the lead out, Burton."
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