Another week and another story of inappropriate conduct has broken in Hollywood. Following hot on the heels of recent stories involving TV and movie veterans Bill Murray and Frank Langella being investigated for misconduct on set, the latest celebrity to come under scrutiny is The Wonder Years director and executive producer Fred Savage. Following “multiple complaints” about Savage’s conduct while making the ABC comedy series, it seems that Disney have cut ties with the director and fired him from his role.
As reported by Deadline, a spokesman for 20th Television, who are the producer of the show, said:
“Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years.”
The reboot of the late 80s comedy, which starred Savage, was well received on its return, but with Savage now out of the picture, the series will be in need of a new director before there is a chance of a second series being picked up by the network. Although there had not been a decision made about show continuing, it is clear that this news will be a setback for The Wonder Years moving forward.
There has been no further details released about what the allegations against Savage are, but it has been suggested that the issues included verbal outbursts and inappropriate behavior on set and around the cast. So far there has been no comment from Savage or his representatives in relation to the firing, but no doubt that will come in due course.
Fred Savage Has Been The Subject of Misconduct Claims in the Past
The latest claims against Fred Savage are not the only time the star has found himself on the receiving end of a misconduct accusation. Original The Wonder Years star Alley Mills, who played the mother of Savage and co-star Jason Hervey’s characters, claimed in 2018 that the 80s show was canceled on the back of a “ridiculous sexual harassment suit” launched against the two young actors, who were 16 and 20 years old respectively.
Savage was also put under scrutiny that year for historical allegations by a crew member from Fox series The Grinder, suggesting that he had attacked and harassed her during their time on set. While the investigation discovered no evidence to support the claims, but this and the previous claimant ended up settling out of court.
As one of the stars of a generation, appearing in The Princess Bride as well as his starring role in The Wonder Years, the claims against Savage in recent years will have come as a surprise to those who mainly remember him as a young child actor who became the youngest nominee at the Emmys and had a bright future ahead of him. Having recently moved into directing, it looked like Savage’s career was going to continue to grow in new ways, but these latest allegations in the current climate are not going to make that an easy task.