F. Murray Abraham Was Fired From ‘Mythic Quest’ After Sexual Misconduct Allegations
F. Murray Abraham‘s sudden exit from Mythic Quest in 2022 was reportedly due to allegations of sexual misconduct on set.
Lionsgate released a short statement in April 2022 informing the public of his departure from the Apple TV+ series. “F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to Season 3 of Mythic Quest,” the statement read. “Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel.” The 83-year-old actor did not issue a response at the time.
The cagey statement implied there was more going on behind the scenes than was being shared. A new report from Rolling Stone claims that Abraham was fired from the comedy after two incidents of sexual misconduct were reported by people working on the show.
Per Rolling Stone, the first alleged incident resulted in The White Lotus actor receiving a warning to stay away from one of the show’s actresses. Rob McElhenney, creator and star of the series, was brought into the loop after the second incident, which then reportedly prompted Abraham’s firing.
“We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” Lionsgate said in a statement to the outlet. “As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss our personnel actions.” No other statements from the cast or production have been issued.
Abraham played C.W. Longbottom in Mythic Quest, head game writer for the eponymous video game studio and fantasy/sci-fi author. The series also stars Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Charlotte Nicdao, Ashly Burch, Jessie Ennis, and David Hornsby. It was created by McElhenney and his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crew, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz. The actress he allegedly harassed was not named in the report.
Abraham left after two seasons. His character’s exit was explained in the Mythic Quest Season 3 premiere, which came out on November 11, 2022 on Apple TV+. In the episode, Longbottom was meant to return to the studio after a year of traveling. But a letter to his co-workers revealed he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, prompting him to rewrite the script of his death. He opted to go out in Thelma & Louise style, driving his car off a cliff in the Grand Canyon. Mythic Quest will be back for a fourth season.
Abraham later appeared in The White Lotus Season 2, playing a grandfather often chastised for his objectification of women.