Jeffrey Tambor is still apologizing for behavior that got him fired from 'Transparent'
Two years after being fired from "Transparent" over allegations of sexual misconduct, Jeffrey Tambor is opening up about his dismissal.
Tambor — who played the show’s lead character, a transgender woman named Maura — was fired in 2018 from Amazon's groundbreaking "Transparent" after his former assistant, Van Barnes, and costar Trace Lysette accused him of sexual harassment, which he denied.
But in a new interview with Gilbert Gottfried and Frank Santopadre on SiriusXM's "Gilbert Gottfried’s Colossal Show," the actor is again saying he's sorry.
"We loved each other," he said of his relationship with the cast and crew. "We were irreverent. We were honest. We were vulnerable. We had stories that were very, very personal. We trusted one another... It was a set like no other. And there had to be, of course, instances where my interaction... with these lovely people could have been mistaken way other than how I intended.
"I have profoundly apologized and I apologize now if I made anyone, anyone feel vulnerable," he added. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry it ended the way it did, but I just wanted to say, you know, I have to say it, I'm so proud of playing Maura and [being a] part of the LGBT community and getting that important message out, and it's a highlight of my life."
The allegations against Tambor came as the #MeToo movement was picking up steam in Hollywood and beyond. "Transparent" became one of several productions that had to be revised because of sexual misconduct allegations against their stars. The Emmy-winning series from creator Jill Soloway wrapped up in September after five seasons, ending as a Tambor-less, feature-length musical.
"Regarding how I left the show, I just want to say, I never, ever, ever, ever intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable ever," he added. "It's just not who I am."
In 2017, following Lysette's allegations of sexual harassment, Tambor acknowledged in a statement that he can be difficult to work with but denied the misconduct.
“I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone,” he said at the time. “But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express.“
