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Fox’s Lethal Weapon Pilot Finds Its Mel Gibson Replacement in Rectify’s Clayne Crawford

Weird facial hair at the ready. Photo: Warner Brothers, Getty Images

Giving the few, the proud, the fans of Rectify to a chance to feel cool for once, Fox has cast Clayne Crawford in the Mel Gibson role in its Lethal Weapon pilot. Unlike Gibson’s character in the film franchise, an Army vet who fought in Vietnam, Crawford’s Martin Riggs will be a “former Navy SEAL and Texas cop.” Like Gibson’s character, Crawford’s is haunted by the death of his wife, because you can’t tell a cop story without that. Crawford will star opposite Damon Wayans, Sr., who’s filling the role of Roger Murtaugh, which was originated by Danny Glover. In addition to his time spent playing bro prince Ted Jr. on Rectify, Crawford has appeared in 24, Justified, NCIS: New Orleans, and, crucially, as an ill-fated high schooler on Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Inca Mummy Girl.”

Fox’s Lethal Weapon Pilot Finds Its Mel Gibson