It seems that Damon Wayans isn’t leaving the Lethal Weapon series quite when he thought he would.
Despite a rather sudden and public announcement that he was leaving Lethal Weapon after the 13th episode of this season, it seems that he is staying around for two more. According to Deadline, Fox has upped the order for the season from 13 to 15, and it has been stressed that Wayans will appear in those two episodes.
Wayans made the surprise announcement of his departure while appearing in a video interview, and had not alerted the studio or producers of his decision. Since that video was released, sources speaking with Deadline say that he has met with everyone involved, and accommodations are being made to lower the strain on the actor.
The primary concerns revolved around the number of hours on set and the impacts it was having on his health. “I’m a 58-year-old diabetic, and I’m working 16-hour days,” he said in the interview. Reportedly the producers have agreed to a new schedule as well as bringing diabetic meals on set.
While not his first TV series, Wayans had never worked on an hour-long drama before, and they are well-known throughout the industry to be one of the most grueling shooting schedules. He had previously starred in multiple seasons of a sitcom, My Wife & Kids, which was a multi-camera production and have much easier shooting schedules.
Lethal Weapon has had a strong season despite all of its issues behind the scenes, so we wouldn’t rule a fourth season out quite yet.
