ABC allegedly resorted to using “The Goldbergs” actor Jeff Garlin’s body double to film his final scheduled scenes in the wake of his departure from the show following a series of misconduct allegations.
Deadline revealed the shocking disclosure in a tweet Thursday, citing anonymous sources. “The Goldbergs” reportedly employed the 59-year-old “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star’s unnamed stand-in for “what was supposed to be his last day,” according to the Twitter post, and planned to superimpose the actor’s face over the doppelgänger via special effects later in production.
It’s unclear how frequently Garlin’s pinch-hitter will continue to appear during the current ninth season, which consists of 18 episodes. Garlin has portrayed curmudgeonly family patriarch Murray Christian Goldberg — husband of Beverly Goldberg, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey — since the show’s premiere in 2013.
Showrunners had reportedly relied on the bizarre contingency measure in the past for various unspecified reasons, according to Deadline, which reported that the “Mad About You” actor had been largely absent from set since an alleged incident about two months ago. He also told Vanity Fair in a recent interview that he’d mulled not returning for Season 9, as he had grown “bored” with the show.
Speaking on contemplating his exit, Garlin had said he was “bored, and I was frustrated with the parameters that were being put on me by Sony, which they have every right to [enact]. And I have every right when I’m not under contract to decide not to come back.”
In the same Vanity Fair interview, published last week, he also declared that he “was not fired” from the sitcom.
Representatives for Garlin, McLendon-Covey and series creator and executive producer Adam F. Goldberg did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Post
Early in the autobiographical series’ run, Goldberg marveled at how well Garlin embodied his real-life father — who died in 2008 — in the show.
“There’s moments where I catch Jeff out of the corner of my eye, dressed like my dad, and I’ll go, ‘Oh my God,’ and I’ll think it’s my dad for a second,” Goldberg told The Post in a 2014 interview. “And certain things he does, it’s like he’s channeling my father.”
The body-double report follows news that the Emmy-winning actor had abruptly left “The Goldbergs” following a series of accusations and a three-year probe into the actor’s alleged misconduct on set.
A public records search conducted by The Post turned up no active civil suits filed against Garlin in the LA courts system.
Executives reportedly revealed the departure news Wednesday night while congratulating “The Goldbergs” cast and crew on the show’s 200th episode.
According to prior reports, the unnamed sources had reportedly accused Garlin of demeaning language, giving female colleagues offensive nicknames, and generally being “verbally” and “emotionally” abusive on set.
However, the funnyman dismissed his antics as goofy gags that were misinterpreted by cast and crew.
“It’s about me and my silliness on set. They don’t think it’s appropriate. I do,” lamented Garlin, who was reportedly nearly sacked in 2019 due to inappropriate language during production. “I’ve not been fired because of it. We just think differently.”
The Chicago native added that he didn’t know how to “respond” to the allegations “because, as a comedian, if somebody is offended by what I say I, all I can say is, ‘I’m sorry. OK?’”
Some colleagues said they also felt uncomfortable with Garlin’s habit of handing out unwanted embraces.
A source told Vanity Fair that Garlin “got away” with the hugging “because he would call himself out for it — saying he was a big teddy bear, saying things like, ‘Oh you know me, just a big bowl of mush, I’m a hugger. I just love you.’”
The disgraced thespian has acknowledged his behavior, saying, “It’s quick hugs, but I didn’t realize that anyone was feeling — so if you want to write that story, that’s a true story.
“It puts the onus on them to say something, and I would gladly respect anyone who said, ‘Please don’t hug me. I don’t feel comfortable,’” he added.
Garlin also suggested he’d never had other negative experiences with the cast and crew of any production besides “The Goldbergs,” mentioning his work on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” in which he stars and co-produces with Larry David.
“Now when I’m at ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ for example, if I’m not doing the things that we’re talking about, Larry David — or a cameraman, the producer, who’s a woman — lots of people come up to me and ask me if I’m okay. I need to do what I need to do to keep my energy up and do what I do,” he told Vanity Fair. “So I don’t know what to say.”
Nonetheless, the “The Goldbergs” cast and crew were reportedly glad that Garlin is now gone.
“It feels a little surreal that he will never be here again but the mood on the set is ecstatic,” one source told Deadline. “In fact several people cheered when the execs said that Jeff would not be returning.”
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