You'll be famous... and like it, ya ingrate!

Fisher Stevens called NPR yesterday to share his own experiences about being fired, which was the theme of that day's show.

While doing stage plays in New York, Fisher's agent got him a gig on a new TV sitcom, but sitcom work was a medium Fisher gravely disapproved of. Up to that point, Fisher had had some okay roles, most notably in Short Circuit as the bumbling Paki computer geek Ben Jabituya... and then later in a small role with Rae Dawn Chong (what happened to her?) and Sandra Bullock (WHAT???) in When The Party's Over. And a bigger role in Only You with Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomai. So Fisher was a named talent back then, which is why everyone on this new TV sitcom was glad to have him on the set.

But Fisher couldn't let it go.

"You shouldn't be doing this," he told his younger cast members. "This sitcom work is going to ruin your acting. You should go back into the theatre to stay sharp." After constantly harping to everyone and generally being a Grade A sourpuss, he finished the gig and flew back to New York—exit stage left!

Then something odd happened... he noticed that he was being recognized on the street, that strangers were saying how much they had loved his brief comic bit on that dreadful sitcom. After a while, Fisher Stevens called his agent: "Hey, is there any chance you could get me back on that show again? Nothing much is happening for me in New York." The agent called back: under no circumstance is Fisher Stevens ever going to work on our show again.

The show so deserving of Fisher's disdain was stratospherically successful Friends. Way to go, Fisher. What a maroon.