Joel McHale Hits Back at Chevy Chase Over 'Community' Comments

After Chevy Chase shared his harsh thoughts on Community, Joel McHale is hitting back hard. Chase starred on the NBC series as Hawthorne Wipes CEO Pierce Hawthorne for the first four seasons and guest starred in the fifth season. In an interview last month with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, Chase noted he felt "constrained" on the series. "Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn't hard-hitting enough for me."

"I didn't mind the character," Chase continued. "I just felt that it was… I felt happier being alone; I just didn't want to be surrounded by that table every day with those people. It was too much." Now McHale is fighting back. The actor played former lawyer Jeff Winger throughout the six-season run, so he knows a thing or two about working with the National Lampoon's Vacation star. Just like his former co-star, McHale did not hold back.

"He stopped hurting my feelings in 2009," the Animal Control star told PEOPLE. "I was like, 'Hey, no one was keeping you there.' I mean, we weren't sentenced to that show. It was like, 'All right, you could have left if you really wanted that.' But yeah, you know Chevy. That's Chevy being Chevy. I wrote about this in my book, but I was like, 'Hey, the feeling's mutual, bud.'" In his 2016 memoir, Thanks for the Money: How to Use My Life Story to Become the Best Joel McHale You Can Be, the actor looked back at the tension between the two of them and the things that Chase would reportedly say on set. And they were not good.

There is a new Community movie in development, with much of the cast returning. It is not much of a surprise, though, Chevy Chase has been confirmed to not be coming back. It does seem like it's for the better, however. Especially given that his character was killed off when he left the series. At least fans can look forward to their favorites coming back for the movie. It will still be a while until it comes out, however. The SAG-AFTRA strike is still going on, and there unfortunately doesn't seem to be any end in sight. It will be something to keep an eye out for once the strike does finally end. Just don't expect Chase to be in it.