White House Plumbers: Woody Harrelson drama halted over ‘unprofessional behaviour’ on set
Director David Mandel reportedly had an ‘outburst’
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White House Plumbers, HBO’s new political drama from the creators of Veep, has halted filming after reports of “unprofessional behaviour” on the set.
Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux star in the series, based on the book Integrity by Egil “Bud” Krogh, about how Richard Nixon’s own political mutineers and Watergate masterminds accidentally brought on the downfall of the presidency they were trying to protect.
The show also stars Game of Thrones actor Lena Headey.
In a statement to Deadline, HBO said it “has received reports of alleged unprofessional behaviour on the set of White House Plumbers”.
The company added: “We take very seriously our responsibility to ensure a respectful work environment on all our productions, and we are investigating the matter fully.”
According to the publication, there was an on-set incident on 4 August that allegedly took place between director and executive producer, David Mandel, and a member of the props department.
The alleged incident led to the whole prop department walking off the set, according to sources who spoke to Deadline.
Mandel reportedly had an “outburst”, with a recording of the incident revealing him using the F-word and threatening the prop master that he will never work again.
The two-time Emmy-winning writer and director is known for his work on Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld and Clerks.
The Independent has contacted Mandel’s representatives for comment.
It is not currently known when filming will resume.