May 25 was a bittersweet day for Silicon Valley fans. While HBO officially announced the comedy series’ Season 5 renewal in the afternoon, only a few hours later it was also announced that a key member of the cast – T.J. Miller, who plays rambunctious fan-favorite Erlich Bachman – would not return for the new season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the network’s official statement on Miller’s departure, HBO announced, “The producers of Silicon Valley and T.J. Miller have mutually agreed that T.J. will not return for season 5. In Erlich Bachman, T.J. has brought to life an unforgettable character, and while his presence on the show will be missed, we appreciate his contribution and look forward to future collaborations.” Miller has other projects with HBO besides Silicon Valley. Miller’s first hour-long standup special, Meticulously Ridiculous, will premiere on the network on July 17, while Miller also starred in Pete Holmes’ comedy series Crashing earlier this year. It is not clear yet if Miller will return for Crashing Season 2, although it is rumored that he might do so.
Silicon Valley has become one of HBO’s most popular shows, with the series meeting increasing amounts of critical acclaim since its first season back in 2014. Since then, the show has garnered 2 Emmy awards. The series also stars Thomas Middleditch (Richard Hendricks on the show), Zach Woods (Jared Dunn), Kumail Nanjiani (Dinesh Chugtai), Martin Starr (Bertram Gilfoyle), Josh Brener (Nelson Bighetti), Matt Ross (Gavin Belson), and Amanda Crew (Monica). All of these actors are set to return for Season 5. On May 25, Miller’s Silicon Valley co-star Kumail Nanjiani tweeted on the HBO series’ renewal at around 1pm, while tweeting on his co-star’s departure approximately 3 hours later.
Miller is involved in many exciting projects in his future. One of his most recent stunts includes parasailing into the Cannes Film Festival to promote his latest venture, The Emoji Movie. While The Emoji Movie is set to premiere in theatres this July, he is also set to star in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller Ready Player One, Alex Harvey’s Western reimagining of the Thoreau classic Walden, and will star alongside Kristen Stewart in William Eubank’s action film Underwater. Miller has enjoyed a good deal of success this past year between his television work on HBO and his roles in films such as Deadpool and Office Christmas Party.
Silicon Valley Season 4 is currently playing on HBO, with new episodes airing every Sunday at 10pm.