Isaiah Washington: Truly Angry, Contemplating Lawsuit
Isaiah Washington wasn't joking when - in response to being axed from Grey's Anatomy yesterday - he issued the Network-inspired statement: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."
In an exclusive interview, the actor's spokesperson, Howard Bragman, told TV Guide that "Isaiah really is angry."
Particularly mystifying to the star is the timing of his ouster: months after he revived the F-word controversy by repeating the slur backstage at the Golden Globes.
"If they wanted to fire him," Bragman asks, "why didn't they fire him when [the incident] happened? Why did they say, 'Here's what you need to do if you want to come back⦠' and then, when he did everything that was asked of him, he still gets fired. Why do you treat somebody like that?
"If you made a mistake, you acknowledged the mistake, you went into counseling, you met with the groups, you did the PSA, you did everything that was asked of you, and then they still kick you in the gut? How would you feel?"
While Bragman says there was no formal agreement with ABC that if Washington did X, Y and Z he could keep his job, "there was a discussion and it was agreed upon that this is what needs to be done to come back, and he did everything...And, in fact, we were the ones that pushed for the PSA."
Although Bragman won't rule out Washington taking possible legal action against ABC, he adds, "It would be premature to speculate. We have time to discuss that."
(A rep for ABC studios declined to comment on a potential lawsuit, but a studio executive with knowledge of the TV biz says producers have the legal right to not pick up an actor's option â" with or without cause.)
Might Washington, who is currently shooting the independent movie The Least of These in Los Angeles, make a brief return to Grey's to tie up Burke's loose ends? "That would be a question for ABC," Bragman says. "I certainly can't imagine they would tell him they're not renewing his contract and then ask him to come back and clean things up."
What do you think? Should ABC have Washington come back for a cameo in order to actually send him off properly? Sound off on our forums today.
June 9th, 2007 10:09 PM
The fact that he did all that stuff JUST to come back and keep his job shows me he only did it for that reason not because he was sorry but just for his job!!
I dont care for Burke so i dont care he's gone!! But i hope IW finds some work, he's a good actor!
June 9th, 2007 11:01 PM
this guy did all those things just to keep his job..just like i said all along. he was never sincere. Now a lawsuit...give me a break...this guy is a loose cannon.
June 9th, 2007 11:01 PM
i think everyone has been way too harsh on washington. he made a mistake, and tried to make it better, then had everyone bitching bout him.
it wasnt fair, and i cnt imagine grey's without him =[
June 9th, 2007 11:35 PM
I'm sad! And it's just so weird for him to disappear like that! I hope that he goes back to clean things up, even if he is pissed, but it seems doubtful that he would do that.
June 9th, 2007 11:42 PM
It is more of a workplace issue now rather than IW saying a homophobic slur. I think the people from ABC realized that his presence on the set is more of a liability. I'm pretty sure they reconize the character of Burke as something important in the show and it must have been the reason for the delay in the decision of sacking him. I'm glad that they did. It's been long overdue.
June 10th, 2007 12:40 AM
I watched seasons 1&2 again last night. He is such a great actor !! It's such a waste. He did sthg wrong but then he apologized, went to a rehab... He must suffer from another kind of rejection that is even stronger than homophobia in the USA: racism against african American.
Moreover, we don't know the circonstances, the tensions that were on the plot when he insulted TR Knight. He lost his nerves.
But he does not deserve to be fired after such a desastrous season which is not his fault but the writers'!!!
June 10th, 2007 12:41 AM
That's jacked! So what if he called a faggot a faggot? Isaiah Washington is a real man who told it like it is. I hope he bankrupts ABC and Rosie O'Faggot and all of her faggot friends crawl back in the the primordial sludge they crawled out of.
June 10th, 2007 12:51 AM
They fired him not only for racism. He tried to punch PD and then he created some tension on the set. ABC mistake has been to choose him.
June 10th, 2007 1:36 AM
I watched Grey's for the relationship between Burke and Christina. I tolerated a lot of the antics of the rest (especially Meridith) because of it. I'm sorry that he's going to be leaving. He's such a great actor.
June 10th, 2007 2:22 AM
I know excatly what it like to get fired so a part of me feels for him. ABC should have just said back in January that they were going to let him go instead of letting Mr. Washington think that he would still be working on Grey's.
Let this be a lesson to him to watch what he says and watch what he does. If he has anger issues he should work on controlling that so that this won't happen again.
As for suing....is that really a good idea?!? I don't think so but then again what do I know?!? I do however know this much...grey's anatomy isn't going to be on the air that much longer. I give it another three years and people will get/be sick of it.
June 10th, 2007 4:09 AM
So he did all those things just to keep his job. There was no sincerity in it what so ever. Jeez, wonder why they fired him.
Asking someone to be a decent human being and respect their co-workers is not jumping through hoops Isaiah.
June 10th, 2007 5:31 AM
Who is without sin cast the first stone!!!!!!!!!
June 10th, 2007 5:37 AM
I can`t imagine grey´s without him. He is a great actor, better than Demsey and TRK. Bang was my favourite couple, a reason to watch, because they were great together, the two best actors of the Show. Now he was "mobbed" out of the show by Heigl and TRK. Is this a fair behaviour???? Who is without sin cast the first stone!!!!
June 10th, 2007 5:49 AM
Well, at least he is honest about the amends being partly to keep the job. Would you have believed him if he said he had a change of heart and is a different person all of a sudden?? No, you would have called him a liar - again!
His charity work clearly shows that he is a good person and I'm sure the effort was not for appearance only! I think he really feels bad about what he did and that he is trying to change and I believe he can do it!
@Aga: Amen! You're absolutely right!
@sarah: were you on set that day? Both actors said that there was no such thing as punching going on!
@all those who think someone else should play Burke: NOBODY, ABSOLUTELY NOBODY CAN REPLACE ISAIAH AS THE AWESOME DR. BURKE!!!!!!!!!
June 10th, 2007 7:09 AM
I am glad that they fired him and they should have done it long before now. He was fine in the first two seasons, but his character went down hill when they had the story about his hand. Glad he is gone and I would be glad to see TR gone. I think Grey's has lost a lot of viewers over the past year because of the direction of the show. I don't blame the actors but the writers have really blown it. I saw nothing in the preview for next season to make me want to watch.
June 10th, 2007 8:20 AM
Honestly, they're all professional adults and have to understand that there WILL be unhappiness and quarrels in the workplace. Insensitive remarks will be passed and I believe it is really up to the individuals to work it out and respect each other as colleagues. It is plain childish to kick out whoever you don't like and work only with the people you get along with. Plus, I'm sure that isn't the first time TR Knight has been called a faggot; and I'm sure Washington has been called a nigger many a time. Seriously guys, get over it. Tell me which guy hasn't been referred to by a derogatory term - even Sandra has been called a Chink (which IS derogatory, by the way).
So yes congratulations to Heigl and Knight, who have gotten rid of the colleague they couldn't get along with. They had better improve their acting by leaps and bounds since they've successfully "purged" their working environment. One last thing, I don't think Heigl is any worse off telling the whole world that she thinks Washington should learn not to speak in public. But hey, she blamed alcohol and got away with it.
June 10th, 2007 9:18 AM
It wasn't just about his job. If they had released him earlier, he still would have meet with GLAAD. He worked with GLAAD to make amends with the gay community and pushed for the PSA. We don't have to accept the lifestlye of the gay community, but understand and give them their due respect, and I believe he is sincere and has a better understanding. He has every right to be angry, the fans are angry, too. There is no way I will ever watch ABC or anything involving Shonda Rhimes. They lead him, and his fans to believe that he would return, and that was cruel, wrong and demeaning.
June 10th, 2007 9:23 AM
cu83 I don't think ABC is stupid. They fired him for a reason and IW isn't a quiet man.
I'm sad only for Burketina fans. I never loved Burke.
June 10th, 2007 10:02 AM
MJ, I totally agree with you!
@sarah: I was only referring to your statement that he tried to punch PD! They both said that that's not true! I never wrote that the ABC-guys are stupid!
June 10th, 2007 10:50 AM
THANK GOD hes gone, i never liked Washington from the start, greys will be fine without him, and I think the way he left Christina in the last ep..is a good ending for him, seriously, dont bring him back at all
June 10th, 2007 10:50 AM
I totally agree with Washington's spokesperson, Howard Bragman! He did all that stuff for nothing!! Only to get fired anyway! I know many people who are saying that they will no longer watch Grey's Anatomy because of this! It will be very interesting to see what happens to the shows ratings in the upcoming season! There will never be another actor who was born to play the role of Dr. Preston Burke like Isaiah Washington!!!!!!!!!!!
June 10th, 2007 10:52 AM
he wont be back ???
no more fun..he is a good actor....realluy protrayed a surgeon well..even betterthan patrick dempsey...and yet..just becoz of the commotion that occur previously...hell....wats the big deal about the gay thing..i mean he is jus voicing his views...besides he already apologized..i dont see why they think this as a threat to the show...
hello...they can actually check the number or viewers right ? i bet it didnt fall tremendously jus becoz of his comments...duh...
June 10th, 2007 11:08 AM
I really don't care that he's not coming back. I only liked him becasue he was with Christina on the show. I didn't think he ever was an asset. Will I miss him on some occasions? probably. But to whoever said it was KH and TRK fault for him getting kicked off - i'm SURE knight ASKED washington to call him what he did. And KH was just reacting to the situation. I know we all have tempers and issues with other people. But you don't see everyone else calling people f****ts and other slurs every time they get mad!
P.S. - I completely agree w/ you sam!
June 10th, 2007 1:32 PM
I'd rather Washington leave than Knight. I don't want anyone leaving, but if you call T.R. a (*beep*) AND you try to punch Patrick Dempsey, you've gotta go. Nobody messes with PD and TRK without punishment. I love Burke, what a great character, but seriously, Isaiah's paying his price. And I know people are asking why he didn't get fired when it happened, but it's because ABC has brains and is not gonna finish him out in the middle of a season. That'd be so bad. He shouldn't even come back for one episode to clear things up in the 4th season. Shonda Rhimes and the other writers of Grey's Anatomy are great enough to figure something out to get Burke out. Sorry IW fans, but he got what he deserved. You can't call T.R. a bad name AND you especially can't try to punch Patrick Dempsey. That's against the law in my book! Burke, I love your character, but Georgie can't leave. He's Georgie!
June 10th, 2007 2:06 PM
This was not handled right from day one. But than again you never know how your going to react to something until it happens. You have to admit peoples true personalities come out in a situation like this and it's not always nice. I am also afraid it's just going to get worse. It's a shame because it's a great show with an amazing cast and crew.