When it was announced last May that T.J. Miller was leaving his role of blowhard Erlich Bachman on “Silicon Valley,” HBO deemed it a “mutual agreement.”
But Miller’s departure may not have been as amicable as producers wanted the world to believe at the time.
One set insider told The Hollywood Reporter that Miller, 36, was “explosive” and “almost a danger” to have around, while others hinted the actor had “demons” and a habit of self-medicating with substances.
While Miller’s co-workers were swift to refer to him as no less than a “genius” when he was having a good day, the article claimed that Miller would often show up late and unprepared to set, leading to scheduling problems and increased production costs. Miller was also accused of falling asleep between takes.
“There are a lot of different ways you can find out somebody doesn’t want to do the show anymore,” show creator Mike Judge said. “And it’s not fun to work with someone who doesn’t want to be there, [especially when] they’re one of the main people and you’ve got however many crew members and extras and people who are [not paid as well] and they’re all showing up before 7 a.m., and then are just like, ‘Oh, OK, we’re not shooting today.'”
He summed it up by saying, “It just wasn’t working.”
Miller, who relocated to New York after leaving the series, denied being under the influence while working.
“In real life, I’m not always high like Erlich is. And this will blow your readers’ minds, but I’m not high when I work because it gets in the way of the comedy,” he said. “I also am not a guy who’s blackout-drunk, bumping into things on set … What was occurring was I was out doing stand-up all the time, even if it meant I only got three hours of sleep. So, the thing I have a problem with? It’s pushing myself to do too much.”
Miller’s workload at the time of his “Silicon Valley” tenure was indeed heavy: He had roles in “Deadpool,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Office Christmas Party,” “The Gorburger Show” and a slew of voiceover work, in addition to his standup schedule.
He previously griped of the series, “I want to have a schedule where I can have a fun, healthy relationship where we have lazy days.”
Not everyone was as diplomatic as Judge: Showrunner Alec Berg, whom Miller previously referred to as “[Harvard] Crimson trash,” made it clear that Miller wasn’t on his first string.
“These guys are the Golden State Warriors of comedy,” Berg said of the rest of the main cast — Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods and Martin Starr. “So, it’s like, yeah, we’ve lost Andre Iguodala but we still have Steph Curry and Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.”
He quipped, “T.J. wasn’t LeBron.”
Seven months after announcing his departure from “Silicon Valley,” Miller vehemently denied newly surfaced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman while in college at George Washington University.