Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a television sitcom that ran for six seasons, the first five of which aired on NBC, while the sixth and final was picked up by Yahoo! Screen. Earlier this year, after much campaigning and fan anticipation, Community film was announced to be in development at Peacock. Set in the fictional town of Greendale at a community college, the series follows seven characters from different backgrounds as they come together as a study group. It uses meta humor and pop culture references, paying tribute to film and television clichés and figures of speech.
The cast of Community boasted many talented actors, from Alison Brie to Donald Glover. Chevy Chase played the oldest member of the study group, Pierce Hawthorne, for the show’s first four seasons. Indeed, Chase was notably fired from the show before Season 5 began. This is why.
Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne
Before you join Community in 2009 as one of the main cast members, Chase was known as a lead actor in Saturday Night Live. More than that, Chase was widely known for his archetypal characters in several comedy films, such as The National Lampoon’s Holiday movie series and Three Amigos! Have not participated in a successful project since the 80s, have been poured in Community as the tycoon Pierce Hawthorne was seen as the actor’s glamorous comeback.
Of course, playing the part of a problematic ignorant character that everyone should hate probably wasn’t the best decision from the start. Pierce is a smelly, rich old man who has been attending Greendale’s classes for years to brighten up his lonely life. He has all the character traits you typically abhor in older, ignorant white men: sexist, homophobic, and racist. Plus, Pierce isn’t necessarily trying to improve himself in any way. Watching the other characters laugh at him and treat him just as badly sometimes feels strangely cathartic, but that’s always been his character’s goal. Community.
Controversies surrounding Chevy Chase
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Chase has built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most controversial comedians. Many fellow presenters, actors and comedians have spoken openly about Chase’s behavior both on set and behind the scenes. After Chase criticized SNL‘s humor and the current cast, as reported by Variety, cast member Pete Davidson did not contain his hatred of the racist actor, calling him a “f**king d**chebag.” colleague SNL legend Will Ferrell recalled Chase’s return to the sketch comedy show as a special guest and pointed out how he insulted everyone he encountered. According to US Magazine, Ferrell said, “When he got to one of our female writers, he made a reference like, ‘Maybe you can give me a ah**d job later.'”
As for the actual Community cast and his behavior on the show’s set, creator Dan Harmon began recalling how unsettling it was working with the actor on set. Chase even went as far as refusing to film an important touching scene between Pierce and Abed because he didn’t like its direction and walked off the set. According to Deadline, the feud between Chase and Harmon heated up when the creator called out to the actor at the closing party. The very angry voicemail the actor left for Harmon was subsequently leaked online.
Chase’s repetitive problem behavior didn’t stop there. In a 2018 The New Yorker interview both Harmon and Glover opened up about the incidents that took place on Communityis set. Harmon spoke of how Chase was the first to realize Glover’s talent and gift in acting and his jealousy knew no bounds: “I remember apologizing to Donald after a particularly rough night of Chevy’s non-PC verbiage, and Donald said, ‘ I don’t know’ don’t even worry about it.’”
The last straw came when filming Community season four episode six “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking.” Chase expressed anger at the direction of the story — particularly his character’s arc — and used yet another racist slur (although reportedly not used against any of the cast or crew). Both the actor and the network agreed that it would be best if he left the TV series — and he did. It appears that the actor has not repented and feels no guilt for the trouble and pain he has caused, claiming, “I don’t care. I am who I am. And I love who I am. I do not give a hoot. And it’s a part of me that I don’t care.”
The creators have met their end by producing “six seasons and a movie,” the latest of which will be released on Peacock in 2023. There have been countless discussions about who is most likely to return and who is not. The two actors who left the show and had an unresolved feud between them – Glover and Chase – are the ones who have not yet been confirmed to be returning as of this writing. While there’s a higher chance Glover will reprise his role as Troy, given the way Chase has publicly indicated he’s joining Community was a big mistake and all the controversy surrounding him, we are less likely to see him again. Even Harmon recently said Chase’s return is less likely, saying, “I don’t even know if it’s legal for Chevy to come back.”