The Goldbergs to Kill Off Jeff Garlin's Character After Controversial Exit
The Goldbergs has had two major exits in its most recent seasons, the first when actor George Segal unexpectedly passed away after filming on season eight had concluded and then in season nine when series star Jeff Garlin was suddenly fired from the show. Garlin's exit was the result of an investigation conducted by Sony Pictures Television's HR department following a series of misconduct allegations against him. Though he left the series with a few episodes remaining in the season, the series was forced to find ways to continue including the character despite his absence. Now the show will be writing him out permanently.
Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, series co-showrunners Alex Barnow and Chris Bishop confirmed that Garlin's character Murray will be killed off in-between seasons. The upcoming tenth season of the show will begin months after Murray's death but also will start around the time that Erica and Geoff welcome their first child into the mix.
"This is going to be a family that has not reconciled the fact that their father's gone but has sort of moved on and has dealt with a lot of that," Barnow said. "So we're starting with optimism about a baby coming and looking forward to the future. It's an opportunity for this interesting emotional basis for the way people are behaving." Bishop added that the new status quo for the series' beginning feels like a "huge reboot" for the show.
Barnow also confirmed that despite no longer being employed by the series, Garlin is aware of what will be happening with his character, adding: "I've had a conversation with Jeff and he's aware that he's not being replaced. The truth is, I don't know if he knows what his fate is, but I'm assuming he knows, would be the answer to that question. We haven't had a subsequent conversation since the beginning of writing that he would have any specific clarity on that."
Garlin attempted to refuse reports of misconduct on his part, telling Vanity Fair: "I have my process about how I'm funny, in terms of the scene and what I have to do. They feel that it makes for a quote 'unsafe' workspace." Despite this assertion, news has gotten out about his specific actions. According to reports Garlin would frequently use the word "vagina" to try and get a laugh out of the crew, which disturbed a camera assistant who then made a complaint to HR. According to a Deadline report, "After the actor found out, he reportedly put his hands around her and kept saying 'vagina' in her face over and over again."