And Here We Go!
After Gabrielle Union was fired from NBC’s America’s Got Talent, she made some comments about the work environment that made it sound like that show wasn’t a great place to work.
If you’re Gabrielle Union.
And now, actor Orlando Jones has been fired off of the Starz show, American Gods.
From the trades:
The tumultuous run of American Gods looks to have taken another turn, with Orlando Jones declaring he has been fired from the Starz series for having “the wrong message for black America.”
In a video post on social media this morning, the Sleepy Hollow actor, who plays the trickster god Anansi, AKA Mr. Nancy, on the Fremantle-produced show based on Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed 2001 novel let loose – as you can see below:
Correction: I was fired Sept 10, 2019 like @itsgabrielleu @OfficialMelB @NickCannon @heidiklum all have said @FremantleUS is a nightmare. They treated you like a 2nd class citizen for doing your job to well. Stay tuned. More to come. #AngryGetsShitDone pic.twitter.com/DQYtaMfs8O
— Orlando Jones (@TheOrlandoJones) December 14, 2019
And, if you head to Twitter, the voices of support are, well, indicative of where we are as American culture.
Starz and American Gods Needed This Controversy
This writer doesn’t watch American Gods, and thus can’t comment on the nature of Mr. Jones’s departure from the show, but the producers have weighed in.
From the trades:
The departure of Orlando Jones from the third season of American Gods is not about race, says Fremantle, it is about story.
“The storylines of American Gods have continually shifted and evolved to reflect the complex mythology of the source material,” says a spokesperson for the company to Deadline. “Mr. Jones’ option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3,” they added.
Of course, there have been issues with the Starz series straying from Gaiman’s source material for a while now.
What Are We To Make of All of This?
Nothing. One side says Jones’s firing was about story. Another side says it was about race and a lack of communication.
The truth is, just like with Gabrielle Union’s firing off of America’s Got Talent, there is surely a middle ground that favors neither side that’s about the truth of the firing.
But, in a post-#MeToo world, we’re not going to get that truth.
Instead, look for more bloviating from minority actors after they get fired off of shows—or written out of roles—because the template has now been set.
