Armie Hammer has withdrawn from his role in the Broadway production of “The Minutes.”
The departure, announced Friday, comes as the actor faces allegations of sexual assault and a related investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. “The Minutes” played 19 previews on Broadway before the shutdown and producers say the play will return in the 2021-2022 Broadway season.
“I have loved every single second of working on The Minutes with the family I made from Steppenwolf. But right now I need to focus on myself and my health for the sake of my family. Consequently, I will not be returning to Broadway with the production,” Hammer said in a statement.
“Armie remains a valued colleague to all of us who have worked with him onstage and offstage on ‘The Minutes.’ We wish only the best for him and respect his decision,” the production said.
Hammer has recently withdrawn from a slate of film and television projects, following allegations of sexual assault levied against him by multiple women and rumors of cannibalism. He has denied these allegations.
The actor previously appeared on Broadway in the 2018 production “Straight White Men.”
The original cast of ‘The Minutes,’ written by Tracy Letts and directed by Anna D. Shapiro, included Letts, Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton and Jeff Still.
The production, lead produced by Jeffrey Richards and Rebecca Gold, had previously announced a resumption date of March 15, 2022. The play vacated its prior home at the Cort Theatre to allow for renovations
