The Best & Worst TV Recasts of All Time
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On-set drama, expiring contracts, money disputes. There are many reasons why a well-established TV series might opt to recast one of its popular roles. But when the character is a biggie — say, the matriarch of a beloved family, a recurring love interest or a sibling that we love to hate — a recast can either be extremely jarring or a refreshing upgrade.
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Today we’re singling out some of the best and worst recasts in TV history. From Bewitched and The Waltons on up through sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends, we’re celebrating (and dinging!) some of the most renowned switcheroos of all time.
A couple of notes:
* These are just a select few of the bajillion recasts we discussed and debated, so loads of goodies were likely left on our cutting room floor.
* Apologies to fans of daytime soap operas and animated fare. Had we dipped into either of those treasure troves of frequent recasts, we never would’ve gotten this thing published!
View our list full of photos below, and be sure to hit the comments with all of your thoughts!
BEST: Seth Holt, Parenthood
Let’s face it: Adding John Corbett to any project is always an upgrade. In this case, he took over the role of Sarah Braverman’s (Lauren Graham) ex-husband in the NBC tearjerker, after Darin Heames played the character in the pilot episode. We admittedly only got to see Heames’ work for a few short moments, but Corbett’s later appearances on Parenthood hugely elevated Seth’s charisma and chemistry with Sarah.
WORST: Miss Ellie Ewing, Dallas
When health issues forced the character’s original portrayer, Barbara Bel Geddes, to bow out of Season 8, producers tapped Oscar winner Donna Reed to step into the role of matriarch. Reed’s wholesome persona made her an awkward fit at the Ewing dinner table, and she was subsequently fired the following season (at which point a fully recovered Bel Geddes reclaimed the part). Reed had the last laugh though: She successfully sued Lorimar, the production company behind Dallas, for breach of contract.
BEST: Daario Naharis, Game of Thrones
Let’s be honest: Ed Skrein’s Daario was blond and hunky but ultimately forgettable in his one season. Enter the charismatic Michiel Huisman, who not only commanded the screen, but also captured Daenerys Targaryen’s heart as her lover and advisor.
WORST: John-Boy, The Waltons
At the time that Richard Thomas — who had played John-Boy since the original 1971 TV-movie — decided to move on after more than 120 episodes, he had become a member of the audience’s own extended family. As such, Robert Wightman had quite a row to hoe when he took over in Season 8. And while he arguably was a “soundalike” for Thomas, he lacked the bright-eyed ambition and verve (and yes, trademark birthmark) that Thomas brought to the role of the fam’s eldest child.
BEST: Jesus Adams Foster, The Fosters
Before he became the internet’s boyfriend with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Noah Centineo joined the Freeform family drama, replacing Jake T. Austin as second eldest son Jesus. Centineo’s easygoing charm and vulnerability gave the character new depth as Jesus struggled with a traumatic brain injury and eventually reconciled with his girlfriend-turned-fiancé Emma.
WORST: Mason Verger, Hannibal
We savored every last morsel of Michael Pitt’s creepy performance as Hannibal’s sadistic rival in Season 2 of the gory NBC drama. So it left a bad taste in our mouths when Joe Anderson took over the role for the third and final season, making Mason’s gruesome fate a bit anticlimactic. One saving grace: Mason had been horribly disfigured by that point, so he didn’t look all that different, at least.
BEST: Carol, Friends
Anita Barone could only be there for us for just one episode as Ross’ lesbian ex, replaced by Jane Sibbett later in the NBC hit’s freshman season. It’s just as well: Sibbett brought such a sharp, WASP-y flair to the role that we can hardly remember Carol being played by anyone else.
WORST: Darrin, Bewitched
One of the most infamous casting swaps in TV history came about when Dick York, who played witch Samantha’s mortal husband on the ABC sitcom, had to bow out after five seasons, reportedly due to health issues. The show brought in Dick Sargent as a replacement for the show’s final three seasons, but in many fans’ eyes, he couldn’t live up to the priceless facial expressions and chemistry with co-star Elizabeth Montgomery that York brought to the role. Oh well… not all magic spells work, you know.
BEST: Ann Veal, Arrested Development
If you forgot entirely that Ann was played by another actress back in Season 1, we wouldn’t blame you! Alessandra Torresani (Caprica) played the then-forgettable part in the first season’s finale, but the character was only half-cooked at the time. Thankfully, we met the real Veal when Mae Whitman dazzled us as the odd and eccentric Ann for 16 episodes starting in Season 2. Michael may not have been able to remember his son’s new boo, but thanks to Whitman’s instant likability, we sure do.
DRAW: Becky Conner, Roseanne
We’ve got to give Roseanne props for casting Sarah Chalke to step into Lecy Goranson’s shoes. While Becky’s storylines did get watered down after the switch (Seasons 6-9), we grew to love the replacement actress who went on to star in Scrubs, lend her voice to Rick and Morty, and recur in shows like How I Met Your Mother and Cougar Town. She returned for Roseanne‘s revival season as a new character who wanted Becky to be her surrogate. But we were also glad to see Goranson return to the role she originated. When it comes to picking a favorite, we’re pleading the fifth.
WORST: Laurie Forman, That ’70s Show
For the show’s first three seasons (and a special appearance in Season 5), Lisa Robin Kelly served as Eric Forman’s deliciously nasty foil and older sister. With her scowling face and sick burns, we couldn’t possibly picture anyone else stepping into the role… that is, until Christina Moore attempted it for six episodes in Season 6. What we were left with was a very vanilla take on the character’s “scathing” insults and a dull on-screen presence that is best forgotten.
BEST: Frank Costanza, Seinfeld
No shade to the late John Randolph (who did a fine job as George’s dad in one Season 4 episode), but Jerry Stiller’s performance as Frank is just as iconic as the show itself. Stiller and Jason Alexander were in lockstep with each other and we can hardly imagine a Seinfeld without the Costanzas’ hilarious screaming matches and signature bickering. Randolph’s scenes were unfortunately reshot with Stiller once he got the part, but the original cut can still be seen on the Season 4 DVDs and YouTube.
WORST: Harriet Winslow, Family Matters
As the sassy and strong Harriet, Jo Marie Payton was the perfect counterpart to Reginald VelJohnson’s doofy, stubborn, yet totally lovable husband, Carl. Despite the Urkel-mania that ultimately took over the show and its fandom, Payton held her own as the formidable mother of three two (sorry, Judy) who was always there to lend her loving support to her kids — and put Carl in his place when he was being an ass! But nine seasons and a network change later, Payton wanted out, leaving Harriet in the hands of Judyann Elder, who had absolutely zero chemistry with VelJohnson. Elder possessed none of Payton’s fiery spark, which among other things, led to one extremely flat swan song.
BEST: Steve Curtis, ER
Yellowstone‘s Cole Hauser originated the part of Sam’s baby daddy in Season 10. He appeared in four episodes, but didn’t make much of an impression. He was eventually replaced by Deadwood scene-stealer Garret Dillahunt, who made a meal out of the increasingly outlandish role, which culminated in Steve shooting up County General and kidnapping his ex-wife and son.
WORST: Kermit the Frog, The Muppets
After 27 years voicing the Muppets’ fearless frog, Steve Whitmire was replaced when Muppets Studio accused him of “repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years.” The creative differences between the studio and voice actor led to some public spatting and — if you ask Whitmire — the cancellation of the 2015 mockumentary series The Muppets. Matt Vogel officially took over the role in 2017, and even though he has experience voicing other characters such as Floyd Pepper, Constantine, Robin the frog and Camilla the chicken, our Kermie’s just never been the same since.
WORST: Mandy Baxter, Last Man Standing
The much-ballyhooed Mandy switcheroo — which saw 5-foot-1 brunette Molly Ephraim (Seasons 1-6) replaced by 5-foot-10 blonde Molly McCook (Seasons 7-9) — went over like a lead balloon. “It’s a little jarring, then you grow to love her,” executive producer Kevin Abbott said shortly after McCook’s debut. “We hope the audience starts to feel the way we do.” But the audience just never seemed to warm to Mandy No. 2.
DRAW: Harley Keiner, Boy Meets World
After Danny McNaulty suffered a mental breakdown at a table read for the Season 2 episode “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” producers decided against a page-one rewrite. Instead, they recast with actor Kenny Johnston, who bore no physical resemblance to his predecessor. Once it became clear McNaulty wouldn’t be back, Harley was sent to reformatory school and Adam Scott was brought in to play a new character, fellow troublemaker Griff Hawkins. McNaulty would eventually return for one last episode, before reprising his role, two decades later, on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World.
BEST: Robin Scherbatsky, Sr., How I Met Your Mother
“Eric Braeden is a D-Bag,” Neil Patrick Harris declared on Twitter after the Young and the Restless vet supposedly bailed on a guest spot at last minute because it “wasn’t ‘substantial’ enough.” Two years later, the producers recast with Ray Wise, who clearly had a ball playing Robin’s newly lax (but still menacing) father.
BEST: James Kent, True Blood
Five years before Yellowstone premiered, Grimes made his cable TV debut as vampire James on HBO’s True Blood, but he only stuck around for six episodes before being replaced by Nathan Dean (fka Nathan Parsons) in the show’s final season. The cabler’s on-record explanation at the time was that the role was recast “due to the creative direction of the character,” leading many to speculate that Grimes wasn’t comfortable with James entering a same-sex relationship with Lafayette, played by the late Nelsan Ellis. Whether that was the case or not, Dean was more than willing to pick up where Grimes left off — and the town of Bon Temps was a better place for having him in it.
DRAW: Vivian Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Original star Janet Hubert served us an Aunt Viv who was a fierce mom that never hesitated to speak her mind. Filled to the brim with style and personality, the actress adeptly handled physical comedy (and killer dance moves!) with panache, so seeing the role recast was a jarring change to get used to. But over time, we came to also appreciate Daphne Maxwell Reid’s warm homeyness and soothing voice. She took the character in a different direction, yes, but we liked the fact that she didn’t try to mimic Hubert outright; instead, she opted to put her own spin on the Banks matriarch and we can respect that. We’ll admit that Hubert has the edge here, but in no way, shape or form does that mean we’re marking this one as a “worst.”
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