The “My Best Friend’s Wedding” star left the set of “The View” on Friday in “protest,” showing his support for an important cause.
Dermot Mulroney, who has also starred in movies like “Young Guns,” “Point of No Return,” and, more recently, “Secret Invasion,” was being interviewed by the ladies of The View about his most recent projects, family life, the key to his success (“I work my tail off”), and being a father to teenagers.
But after a few minutes of the interview, Mulroney queried co-host Joy Behar about if the show was about to take a commercial break.
“We are,” Behar answered.
“First — I want to do this symbolically and in solidarity with the writers,” said Mulroney, a reference to the ongoing writer’s strike by members of the Writer’s Guild of America.
“I’m going to walk off your show,” Mulroney said. “I’ll see you on the picket lines.”
However, according to trade publication Variety, “After his walk-off gesture, Mulroney returned to the stage for photos with ‘The View’ hosts during commercial break.”
Variety added that the walk-off wasn’t shown live.
“Even though Mulroney’s segment was pre-taped, his segment is planned to air exactly as it happened, Variety hears, and the moment with him leaving the stage is not expected to be edited out. (In the summer months, ‘The View’ airs live four days per week, but Friday shows are pre-taped),” the magazine reported.
“Since I have such respect for ‘The View,’ a news program with a heart, it was there that I felt comfortable enough to draw attention to the ongoing WGA strike for fair wages and working hours, as I find it incredibly important to continue to support the union,” Mulroney said in a statement to Variety.
Whoopi Goldberg, the co-host, managed to contain her tears last week when she introduced the “new man behind the camera.”
Goldberg began the segment by pointing out that both the network and the show have lately undergone a number of changes, including those affecting the cast of “The View.”
Goldberg introduced the newest member of the show’s family before diving into the subjects the table would be discussing.
“We got a new man behind the camera. Hey Paul,” Whoopi said, with other members of the table saying, “Hi, Paul” as they noted the writer’s strike that has hit many other shows in Hollywood.
Whoopi thanked viewers for tuning in toward the end of the program and held up a notecard to ask a producer if this was the moment she was obviously not prepared for — revealing that producer Rob Bruce Baron was quitting.
For the past 26 seasons, Baron, a veteran of the broadcast industry with more than 40 years of experience, has worked for “The View.”
“Is this? Ohh, yeah,” she said, looking down at the notecard and holding back tears.
“Rob is retiring today after 40 years in television. Rob has been with The View since Day 1, 26 seasons.”
“Don’t leave!” Whoopi called out to Rob as she continued to hold back tears.
The program made waves earlier this week when Goldberg said “American Idol” was a part of the “beginning of the downfall of society,” which sparked an argument with executive producer Brian Teta and some criticism from her own coworkers.
When Goldberg opened a section about Iam Tongi, an 18-year-old singer from Hawaii who won Season 21 of the competition show, the debate started.
The program made waves earlier this week when Goldberg said “American Idol” was a part of the “beginning of the downfall of society,” which sparked an argument with executive producer Brian Teta and some criticism from her own coworkers.
When Goldberg opened a section about Iam Tongi, an 18-year-old singer from Hawaii who won Season 21 of the competition show, the debate started.
