F. Murray Abraham about scandal on set: "I hope they forgive me"
A series of complaints recently surfaced about F. Murray Abraham's alleged sexual misconduct against some of his female castmates in the series 'Mystic Quest.' A few days after the news of the accusations, the actor responds.
Through his representative, F. Murray Abraham has issued a statement expressing his sincere apologies, according to Just Jared.
He said it was never his intention to offend anyone. "I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people. I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me."
F. Murray Abraham played Carl Longbottom during the first two seasons of 'Mythic Quest,' the spectacular Apple TV+ comedy.
Photo: Mythic Quest / Apple TV+
Despite being one of the protagonists, Lionsgate announced the abrupt departure of the Oscar-winning actor from the series in April 2022.
Photo: Mythic Quest / Apple TV+
The studio, as reported by Vanity Fair, did not give further explanation about the reason for the dismissal of the actor, who was 82 years old at the time.
Photo: The White Lotus / HBO Max
A year later, Rolling Stone magazine dropped the bomb, however. It appears that F. Murray Abraham was removed from the series due to "sexual misconduct complaints."
According to Rolling Stone, those responsible for the series received two complaints about the conduct of F. Murray Abraham.
After the first incident, says Rolling Stone, the actor received a warning and the order to stay away from some of the actresses in the series.
The second incident was the one that would cause the departure of F. Murray Abraham from the project.
Photo: Mythic Quest / Apple TV+
After a second notice, Rob McElhenney, creator and star of 'Mythic Quest,' took action and had F. Murray Abraham fired from the series, Rolling Stone reports.
Photo: Mythic Quest / Apple TV+
"We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly," Lionsgate told Rolling Stone.
"As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss our personnel actions," Lionsgate pointed out after the actor's departure in April 2022. F. Murray Abraham himself and Rob McElhenney also remained silent.
F. Murray Abraham had his own farewell episode, 'Across the Universe,' after 19 episodes on 'Mythic Quest'. It aired in November 2022.
The excuse to cut the character from the show was a terminal illness. It would lead Carl Longbottom to choose his end in the vein of 'Thelma & Louise.'
Curiously, the release of 'Mythic Quest' allowed F. Murray Abraham to live an absolutely spectacular 2022 professionally.
Photo: The White Lotus / HBO Max
His greatest television glory came with the second season of 'The White Lotus' (HBO), where he got into the role of Bert Di Grasso. It earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Photo: The White Lotus / HBO Max
Curiously, F. Murray Abraham plays a veteran womanizer in 'The White Lotus:' an elderly man on vacation in Italy who has a series of awkward and inappropriate interactions with women. He gets lectured about it by his son, played by Michael Imperioli.
Photo: The White Lotus / HBO Max
Now that he has expressed his regrets, it remains to be seen how his colleagues and audience respond. It will be interesting to know what the immediate future of the actor brings, at 83 years of age.