Maybe there's something about the role of Martin Riggs that leads to trouble.
Originally introduced in the 1987 buddy cop movie Lethal Weapon, the Green Beret-turned-emotionally-unbalanced
detective was made famous by Mel Gibson, playing opposite Danny Glover as the straight-laced
Roger Murtaugh.
The movie was a crowd-pleasing hit that spawned three sequels through the 80s and 90s, eventually
finding its way to rebirth as a TV show on Fox in 2016.
Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans stepped into the roles of Riggs and Murtaugh for the TV
series, bringing a chemistry that critics praised.
But behind the scenes, things weren't quite so rosy.
After weeks of rumored on-set tensions, Fox announced that Crawford would not be returning
for Lethal Weapon's third season, replacing him instead with Seann William Scott.
It's a remarkable move for an established series to make - here are the real reasons
why it happened.
Anger management
News of Lethal Weapon's uncertain future first broke in late April when Deadline reported
that the well-performing series was in danger of cancellation, allegedly due to Clayne Crawford's
on-set behavior.
According to the report, Crawford had gained a reputation of emotional abuse against fellow
cast and crew, contributing to a hostile work environment that threatened to single-handedly
sink the series.
The report also said that Crawford had been disciplined several times for his behavior.
Crawford addressed the report in a statement on Instagram, confirming that he had been
reprimanded twice during production.
According to the actor,
"I reacted with anger over working conditions that did not feel safe or conducive to good
work".
On-set safety
The drama came to a head after the announcement of Crawford's firing, which occurred just
before the second season's final episode.
In response to questions and outcry from disappointed fans, Damon Wayans took to Twitter to shed
some light on the on-set issues.
Wayans had set his account to private in the wake of the firing, then unlocked it to advance
the case against his former co-star.
Afterwards, he deleted his Twitter presence entirely.
Wayans' primary piece of evidence against Crawford came in the form of photos and a
video taken during production of an episode that Crawford not only starred in, but directed.
It seems that during the filming of a shootout action sequence, Wayans was struck in the
back of the head by shrapnel from an effect gone awry.
Tagging his tweets with phrases like "#directedby @claynecrawford" and "#noapology," Wayans
made it clear that he blamed his co-star for an inadequate level of safety when placed
in charge.
"See now, what we have here is a failure to communicate."
Spilled tea
Wayans went on to reveal an alleged history of misdeeds by Crawford and the anxiety that
the rest of the cast and crew felt in his presence.
Citing a "file of infractions" and appealing to Warner Bros. Entertainment for help, Wayans
broadened his accusations, stating, "…it wasn't just me."
He then shared a photo of a sticker that he claimed other people had placed around the
Warner Bros. lot, emblazoned with the words "Clayne Crawford is an emotional terrorist."
Another specific offense cited by Wayans was a claim that Crawford "hit another actor in
the mouth with a bottle of green tea and busted his mouth open."
Wayans tagged the accusation "#notanaccident."
Riggs is ready to go
Just as in the original film, the TV series' Martin Riggs enters the story while grieving
over the loss of his wife.
And, just as in Lethal Weapon 2, he eventually discovers that a drug lord is responsible
for her death and sets out for vengeance.
The second season found him bringing the killer to justice, bringing closure to the character's
primary arc, if not all of his neuroses.
As Crawford explained in an interview with Assignment X, "We can't play on the death
for four seasons".
Though he went on to explain that the show would be "planting little seeds" as to the
character's future, the season finale ended with a cliffhanger that had him shot in the
chest by his half-brother.
With Riggs' revenge plot wrapped up and his life hanging in the balance, writing Crawford
out of the show likely doesn't present Lethal Weapon's writers with much of a challenge.
Moving on
Perhaps mindful of his growing reputation for tension, Crawford put on a pleasant, if
slightly snarky, front in the wake of his firing.
As news first broke that Fox was searching for a replacement, he took to Twitter to share
a playfully shrugging selfie captioned simply, "Hmmmmmm?"
He followed this with a separate tweet reading, "Wait, wait, wait……you can't fire me on
my day off!"
A more solemn Instagram post followed, in which Crawford expressed sincere thanks to
the fans and congratulations to the cast and crew on the show's renewal.
Whatever happens next for Crawford, it seems possible that Lethal Weapon's days of drama
at least the kind behind the camera may well be over.
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