Actor Jeffrey Tambor has resigned from the Amazon television series Transparent following accusations of sexual misconduct this month from two transgender actresses.
The 73-year-old actor confirmed to Deadline Sunday that he would not return for a fifth season of Transparent, on which he played the lead role of transgender woman Maura Pfefferman.
“Playing Maura Pfefferman on Transparent has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” Tambor told the outlet. “What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago.”
“I’ve already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue,” the actor added. “Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don’t see how I can return to Transparent.”
This week, Transparent co-star Trace Lysette accused Tambor of making repeated sexually inappropriate remarks while on set, and at one point allegedly getting “physical.”
“He came in close, put his bare feet on top of mine so I could not move, leaned his body against me, and began quick, discreet thrust back and forth against my body. I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas,” Lysette told the Hollywood Reporter this week.
Lysette’s claims came after actress Van Barnes, who served as Tambor’s personal assistant, also accused Tambor of sexual misconduct this month.
Amazon had launched an investigation into Tambor’s alleged conduct following the first accusation from Barnes.
“I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator — ever,” Tambor said in a statement following the second accusation. “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. 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.”
Tambor won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for his role on the Amazon series, which was created by Jill Soloway. A fifth season of Transparent has not yet officially been announced.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum