Orlando Jones Says He Was Fired from 'American Gods,' Blames Showrunner
Orlando Jones I Was Fired from 'American Gods' ... Blames New Showrunner
UPDATE
4:30 PM PT -- A rep for STARZ's show 'American Gods' tells THR Orlando's assertion he was fired over race or politics is wrong. The spokesperson says the storylines have simply shifted for season 3, and his character -- Mr. Nancy -- isn't featured in the portion of the book they're about to hone in on. They say that's why his option wasn't picked up, nothing more.
UPDATE
They add, "Several new characters, many of which have already been announced, will be introduced into Shadow Moon’s world that will further contribute to the show’s legacy as one of the most diverse series on television."
Orlando Jones is putting the new showrunner for "American Gods" on full blast ... saying he's responsible for getting the actor fired from the show.
OJ went on the attack Saturday morning in a video he posted to his social media, saying he was fired from the STARZ series a few months ago in September ... a decision he appears to be pinning on TV screenwriter Charles "Chic" Eglee, who got tapped to head up season 3.
Check out the clip ... Orlando -- who played Mr. Nancy for the first two seasons on 'AG' -- says the new showrunner apparently felt his character's "angry, get-s**t-done" attitude was the wrong message to broadcast to black America. Clearly, Orlando thinks that's BS.
He goes on to say, "That's right, this white man sits in that decision-making chair. And I'm sure he has many black BFFs who are his advisers and made it clear to him, that if they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy, he'd start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country."
Orlando goes on to thank the OG showrunners -- Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green -- for letting him become a writer/producer on the show, as well as fans of course.
In a separate post, Orlando also blasts Fremantle Media, the production company behind "American Gods" and several other TV shows, including "America's Got Talent." Speaking of that, OJ tags Nick Cannon, Gabrielle Union, Mel B and other stars ... saying they've all claimed the company is a nightmare and treats its talent like "2nd class citizen(s)."
He seems to agree with that characterization. As far as Eglee, Orlando doesn't name drop him -- but there's only been one new showrunner announced for season 3, and it's him.
We've reached out to the guy for comment ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 1:26 PM PT
