‘The View’: Dermot Mulroney Walked Off-Stage Mid-Segment In “Dramatic Fashion” to Show Support for WGA Strike

The WGA writers strike is now in its seventh week, with film and TV writers stopping work as their union negotiates fair terms of a labor agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). During a pre-taped appearance on The View set to air today, Dermot Mulroney reminded audiences about the importance of the strike by walking out on his own interview.

The View typically pre-records its Friday episodes in summer rather than filming them live, and when Mulroney was on the New York City set to film his interview, he told the show’s hosts his plans to “symbolically walk off in support of the writers,” according to Variety.

After taping his interview, he did just that, exiting the stage before the segment had finished “in somewhat dramatic fashion,” the outlet reports.

Mulroney’s appearance on the talk show is timed to his Disney+ Marvel series Secret Invasion, and a source on the set told Variety that at one point during the show, he asked the hosts if they were planning to cut to a commercial break before thanking them and leaving the stage. The View‘s hosts reportedly took the move in stride, cutting to a commercial and moving on with the show. Mulroney even returned for photos with the hosts after his segment, Variety reports.

While Mulroney left The View to show solidarity with the WGA, his walk-out is certainly not the first time the strike has been mentioned on the talk show. Moderator and co-host Whoopi Goldberg frequently calls out the striking writers and offers her support.

A source told Decider the show is “primarily” unscripted, and noted that “the strike and impact have been mentioned regularly on the show by the co-hosts.”

They added, “A couple of writers are impacted, but we are not having anyone else doing their work during the strike.”

Mulroney told Variety that he chose to use his platform on The View to draw attention to the strike and show his support for the writers.

“Since I have such respect for The View, a news program with a heart, it was there that I felt comfortable enough to draw attention to the ongoing WGA strike for fair wages and working hours, as I find it incredibly important to continue to support the union,” he said in a statement.

Variety reports that The View will air Mulroney’s entire segment today, walk-off and all. The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.

UPDATED 6/23/23 AT 9:19 AM ET: This story has been updated to include comment from The View.