Although he’s been with the series from the start, MacGyver co-star George Eads is reportedly ready to leave the series behind following an altercation on set last month. The series, a reboot of the popular ‘80s and ‘90s ABC series of the same that starred Richard Dean Anderson, is in the middle of its third season on CBS, and it sounds as though the production will be on the lookout for a new second fiddle to star opposite Lucas Till.
One of the more successful television reboots in the past few years, the CBS version of MacGyver follows the same formula as the first, putting Angus ‘Mac’ MacGyver into a series of outlandish situations with only his quick thinking and extraordinary problem-solving skills to save the day. Employed by a secret government agency, Mac is typically in the field with Jack Dalton (Eads), a former member of Delta Force whose methods in the field are more conventional than his partner’s. Together, Till and Eads are ostensibly the show’s two leads, leaving the production in a bit of a predicament, following the latter’s planned exit from the show.
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As first reported by THR, though Eads is currently in production on the series, an altercation in October prompted the actor to leave the set early despite still having several hours of filming left for the day. No details have yet been reported as to what incited the disagreement or with whom Eads was arguing, but it appears as though it was enough for the producers to grant him his wish and release Eads from his contract early. According to THR, the character of Dalton will be written out of the series, with Eads’ final episode to air sometime next year.
Whether or not this will be a huge blow to the series remains to be seen. A large part of the MacGyver’s appeal is the dynamic between Mac and Dalton, and given that the pair are often seen in the field together, Eads’ absence will certainly be felt. Whether or not the show plans to write in a new character or simply promote a member of the cast to fill the vacancy has not yet been announced, so it will be interesting to see which way the production ultimately goes. Bringing new blood into an established series is always tricky, but it could also prove to be a shot in the arm for the CBS Friday-night procedural.
This isn’t the first contentious interaction Eads has had on a CBS series. The actor was briefly suspended from CSI after a clash with the show’s writers because he was reportedly unhappy with the direction his character was taking. Though he threatened to quit, Eads did return to work on CSI, which doesn’t look to be the case here.
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MacGyver continues this Friday with ‘Specimen 234 + PAPR + Outbreak’ @8pm on CBS.
Source: THR
