Chevy Chase, who played Pierce Hawthorne on NBC’s TV series, Community, was dismissed from the show in 2012 amidst a series of controversies—his alleged use of racial slurs and his bitter feud with the creator of the show, Dan Harmon.
During a discussion on Mark Maron’s WTF podcast, the 79-year-old has once again opened up about his abrupt exit from Community in 2012. Chase revealed that he was never excited about the project as he believed it was not outstanding.
Chevy Chase says ‘Community’ was not outstanding
“They wanted me. So I said okay,” he admitted. “I honestly felt the show wasn’t funny enough for me, ultimately. I felt a little bit constrained… Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me.”
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He shared that even though he loved playing his character, millionaire bigot Pierce Hawthorne, he couldn’t stand his co-stars. “I didn’t mind the character. I just felt that it was… I felt happier being alone,” Chase noted. “I just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much.”
Chevy Chase says he does not see himself as a difficult person to work with
Chase also set the record straight concerning his work ethic and professionalism. “I don’t think people really felt that way,” Chase confessed. “I don’t know what my reputation was among people. I just always assumed I was okay.”
This is not the first time the actor has clamped down on negative comments about his reputation. “I guess you’d have to ask them,” he explained during a previous interview on CBS’ This Morning. “I don’t give a crap! I am who I am. I don’t care. And it’s part of me that I don’t care. And I’ve thought about that a lot. And I don’t know what to tell you, man. I just don’t care.”