F. Murray Abraham claims that his “jokes” were to blame for his “Mythic Quest” termination.
The actor, 83, said his quips unintentionally “upset” his colleagues and caused him to lose “a great job,” according to an apologetic statement provided to The Post Thursday.
“This is a sincere and deeply felt apology,” he said in the statement. “Though never my 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.”
Abraham, who played a lascivious grandfather in the second season of HBO’s hit “The White Lotus,” was sacked from the Apple TV+ comedy series after colleagues alleged sexual misconduct.
“We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” the show’s production company, Lionsgate, said in a statement this week. “As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss our personnel actions.”
The “Amadeus” actor was reportedly given a warning after the first complaint and terminated after the second when series star and creator Rob McElhenney was informed.
In “Mythic Quest,” Abraham played author and video game writer C.W. Longbottom, who was written off the show in the premiere of the third season that aired in November.
The seasoned actor called his role a “special gift,” telling Vanity Fair in 2021 that he found a “community” on the “Mythic Quest” set.
When Abraham’s departure was announced last year, Lionsgate did not give a reason.
“F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to Season 3 of ‘Mythic Quest.’ Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel,” the company said at the time.
McElhenney, 46, told Variety last May that it was a “bummer to not have Murray in this season,” but assured viewers that the “beloved character” would receive “a really fitting tribute.”
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