The Untold Truth Behind Chevy Chase's Unexpected Departure from Community
Discover the real reasons behind Chevy Chase's departure from the hit show Community in this revealing article Uncover the on-set issues that led to his decision and find out if there's a possibility of his return for the highly anticipated Community movie
Summary
Chevy Chase's departure from "Community" was not just a personal decision, but also due to on-set issues and clashes with show creator Dan Harmon.
Chase's habit of frequently leaving the set early and refusing to film important scenes exacerbated the already strained relationship between him and Harmon. With rumors circulating about a potential "Community" movie, there is immense uncertainty surrounding Chase's return. Cast members have expressed doubts regarding his participation, and Harmon has even hinted that it may not be legally possible for Chase to come back.
Fans have been curious about why Chevy Chase left Community towards the end of the show's fourth season. It appears that his departure was not solely a personal decision. Throughout his time on the show, Chase portrayed Pierce Hawthorne, a long-time student at Greendale Community College who often caused conflict within the core study group due to his offensive comments and malicious behavior. Despite being the biggest name in the cast, Chase faced numerous challenges during his tenure on the show, which ultimately led to his departure before the end of season 4. These challenges included public complaints about the show and clashes with show creator Dan Harmon, resulting in Harmon being fired. Interestingly, Harmon eventually returned to the show after Chase's departure. Chase became frustrated with the direction of his character and even resorted to using a racial slur during an angry outburst. Following a mutual agreement with NBC, Chase officially left Community, but the on-set issues had actually begun much earlier than season 4.
Why Chevy Chase Left Community: On-Set Issues Explained
The Chevy Chase Community drama has been an ongoing issue behind the scenes since the beginning of the show. Chase had a habit of leaving the set early without completing all of his scenes, which only added to the already strained relationship between him and Dan Harmon. This tension began even before the show started, with Harmon originally wanting other actors for the role of Pierce before NBC intervened and cast Chase.
According to Harmon (via Reddit), Chase refused to perform a crucial scene in the season 3 episode "Digital Estate Planning." This scene involved a heartfelt interaction between Pierce and Abed, relating to Pierce's father. Chase thought the scene wasn't funny and simply walked off the set. Unfortunately, it was the last day of shooting and the sets were being dismantled, so there was no opportunity to film the scene again. Harmon was incredibly disappointed about having to scrap the scene and was frustrated with Chase's reaction.
In response to the situation, Harmon reportedly made a speech at Community's wrap party, publicly confronting Chase. However, this didn't go well with the actor. According to reports (via Deadline), Harmon decided to play an angry voicemail message from Chase during the speech, which caused the message to be leaked online. As a result, Harmon was ultimately fired from Community.
However, Harmon's departure from the show did not improve the situation with Chase on the set of Community. In the following season, Chase's behavior led to him leaving the show. After Chase's departure, he told The Huffington Post UK in 2012 that being on the show was a "big mistake," although he found it funny at the time. In the fifth season premiere of Community, Chase made a brief guest appearance as a Greendale hologram. While other actors also left the show, Chase's exit was noteworthy due to his character being killed off to facilitate Donald Glover's character's departure.
It is unclear how Chase is currently regarded by his former co-stars. He does not participate in any special reunions with the cast or receive recognition from the Community family, suggesting that he may have caused more damage than was publicly revealed. Glover and Harmon have confirmed that Chase made racist comments towards Glover, though Glover claims he was unaffected by them. Despite this, the cast of Community appears to have maintained a close relationship since the show ended, with the exception of Chase, which speaks volumes.
Will Chevy Chase Return For The Community Movie?
Despite the controversy surrounding Chevy Chase's departure from the Chevy Chase Community, the question remains as to whether he will be returning for the Community movie. Rumored and speculated for years, the Community movie appeared to be on the horizon, only to suffer delays due to strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Nonetheless, the movie remains a possibility, as several main cast members have been confirmed to return. However, it remains uncertain whether Chevy Chase will make an appearance in Community. In discussions about the movie prior to the delay, Joel McHale confirmed that most of the original cast would be returning, including Donald Glover despite his successful career after Community. When asked about Chase's return, McHale simply stated, "Yeah, I don't think so," jokingly reminding everyone that Pierce was technically killed off. Dane Harmon also expressed doubt about Chase's involvement in the movie and suggested that the decision was beyond his control. Harmon stated, "I don't even know if it's legal for him to come back." Whether Harmon's comment was meant as a joke or not, it seems unlikely that Chevy Chase will be participating in the Community movie.
