Fringe FAIL: Kirk Acevedo not FIRED, was "let go" ~ Fringe Television - Fan Site for the FOX TV Series Fringe

Fringe FAIL: Kirk Acevedo not FIRED, was "let go"

      Email Post       5/22/2009 08:50:00 AM      

After the backlash from fans yesterday, CO-showrunner Jeff Pinkner did a little bit of damage control, and issued a statement to TV Guide regarding the status of Kirk Acevedo on Fringe:
“Like all things on Fringe, there is more to this story than meets the eye.” In fact Pinkner not only confirms to TV Guide Magazine that Acevedo “was not fired,” he hints that we’ll see more Agent Francis in season 2. Literally.

“We have already seen two of him on the show,” teases Pinkner. “We have already met the second Charlie. He had a scar on his face.”
Notice Pinkner doesn't actually say we'll see Charlie next season, he just "hints" at it (at least according to TV Guide). In fact, as of yesterday, I hear there were discussions on how Charlie could be written out of the story.

What's the real story? Pinkner is right about one thing, there is more to this story than meets the eye.

I contacted Fox and WB, and as per usual SOP, they declined to comment. However, my inside source did verify that Kirk's Facebook page was legitimate, and had this to say:
Kirk wasn't 100% happy with the way he was used on the show and was somewhat vocal about it.
Lee Hernandez of Latina.com was able to contact Kirk directly, and got a little clarification on his original statement:
"It’s called not picking up my option. But at the end of the day, you got fired!"
So technically, he wasn't fired - he was "let go" (or "made redundant" for our UK fans :). You say potato and I say potahto - the bottom line is that he won't be a regular on the show anymore.

A lot of this has to do with saving money. Kirk had a prety minor role on the show, but from what I hear, he was makin getting paid more that Anna Torv! So while I am a huge fan of Kirk (we even share the same last name!), if they needed to cut the cast budget (maybe to accommodate Nimoy), I can understand why this happened.

The good news, if we read between the lines (and maybe because of all this coverage), is that there's a good chance that we'll see Charlie again - if everyone can kiss and makeup.

19 Comments:

JoeY said...

:(

Sandy said...

Doesn't the actor who's first billed get paid the most?

Dennis said...

No, I don't think so. I think like everything in the biz, it's negotiable. Sometimes it's purely alphabetical, though clearly not in this case.

FYI, Here's the cast order on "There's More Than One Of Everything":

Anna Torv
Joshua Jackson
Lance Reddick
Kirk Acevedo
Blair Brown
Jasika Nicole
John Noble

You can't tell me John Noble gets paid less than Jasika Nicole!

Anonymous said...

I think Charlie is a wonderful character. He is the normal guy in the middle of a bunch of quirky characters. He's the Scully to Olivia's Mulder. It's awful to hear Charlie won't be around much (if it all) next season.

Elizabeth
Raleigh,NC

Anonymous said...

Was Torv jealous of his salary and throwing her weight around?

Sandy said...

@Dennis- 'last billed' is left for the most notable/distinguished actor in the cast. For example, Boston Legal has William Shatner billed last. If you watch the titles, it always says "and John Noble".

And @anonymous above me- Torv and Acevedo are actually close friends.

Sandy said...

@Dennis- 'last billed' is left for the most notable/distinguished actor in the cast. For example, Boston Legal has William Shatner billed last. If you watch the titles, it always says "and John Noble".

And @anonymous above me- Torv and Acevedo are actually close friends.

Dani said...

I dont get it, if they needed to save money, why are they hiring someone else to 'replace' charlie?

tallone said...

They may have found an unknown actor who wanted to work for less.
In any business it's always about how much everything costs.

Dennis said...

For those that may not know all the Hollywood lingo, an "option" is something in an actor's contract that gives the studio the opportunity to rehire someone at the end of a season.

gil_cdn said...

Also, depending on each individual contract, if studio decides to pick up the option for a second season, usually there is a percentage % of raise build-in to the contract (especially if you are a member of Screen Actors Guild in the US or ACTRA in Canada.)

Unknown said...

my first name is Kirk!

Anonymous said...

i'm jettisoning my fringe watching teddy bear to orbit this weekend with my brand new N.Korean made rocket engines!!!

Kirk was greatness incarnate. He added pace to the show which is that necessity like rhythm to dance.

anyway, fringe gets weaker to wacker the more i watch. They need to go to '24' school!!!!!!!!!

-BishopGForce

tallone said...

I guess I wonder why they didn't pick up his option...was it $ or something else?

DocH said...

It totally has to be about ca$h. The move to BC from NY was because the filming tax credits were going to (likely) dry-up in NY, and the BC Canada benefits are available. The studios for several of FOX's 'not as profitable as we'd like' shows, one of which is FRINGE, were told to cut budget 10% next season - if they want to be renewed. So moving, and dropping a supporting actor that was making more than the star was the first action. Limited commercials, an extra 8 minutes of show every week, lots of on-location filming and graphic visual FX all require money to maintain. I hear that there will be a broad cut in production staff too. Your choice - save the actor, or save the show?

snicketsfile said...

He seemed pretty egotistical from that facebook announcement he made. The whole 'never been fired' thing kind of upset me.

Oh well. If he was being payed more then Anna then I can see why he was "let go".

fringeobsessed said...

The more I read the more I blame the executive co-producers. They are all seasoned guys who know show business. Salary issues should have been adressed before this, IMHO.

Jeff Pinkner has said some intelligent things this season, but in this whole debacle with Kirk Acevedo I think Jeff P. and everyone involved at the administrative level handled it very poorly.

tallone said...

Well if you only have x amount of dollars..something has to give.

Joey said...

...The creators or J.J Abrams projects have a reputation for getting rid of much loved characters called Charlie. :(

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