Alice Westerlund who played Carla Walton on the show Silicon Valley, for a 6-episode run, has come out and labelled one of the show's stars a bully and the rest of the cast complicit in his actions. The accused bully is none other than T.J. Miller, who is known on the show as the owner of the "incubator" hostel all the jokesters live in.
Westerlund made her feelings via Twitter when a fan asked her to elaborate on the day-to-day happenings on the Silicon Valley set. The actress insisted that T.J. Miller "was a bully and petulant brat,"who held onto any any authority he was given on set. She also characterized the rest of the cast complicit in his "unprofessional" behavior.
HBO, the network that funds and provides Silicon Valley with a television audience, issued a statement in response to her allegations. A spokesperson working for the network reached out to the press and said the following: "While this is the first time we have heard Alice Wetterlund comment on her experiences on ‘Silicon Valley,’ we are disappointed to learn of her concerns. HBO and the producers have always taken very seriously our responsibility to create a welcoming and congenial environment for everyone who works on the show."
Westerlund followed up her initial Tweet with a message for T.J. Miller's ailing career or rather, her belief that he gets far more credit as a comedian than he deserves. Westerlund is but one of many female cast members speaking out against an apparent "boys club" culture that continues to permeate over the entertainment industry.