Fans of HBO‘s tech comedy “Silicon Valley” got a mix of good news and some surprising bad news today. The good? The hit program has been renewed for a fifth season. The bad? Erlich Bachman will not be back.
The network has revealed that T.J. Miller, who plays the scruffy entrepreneur on the series, will not be returning, though it seems both sides are amicable about the situation. Here’s the official statement (via THR):
“The producers of Silicon Valley and T.J. Miller have mutually agreed that T.J. will not return for season 5. In Erlich Bachman, T.J. has brought to life an unforgettable character, and while his presence on the show will be missed, we appreciate his contribution and look forward to future collaborations.”
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So, what’s the real reason behind his departure? There’s no official comment yet from the actor, but in an interview last month with The Daily Beast, Miller expressed a concern about becoming too comfortable with his role on the show, as well as a desire to focus on films and his own projects, like the Comedy Central series “The Gorburger Show.”
“I love it [working on ‘Silicon Valley’]. I love that it’s a lightning strike. And it’s a comedy that people are really excited about. I feel absolutely embarrassed to admit that being on a television series that looks like it’s going to exist in perpetuity until Mike Judge and Alec Berg want to end it — I’m embarrassed to say that it’s easy to slip into autopilot if you’re playing a character for years,” he said. “Whereas with [upcoming Kristen Stewart disaster film] ‘Underwater,’ which I’m filming right now in New Orleans, I have to get my shit together and be that fucking person and then it’s over at the end of May. The movie’s made, it’s done, I move on to the next thing. I’ve always been, as a kid, I was enamored with cinema, as a lot of us are. I know it’s the platinum age of television, but I don’t know, when ‘Atlanta‘ and ‘Transparent‘ are winning comedy Golden Globes, like ‘The Martian‘ or something, I’m lucky to be on a show that is a comedy that’s actually comedic. But ‘Gorburger’ is the only episodic thing I really want to do and I would love eventually to do it live. Right now, we’re in a situation where I think episodic is very interesting, they’ve been doing great things with it, but ultimately don’t we all want a beautiful, hilarious story? That’s what you get when you buy a ticket to a movie.”
It really sounds like Miller had one feet already out the door, and now he has the opportunity to pursue a variety of projects without the commitment to the HBO series. Still, he’ll leave a giant hole in the cast, and it’ll be interesting to see how “Silicon Valley” pivots around his absence.
