Living Single actor T.C. Carson, who played Kyle Barker on the series, says he was fired from the show after calling out Warner Bros. for neglecting the show in favor of Friends.
In an interview with Comedy Hype, Carson says he had issues with what was happening behind the scenes. “We were getting less all around. And then they created Friends and gave them everything. Both shows were Warner Bros. shows on Warner Bros. lots. So to watch that, to be on our lot and to watch that, was really kind of a slap in the face.”
Carson says he would often speak on behalf of the cast when they were forced to confront producers about issues on set.
“We would come to them as a cast but I would be the spokesperson for it,” he continued. “So, that last season before I left, they called me in and they basically said, ‘Well, all these problems we’ve been having, they listen to you. You’re the person they listen to. So if you said something else, then they would do that.’ I looked at them and said, ‘Well, first of all, we’re dealing with five grown people, and they have their own mindset and own ideas about what we’re doing. Everything we come to you with is a group decision, not my decision. But if you think I have that much power, then I need to have a different job.’ I don’t think they liked that.”
Carson says he was eventually fired from the series after the studio became fed up with the cast speaking out.
“Part of it is, even now, if you’re African-American, you shut your mouth and do your job,” the actor added. “Don’t ask questions. Be happy that you have a job.”
“My whole time on Living Single, I was happy I had a job, but I understood the importance of the job I had. I understood the importance of what these characters meant to my community. And so when I come to you with a problem, it’s because of that, not because of ego. They looked at it as ego.”