Clayne Crawford, who plays Martin Riggs on the FOX series, is said to be having unprofessional on-set behavior, making fellow cast members 'uncomfortable' to be around him.
- Apr 24, 2018
AceShowbiz - Despite its high ratings, FOX's "Lethal Weapon" may not be renewed for a season 3. A new report suggests that one of the stars' unprofessional on-set behavior has put the future of the popular series in jeopardy.
According to Deadline, Clayne Crawford has had a history of bad behavior on the show, prompting the network to get him disciplined "several times over complaints of emotional abuse and creating a hostile environment." It appears to be a huge issue as the other actors reportedly feel "uncomfortable" being around Crawford on the set.
The "Rectify" alum's alleged toxic behaviour is said to be forcing FOX to explore the option of recasting his leading role if the network renews the show for another season. TVLine adds that the network may cast a female actor to play the character. Should the rumor be true, that will be a very rare thing to do in network television.
A representative for FOX and Warner Bros., however, decline to comment on the report. Crawford also doesn't respond to the claims.
On the series, Crawford plays Martin Riggs, Texas cop and former Navy SEAL. After losing his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start a new life. He later meets LAPD Detective Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) who must avoid stress in his life after suffering a "minor" heart attack. Murtaugh was played by Danny Glover in the original movie franchise, while Mel Gibson took the role of Riggs.
Despite Crawford's rumored misconduct, the show pulled in big ratings. This season, "Lethal Weapon" is averaging 4.25 million total viewers and a 1.0 rating (in Live+Same Day numbers), tying for fourth in the demo among FOX dramas behind "Empire", "Star" and "The Resident".
"Lethal Weapon" is also among the season's top 20 broadcast dramas among men 18-49 and top 10 among men 18-34. In addition, it manages to over-index in African-American homes (165 index) and ranks among the season's top 15 broadcast dramas among African-American adults 18-49.
