tv

Jeffrey Tambor’s Sexual-Harassment Claims Have Been ‘Traumatic’ for Transparent, Says Jay Duplass

Photo: Jennifer Clasen/Amazon Prime Video

After an Amazon-led sexual harassment investigation concluded with Jeffrey Tambor being fired from his starring role in Transparent last month, the future of the popular drama has been up in the air, with viewers unsure of how the series will continue without the titular “trans parent.” While we wait and see what season five brings us, though, one of the show’s stars is being frank about moving forward without Tambor, and how’s it’s been unpleasant for everyone involved with the show. “Jill [Soloway]’s been under so much pressure, not knowing whether Jeffrey’s going to be in the show or not, regime changes at Amazon, whether they need to end the show or re-open it, trying to do justice to the legacy of their family, and at the same time just emotionally processing the implosion of our family of the people who make Transparent,” Jay Duplass, who plays Josh, said in a new Daily Beast interview. “So it’s been an incredibly traumatic time.”

Gaby Hoffman’s character of Ali has been getting increasingly more significant screen-time as she explores her gender identity, which might be the best narrative to lead season five, Duplass posits. “She’s now embodying that more immediate, more imminent journey,” he said. “So, from a creative standpoint, I don’t think any of us feel like it’s a dead end without Maura.” Still, Duplass admits working without Tambor will take some time: “The whole experience is painful and really hard to process. We all want it to continue. I think right now where Jill is at is just trying to figure out what that looks like.”

Tambor’s Harassment Claims Are ‘Traumatic’ for Transparent