Lionsgate has confirmed that Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham will not be reprising his role as C.W. Longbottom on the Apple TV Plus original series, Mythic Quest. The studio recently confirmed that Abraham would not be returning to the series, but did not provide a reason as to why.
On Mythic Quest, Abraham plays the eccentric nebula award-winning science fiction writer C.W. Longbottom, who works as a writer for the fictional video game studio. In the Apple TV Plus series, Longbottom is portrayed as an aging and out-of-touch writer who is still living off the reputation from his Nebula award.
An official statement from Lionsgate to Vanity Fair reads, “F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to season three of Mythic Quest. Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel." Abraham is best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in the 1984 film Amedeus, in which he plays composer Antonio Salieri. In the past, Abraham has spoken quite fondly of his time on Mythic Quest, previously calling the role a “special gift” and saying, “I’ve done a whole lot of work and there are certain things I look for. One of [them] is community. To find that kind of connection and humanity is so hard because it’s so segmented.”
In its first two seasons, Mythic Quest has become one of Apple TV Plus' most popular shows. The series boasts a strong cast of characters, including series co-creator and lead actor Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia), as well as famed voice actress Ashly Burch (Horizon Zero Dawn) and Community star Danny Pudi. Neither Lionsgate nor Apple TV have commented on the reason for Abraham's sudden departure from the series, but regardless, his presence will be sorely missed.
Mythic Quest season 2 delved further into the backstory of Longbottom, revealing him to be a bit of a fraud. In a flashback episode featuring actor Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as a younger version of the character, it's revealed that after his frequent failed attempts at writing original ideas, Longbottom plagiarized the notes he received from famed science fiction writer Isaac Azimov, using it to write the novel that earns him his Nebula award. However, the series takes a fairly sympathetic approach to the character, and a later episode saw him making amends with an old friend played by the late William Hurt.
The 82-year-old actor provided a unique perspective on the video game industry, which is largely dominated by younger talent. Abraham's old-school, blowhard character provided many laughs in the first two seasons of Mythic Quest and his presence will certainly be missed by fans of the series.
Mythic Quest seasons 1-2 are now available on Apple TV Plus.
Source: Vanity Fair