Photo: Getty Images
Emilio Estevezis addressing his exit fromThe Mighty Ducks: Game Changersand speaking out about struggling with long haul COVID.
On Friday,DeadlineandVarietyreported that the actor would not be returning to the Disney+ show for season two due to a disagreement about ABC Signature’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
“I am not anti-vaxx. Full stop,” he said in a statement to the outlet. “I take this pandemic very seriously, and I am often teased about my continued following of the safety protocols and my abundance of caution.”
However, he stopped short of directly saying whether he was or was not vaccinated.
Estevez maintained that he had not left the show because of “an anti-vaccine position,” and then revealed that he contracted COVID-19 last year and spent much of the year battling prolonged symptoms. (According to the Mayo Clinic,coronavirus “long-haulers"can continue to experience symptoms for weeks or months after infection, including fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, loss of taste or smell, etc.)
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“In late February 2020, at the end of shooting the pilot for theThe Mighty Ducks: Game Changersin Vancouver, I wasn’t feeling 100%. I chalked it up to being on a cold set and on an ice rink day after day,” he began.
He was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 17, 2020, he said, adding that he struggled with long-haul symptoms through “summer and fall of 2020.”
“As the show went back into production in August 2020, I reluctantly soldiered on, but was uncertain about how I would be safe on set,” he continued. “I questioned the wisdom of returning to make a tv show in the middle of a pandemic and how actors could be considered “essential workers.”
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“So, I returned to Vancouver. I followed the Canadian quarantine mandate as well as the strict ‘Zone A’ on set Covid protocols,” Estevez said. “I did not complain, nor did I release my diagnosis to the public. I wanted to try and preserve the show morale and be a leader, however, while still suffering from Long Haul Syndrome. The legacy of the franchise was more important to me than my own health.”
Emilio Estevez (center) on the set of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.Disney +
He continued, “In retrospect, I wrongly chose to protect the show over being transparent about having contracted Covid-19. I may have provided another public example to wit, how we are all vulnerable to this deadly disease.”
“To myDuckscast and crew – have a wonderful Season 2 on the show and please know that I will miss you all,” the exiting actor said.
“It was an honor and a thrill to be able to return as the iconic and beloved character, Gordon Bombay, a character which has been a celebrated benchmark in my 40 year career. And I thank the studio and the producers for creating an opportunity to allow me to visit him again.”
Centered around a ragtag hockey team, the firstThe Mighty Ducksmovie was released in 1992 and starred Estevez along with Joss Ackland, Lane Smith, Josef Sommer,Joshua Jacksonand Elden Henson.
The hockey flick spawned two sequels —D2: The Mighty Ducks(1994) andD3: The Mighty Ducks(1996) — and an animated series.
The first season ofThe Mighty Ducks: Game Changerspremiered on March 26, nearly 30 years after the original film franchise. Estevez reprised his role as coach Gordon Bombay for the 10-episode series.
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source: people.com
