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Entertainment TV


CHARACTERS THAT STUNNED FANS WHEN THEY WERE REPLACED BY NEW ACTORS

Camila Villafane
Characters That Stunned Fans When They Were Replaced by New Actors February 3,
2021Leave a comment

CAMILA VILLAFANE





They say that television is the land of make believe, but a lot of fans had a
tough time swallowing the bologna when studio execs switched the actors playing
their favorite characters with someone who looked entirely different.

A similar hair color and fashion sense just aren't enough to capture the feeling
of a character that an actor creates when they do their job on a TV series. So,
here are some of the most shocking cast replacements that left fans stunned and,
in some cases, unhappy.






ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN “HARRY POTTER”

Warner Bros. Pictures


In the first two films of the “Harry Potter” franchise, Headmaster of Hogwarts
Albus Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris, who was expected to play the
character throughout the entire run of the film series. Harris took the role to
please his 11-year-old granddaughter, but unfortunately, Harris passed away
before the release of the third film. Ian McKellen was offered the role, but it
ultimately went to actor Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in all of the
remaining films. 






VICTORIA IN “TWILIGHT”

Summit Entertainment


In the first two installments of the “Twilight” film franchise, the vampire
Victoria was portrayed by actress Rachelle Lefèvre. She was later stunned that
she was recast because she was “fully committed” to doing more films in the
franchise and even turned down other roles to continue with the series. She was
replaced by actress Bryce Dallas Howard in the third film of the franchise, “The
Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” 






THE HULK

Universal Pictures


In the 2003 film “Hulk,” the huge green superhero was played by actor Eric Bana,
and when the character was given another film titled “The Incredible Hulk” in
2008, he was played by Edward Norton. Actor Mark Ruffalo has since taken over
the character, portraying the Hulk in “The Avengers” series since 2012.






RACHEL DAWES IN THE “BATMAN” SERIES

Warner Bros. Pictures


In the film “Batman Begins” actress Katie Holmes played Bruce Wayne’s childhood
friend and love interest Rachel Dawes. Her character was described as a “moral
conscience for Bruce” and director Christopher Nolan loved Holmes’s warmth and
maturity in the role. But in “The Dark Knight,” the character was played by
Maggie Gyllenhaal because Holmes declined to return for the sequel because of
filming obligations for the film “Mad Money.”






REGGIE PORTER ON “ALL MY CHILDREN”

ABC


The soap opera character Reggie Porter was played by a few famous faces in the
run of the series. Chadwick Boseman played the character in 2003 until he was
fired after voicing concerns about racist stereotypes in the script. The
character was then portrayed by Michael B. Jordan until 2006.






JOHANN SCHMIDT IN “THE AVENGERS” SERIES

Marvel Studios


Actor Hugo Weaving played Johann Schmidt in “Captain America: The First
Avenger,” but after the character transformed into Red Skull, the character was
recast. In “Avengers: Endgame,” Red Skull was voiced by “The Walking Dead” actor
Ross Marquand.






PAM’S MOM ON “THE OFFICE”

NBC


Pam Beesly’s mom was first portrayed on the show in season two by actress
Shannon Cochran. But in season six of the series, the character of Helene Beesly
was given a much larger role, so producers of the show cast Linda Purl, who
brought some great comedy to the part.






EVELYN CARNAHAN IN “THE MUMMY”

Universal Pictures


In the 1999 film “The Mummy” actress Rachel Weisz played leading lady Evelyn
Carnahan. She reprised her role in the 2001 sequel “The Mummy Returns,” but was
replaced by actress Maria Bello in the 2008 film “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon
Emperor.” Rumors have circulated around why Weisz left the project and it may
have been because of personal issues with the script of the third film. 






THE VILLAIN ON “BEVERLY HILLS, 90210”

Fox


After four seasons on the show, actress Shannen Doherty left “Beverly Hills,
90210” in 1994. She played Brenda Walsh on the series, but her bad girl
reputation followed her in real life and she was fired from the series. “Saved
by the Bell” actress Tiffani-Amber Thiessen then joined the cast in season five
and her character took over some of Doherty’s storylines.






LAURIE FORMAN FROM "THAT '70S SHOW"

Carsey-Werner Distribution


Everyone knows that late actress Lisa Robin Kelly did a marvelous job portraying
girl next door character Laurie Forman on “That 70s Show.” But Kelly was fired
from the show because of substance control issues and she was replaced by
actress Christina Moore.






ANGIE FROM “30 ROCK”

NBCUniversal Television Distribution


Most fans of the hilarious sitcom “30 Rock,” which starred Tina Fey and Alec
Baldwin, remember Sherri Shepherd as Tracy Jordan’s wife on the series. Shepherd
appeared for many episodes, but in the character’s first appearance on the show,
she was played by actress Sharon Wilkins, who had no lines during her
appearance. This change was probably done to bring the comedic talent of Sherri
Shepherd to the series.






PAMELA BURKHART ON “THAT ’70S SHOW”

Carsey-Werner Distribution


Mila Kunis’s character Jackie Burkhart on “That ‘70s Show” was a spoiled and
selfish young girl and her mother was portrayed by “The Brady Bunch” actress Eve
Plumb in the first season of the show. But by the sixth season, Brooke Shields
was brought on to portray the character for several more episodes, becoming a
recurring character on the series.






CHARLIE HARPER ON “TWO AND A HALF MEN”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


“Two and a Half Men” aired for an impressive 12 seasons, which included 262
episodes. But during the eighth season of the show, lead actor Charlie Sheen
entered a rehab program and his contract with the series was terminated. During
his absence from the series, Ashton Kutcher was brought on to be the new lead of
the show and he played a character who bought Charlie’s house after his death.






ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN “LINCOLN” 

20th Century Fox / Walt Disney Studios


Steven Spielberg planned his Abraham Lincoln biopic many years before filming on
the movie actually started. About 10 years before production began, he offered
the role of the United States’ 16th President to “Taken” actor Liam Neeson. But
when production on the film began, Neeson felt that his passion for the role was
gone, so the incredible Daniel Day-Lewis was brought on for the film, and he
wowed audiences with his portrayal. 






TOMMEN BARATHEON ON “GAME OF THRONES”

HBO


The producers of “Game of Thrones” originally cast Callum Wharry in the role of
Tommen Baratheon, but after the show’s second season, he was replaced due to
inaccuracies with the book. Actor Dean Charles-Chapman was brought on to play
Baratheon because he better fit the book’s description of the character. 






ROXELANA ON “THE MAGNIFICENT CENTURY”

Star TV


The Turkish TV series “The Magnificent Century” is about the life of historical
figure Sultan Süleyman. Actress Meryem Uzerli originally played the lead role of
Roxelana, but due to mental health issues, she left the series before filming
finished. So the character was later played by Vahide Gordum, an older actress
who played Roxelana in a later stage in her life. 






CLARICE STARLING IN “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS”

Orion Pictures / MGM Distribution Co.


The critically acclaimed film “The Silence of the Lambs” was also a box office
hit that grossed over $270 million worldwide. So, the production company started
work on a sequel titled “Hannibal” that centered around Anthony Hopkins’
character. Hopkins returned for the sequel, but Clarice Starling actress Jodie
Foster declined to be involved with the film, as did the original film’s
director Jonathan Demme. Foster was replaced by Julianne Moore in the film. 






JENNIFER PARKER IN “BACK TO THE FUTURE”

Universal Pictures


Jennifer Parker was Marty McFly’s girlfriend in the “Back to the Future” series,
but her appearance drastically changed between the first film and its sequel.
Jennifer was played by Claudia Wells in the first film, who left the acting
business behind entirely in 1986 due to personal issues and her mother’s failing
health. She was replaced by actress Elisabeth Shue in Part II and Part III.






THE ORACLE IN “THE MATRIX”

Warner Bros. Pictures


In the original film in the Matrix series, The Oracle was played by actress
Gloria Foster, who also played the character in the movie’s sequel. But
unfortunately, Foster passed away before the third film entered production, so
actress Mary Alice took over the role. After the movie’s premiere, fans
expressed that they felt like Foster was superior in the role.






VICTOR CREED IN THE "X-MEN" FRANCHISE

20th Century Fox


The X-Men film series started in 2000 with the movie “X-Men” in which Tyler Mane
plays Victor Creed, who has the alter ego Sabretooth, a hero with claws similar
to Wolverine. But when the character appeared again in the 2009 film “X-Men
Origins: Wolverine” he was played by actor Liev Schreiber, who fans absolutely
loved in the role.






MISS ELLIE IN “DALLAS”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Miss Ellie was portrayed by Barbara Bel Geddes on “Dallas” for six seasons of
the series, but when she needed to have emergency quadruple bypass surgery, she
took an absence from the show. Actress Donna Reed stepped into the role during
this time, but she later sued the production company of the series for breach of
contract after she was fired when Geddes decided to return to her role. 






FALLON IN “DYNASTY”

CBS Television Distribution


In the fifth season of the series “Dynasty,” the character Fallon is in a car
accident, and when she is next seen on screen, she looks like an entirely
different person! This is because actress Pamela Sue Martin wanted to leave the
role to get married, and “General Hospital” actress Emma Samms stepped into the
role in her place.






SELINA KYLE IN “GOTHAM”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Selina Kyle, who later becomes her alter ego Catwoman, was played by Camren
Bicondova at the start of the prequel series, but she decided that it would be
better to have the character played by a different actress when the story jumped
10 years in the future. So, in the finale of the series, actress Lili Simmons
played the character. 






CLARK KENT IN “SUPERBOY”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


The 1980s superhero series starred John Newton as Superhero, but after the first
season of the show finished airing, Newton requested an increase in his salary.
The production team declined this request, so they recast the character with
actor Gerald Christopher, who remained in the role for the rest of the series. 






JEDIDIAH LAWRENCE IN “BOY MEETS WORLD”

Buena Vista Television


Topanga Lawrence’s father Jedidiah was played by a total of three different
actors during the run of the series. Among them were former Monkee’s band member
Peter Tork and “Spinal Tap” actor Michael McKean. The third actor to play the
character was Mark Harelik, who appeared on the series for a total of three
episodes. 






NIKKI WOOD IN “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”

20th Television


The character Nikki Wood was a ‘slayer’ on the supernatural series, and although
April Weeden originated the role, she was replaced by the producers because she
had gotten too mature for the character. Weeden was replaced by actress K.D.
Aubert for later episodes, but she continued to act as a stunt double behind the
scenes for the series.






GINGER GRANT ON “GILLIGAN’S ISLAND” 

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution


Before the creators of “Gilligan’s Island” settled on actress Tina Louise to
play the iconic character Ginger Grant, they considered actress Kit Smythe for
the role. Smythe played Grant in an unaired pilot of the show before being
replaced by Louise for the run of the series. Smythe later went on to do roles
on series like “Bewitched” and “Gunsmoke.”






DEREK MORRIS ON “SAVED BY THE BELL”

NBCUniversal Television Distribution / Rysher Entertainment


Everyone remembers the character Zack Morris, who was played by Mark-Paul
Gosselaar on the ’90s series “Saved by the Bell,” but the character’s father
also made a few appearances on the show and the show’s prequel series “Good
Morning, Miss Bliss.” That’s right, “Saved by the Bell” is a spin-off! In the
original series, Derek Morris was named Peter and he was played by Robert Pine
before being replaced in the new series by actor John Sanderford. 






BEN WEAVER IN “THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW”

CBS Television Distribution


Sadly, the original actor for the character Ben Weaver, Will Wright, passed away
in 1962 and he was replaced by actor Tom Avery for a season four episode of the
show. Avery was then replaced by Jason Johnson for all subsequent appearances of
the character, which lead to a pretty inconsistent portrayal of the character
because all of these actors were of very different ages.






MINDY ON “FRIENDS”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Rachel Green’s old friend Mindy made a few appearances on the show, like when
she married Rachel’s ex-fiancé Barry. But in the character’s first appearance on
the show she was played by “Dirty Dancing” star Jennifer Grey and when the
character returned in the second season she was played by actress Jana Marie
Hupp. This change in casting was probably due to Grey’s scheduling on other
projects. 






JESUS FROM "THE FOSTERS"

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Jake T. Austin from “Wizards of Waverly Place” played the role of Jesus Adams
Foster on “The Fosters” in 2013. But after seemingly vanishing from existence
for a couple of episodes, the character resurfaced. However, the role was then
played by another actor named Noah Centineo, after Austin left to pursue
different types of roles.






REGGIE MANTLE FROM "RIVERDALE"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


When Ross Butler decided to leave the CW series “Riverdale” after one season,
the show-runners went looking for another heartthrob to fill his shoes and they
found one in actor Charles Melton, who was simply dreamy.






MYRCELLA BARATHEON FROM "GAME OF THRONES"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Princess Myrcella Baratheon was the daughter of Queen Cersei Lannister and King
Robert Baratheon. We later learned Jaime Lannister was her biological father.
But the real shock came when actress Aimee Richardson, who played Princess
Myrcella, was replaced by actress Nell Tiger Free, who does in fact look
considerably younger than Richardson.






JACKIE GEARY FROM "THE GOLDBERGS"

Sony Pictures Television


Fans were seeing red when actress Rowan Blanchard, who played Jackie Geary on
“The Goldbergs,” was replaced in season six by actress Alexis G. Zall. But it
was Blanchard herself who later admitted that she was the one who decided not to
return to the show, and it was not the producers who wrote her off the series.






CAROL FROM "FRIENDS"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Although Carol was a recurring character on the show, she was also the mother of
Ross’s son on “Friends.” Of course, most fans remember actress Jane Sibbett’s
portrayal of the character, but during the first season, it was actress Anita
Barone who played Carol. Barone left the series because she felt the role wasn’t
big enough.






MANDY MILKOVICH FROM "SHAMELESS"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Actress Jane Levy played the role of Mandy Milkovich on “Shameless,” but then
she landed the lead role in the sitcom “Suburgatory” and decided to leave the
show. So, actress Emma Greenwell was hired to fill in until season six when her
character left town.






AUNT VIVIAN FROM "THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Janet Hubert originally played Aunt Vivian on “Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” But
issues with Will Smith off-camera led to her dismissal. So producers replaced
her with actress Daphne Maxwell Reid, and tried to pass her off as Aunt Viv,
much to the dismay of many fans.






KAITLIN COOPER FROM "THE OC"

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution


Marissa Cooper’s little sister, Kaitlin on “The OC” was played by actress
Shailene Woodley during the show’s early beginnings. But when producers decided
to write the character back in, they needed an actress who was older, so the
role went to Willa Holland.






BECKY CONNER FROM "ROSEANNE"

The Carsey Werner Company


Lecy Goranson played Becky, the eldest daughter of the Conner clan on
“Roseanne.” But somewhere down the road, Goranson left for college and was
replaced by “Scrubs” actress Sarah Chalke. But over the course of the series,
Goranson reprised her roles more than once, leaving fans wondering what was
going on.






JAMES “RHODEY” RHODES IN “IRON MAN”

Disney


In the first “Iron Man” film, which premiered in 2008, Terrence Howard appeared
as Tony Stark’s friend Rhodey, who was a member of the United States Air Force.
Marvel Studios offered a pay cut to Howard to appear in “Iron Man 2,” but after
negotiations fell through, Don Cheadle was brought on to play the character. He
has continued to portray Rhodey in all subsequent film appearances. 






PENNY ON “THE BIG BANG THEORY”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Penny is a fan favorite character on the long-running series that’s a hit with
science nerds, pop culture fans and everyone in between. But the character
almost had an entirely different name and actress! In the pilot of the series,
Sheldon and Leonard’s neighbor was named Katie and she was played by Amanda
Walsh. After this pilot was filmed, producers changed the character and hired
actress Kaley Cuoco.






TRUDY MONK ON “MONK”

NBCUniversal Television Distribution


The series “Monk” ran from 2002 to 2009 and during that time a major plot point
of the series revolved around detective Adrian Monk trying to solve his deceased
wife’s murder. His wife was played in the first and second seasons by actress
Stellina Rusich, before she was replaced by actress Melora Hardin, who is
familiar to many TV fans for playing Jan Levinson on “The Office.”






DONNA GABLE ON “KEVIN CAN WAIT”

Sony Pictures Television


Many fans of “Kevin Can Wait” were shocked when the character Donna Gable, who
was played by Erinn Hayes, was killed off to make room in the cast for Kevin
James’s former “King of Queens” costar Leah Remini. James justified the plot
point by explaining that “it really felt like a thing like this was needed for
this show to drive forward.”






MARNIE PIPER IN “HALLOWEENTOWN”

Disney


Young actress Kimberly J. Brown played the character of Marnie Piper in three
out of four films of Disney Channel’s “Halloweentown” movie series. In the
fourth film in the series, she was replaced by actress Sara Paxton, which left
fans up in arms. Original actress Brown was also disappointed about the
replacement, because she was available for filming the fourth film.






CATWOMAN FROM “BATMAN”

20th Television


Julie Newmar originally played the catsuit-clad supervillain in the ‘60s
television series and she left the role after two seasons to pursue film work.
In the third season of the series, the role was played by Eartha Kitt, who made
iconic changes to the character that will be remembered by fans forever.






RYAN VOGELSON ON “LAST MAN STANDING”

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Pop star Nick Jonas appeared on one episode of the Tim Allen lead sitcom in 2011
as Ryan, a love interest to the character Kristin. Actor Jordan Masterson was
cast in the role in the second season of the show onward, as it’s assumed that
Jonas’s schedule was much too full to take on a full time gig on the series.






FRANK COSTANZA ON “SEINFELD”

Sony Pictures Television


George’s father also got a revamp during the run of the popular ‘90s comedy.
Most people remember the hilarious Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza, but the
first appearance of the character featured actor John Randolph in the role.
Stiller later reshot Randolph’s scenes for syndication.






DR. NAOMI BENNETT ON “PRIVATE PRACTICE”

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


The character of Naomi Bennett was portrayed by actress Merrin Dungey on the
series “Grey’s Anatomy,” but when the character was chosen to appear in the
spin-off series “Private Practice,” Broadway legend Audra McDonald took over the
role.






TOBY CAVANAUGH ON “PRETTY LITTLE LIARS”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


In the pilot episode of the series “Pretty Little Liars,” the character Toby
Cavanaugh was called Toby Marshall and he was played by actor James Neate. In
later episodes, the character was played by Keegan Allen, who continued to
portray Spencer’s love interest for the rest of the series.






COLLETTE ON “STEP UP”

Instagram


In February of 2021, Starz announced that singer and actress Christina Milian
would take over the role of Collette for “Step Up’s” third season. She will be
replacing “Glee” actress Naya Rivera, who unfortunately passed away in 2020
following a boating accident. 






MEG GRIFFIN ON “FAMILY GUY”

20th Television


Meg has always looked the same on the raunchy animated show, but she hasn’t
always sounded the same. “Mean Girls” actress Lacey Chabert voiced Meg at the
show’s start in 1999 and 2000 before Mila Kunis took over the role in the show’s
second season.






PHOEBE HALLIWELL ON “CHARMED”

CBS Media Ventures


Alyssa Milano is most well remembered for playing the role of Phoebe on The WB
series “Charmed,” but in an unaired pilot, the character was played by actress
Lori Rom. Rom made the decision to leave the series after the filming of the
pilot for personal reasons, but the creators of the show were fortunate that
Milano worked well in the role.






JAMES KENT ON “TRUE BLOOD”

Warner Bros. Domestic Television


Luke Grimes played James Kent on the series “True Blood” for its first six
seasons, and after saying that he wasn’t happy with the direction that his
character was going in, he was replaced by actor Nathan Parsons. It was later
discovered that Grimes’s disagreement with his character getting involved in
same-sex plot lines that was the real reason for his departure.






MASON VERGER ON “HANNIBAL”

Sony Pictures Television


It’s almost hard to notice this transition between actors in “Hannibal,” because
the character’s face was made to look disfigured in the episodes after actor
Mason Verger took over for actor Michael Pitt. That made the transition seamless
for fans of the show.






MANDY BAXTER ON “LAST MAN STANDING”

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Another actor that was replaced on the series “Last Man Standing” was Molly
Ephraim. She was replaced by Molly McCook after the series was rebooted on Fox
because Baxter was unavailable to play her role after the show was originally
canceled by ABC.






CATELYN STARK ON “GAME OF THRONES”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


In the pilot episode of the epic HBO series “Game of Thrones,” Catelyn Stark was
portrayed by actress Jennifer Ehle. The British actress was a new mother at the
time of filming and she ultimately decided that she needed to focus on her
family instead of taking on an emotionally taxing role, so she was replaced by
Northern Irish actress Michelle Fairley.






GREG SERRANO FROM "CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Santino Fontana played Greg Serrano, one of Rebecca’s love interests, on the
musical series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts led to
him leaving the series. Then in the final season, actor Skylar Astin was brought
in to take over the role of Greg.






LILY FROM "MODERN FAMILY"

20th Television


Lily was the adoptive daughter of Cam and Mitchell on “Modern Family.” She was
originally played by twins Jaden and Ella Hiller during the sitcom’s first few
seasons. But eventually, the role went to actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, whom
fans totally adore.






DAARIO NAHARIS FROM "GAME OF THRONES"

Warner Bros. Domestic Television


During the first three seasons of the series, Khalessi’s lover Daario was played
by actor Ed Skrein on “Game of Thrones.” But somewhere along the way, Skrein
left to star in the 2015 film “The Transporter Refueled.” So, actor Michiel
Huisman took over as Daario. Luckily fans adored Huisman as much as they did
Skrein.






CAPHEUS ONYANGO FROM "SENSE8"

Netflix


British actor Aml Ameen played the role of Capheus Onyango, a character on
Netflix's “Sense8.” But creative differences between the actor and the producers
forced him to quit. So, actor Toby Onwumere was brought in to play the role for
the remainder of the series.






KRISTIN BAXTER FROM "LAST MAN STANDING"

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Actress Alexandra Krosney played Kristin Baxter on “Last Man Standing” during
the entire first season. But something happened behind the cameras that led to
her being replaced by actress Amanda Fuller for the remainder of the series.






MORTY FROM "SEINFELD"

Sony Pictures Television


“Seinfeld” fans remember Barney Martin’s amazing performance as Seinfeld’s
father, Morty. But anyone who revisits the first season will see that another
actor named Phil Bruns played Morty. But Seinfeld was simply looking for someone
who could make the character more bad-tempered and Martin did a better job at
it.






FATHER MULCAHY FROM "M*A*S*H"

20th Century Fox Television


The oh-so wacky Father Mulcahy made audiences laugh for several seasons of
“M*A*S*H.” But while actor William Christopher played Mulcahy for most of the
series, actor George Morgan also played the character for a blink and you’ll
miss it period of time.






JASON FROM "PRETTY LITTLE LIARS"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


On “Pretty Little Liars,” Alison’s brother, Jason, was played by actor Parker
Bagley in season one. But when the character was seen again, he was played by
actor Drew Van Acker, who looks nothing like Bagley, but was also very handsome.






MORGAN MATTHEWS FROM "BOY MEETS WORLD"

Disney


Morgan Matthews was a recurring character on “Boy Meets World,” but she appeared
enough times to get fans to notice a cast change. Matthews, who was Cory’s sassy
little sister, was played by Lily Nicksay. But producers later hired actress
Lindsay Ridgeway to play an older version of the character.






DARRIN FROM "BEWITCHED"

Sony Pictures Television


Darrin, the human husband of his witch of a wife, Samantha on “Bewitched,” was
played by Dick York for the first five seasons of the series. But chronic back
pain prevented him from continuing on the show. So, Dick Sargent took over the
role during the latter half of season five until the end of the series.






JENNA WADE FROM "DALLAS"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Jenna Wade was a popular character on the long-running drama series “Dallas,”
but the character was played by three different actresses. The first one was
Morgan Fairchild, who was quickly replaced by actress Francine Tucker. Then the
show-runner got rid of Tucker and hired Priscilla Presley, who was Elvis
Presley’s ex-wife, to play the role.






ALURA ZOR-EL FROM "SUPERGIRL"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Alura Zor-El, aka Supergirl’s mom, on the CW series “Supergirl” was played by
Laura Benanti. The actress also played the role of Alura’s twin sister, General
Astra. But Benanti left because she wanted to work on Broadway in New York City.
So, the role of Alura went to actress Erica Durance, who played Lois Lane on the
TV series “Smallville.”






GINGER GRANT FROM "GILLIGAN’S ISLAND"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Actress Kit Smythe played Ginger Grant during the “Gilligan’s Island” pilot. But
the fabulous looking red-headed character got a new star in the form of Tina
Louise, whom the producers felt was very suited for the sitcom.






JOHN BOY FROM "THE WALTONS"

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


“The Waltons” gave viewers a glimpse into what life was like during the Great
Depression and World War II. But fans were a little dumbfounded after season
five when actor Richard Thomas, who played John Boy, was written off the series.
The character later returned but was played by actor Robert Wightman.






HARRIET WINSLOW ON “FAMILY MATTERS”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Jo Marie Payton played the matriarch of the Winslow family for the first eight
seasons of the popular sitcom, but halfway through season nine of the series,
actress Judyann Elder took over the role. Payton had wanted to leave the show
for several years, but couldn’t do so due to her contract. She was only absent
for nine episodes of the series, and she later returned to appear in the finale
of the show.






KATE KANE ON “BATWOMAN”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Actress Ruby Rose stunned fans when she announced her exit from the Batwoman
series after only one season. Rose found the injuries she suffered during
filming along with the demands of leading the show to be too much to handle.
After wondering who should take over the role in the second season, producers of
the show instead decided to write the character’s disappearance into the show
itself, choosing to not recast the beloved character.






TEENIE ON “BIG LOVE”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


“Big Love” was an HBO series about a Mormon family that aired from 2006 to 2011
and fans of the series were surprised when future Disney Channel actress Bella
Thorne took over the role of Teenie in the fourth season of the show. The part
was originally played by Jolean Wejbe, but producers of the show told Thorne to
“not try and match the other actress.”






THE MOUNTAIN ON “GAME OF THRONES”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


The epic fantasy series “Game of Thrones” did a lot of recasting during the run
of the series because of travel required for filming and some pretty tough
filming schedules. The role of The Mountain was recast three times. He was first
portrayed by Conan Stevens, who had scheduling conflicts, so he was replaced by
Ian Whyte, before Icelandic actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson played the role in
season four.






BOBBY DRAPER ON “MAD MEN”

Lionsgate Television


Many, many child actors portrayed Don Draper’s son Bobby on “Mad Men,” while his
sister Sally was portrayed only by actress Kiernan Shipka during the entire
series. Bobby was portrayed by Maxwell Huckabee, Aaron Hart, Jared Gilmore and
Mason Vale Cotton during the series, and sometimes, other actors wouldn’t even
bother to learn the incoming child actors’ names.






BLACK CANARY ON “ARROW”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


In the pilot for “Arrow,” Black Canary was played by actress Jacqueline
MacInnes, but after filming the pilot, scheduling issues caused her to turn down
the role. Then Caity Lotz took over the character and fans are glad that she did
because no one looks better in the signature mask than her!






ROBIN HOOD ON “ONCE UPON A TIME”

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Tom Ellis portrayed the character Robin Hood on just one episode of ABC’s
fantasy program in season two of the show. Due to scheduling conflicts, he
couldn’t return to the role, so he was replaced by actor Sean Maguire, who
portrayed the character in 56 episodes of the series. 






THE NIGHT KING ON “GAME OF THRONES”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


The Night King was obviously a character that was in heavy prosthetics and
makeup on the show, so even some fans of the series might not have noticed that
more than one actor played the character. Richard Blake played the original
Night King before being replaced in season six by actor Vladimir Furdik, who had
previously been on the show playing the first White Walker that Jon Snow killed.






MATEO ON “JANE THE VIRGIN”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Proving that the job of child actors is anything but easy, original actor of the
character Mateo, Joseph Sanders, had to leave the show because he was busy with
schoolwork. In season four of the series, the character was portrayed by Elias
Janssen, who continued playing the character through the show’s fifth and final
season. 






ALLISON STARK ON “’TIL DEATH”

Sony Pictures Television


“’Til Death” was a sitcom that centered around characters played by Brad Garrett
and Joely Fisher, but their daughter on the show was constantly changing faces!
The character Allison Stark was played by Krysten Ritter in seasons one and two,
Laura Clery in seasons three and four and both Lindsey Broad and Kate Micucci in
season four. The fact that so many actresses played the character became a
running gag on the series.






CHUCK CUNNINGHAM FROM "HAPPY DAYS"

CBS Television Distribution


Chuck Cunningham was the eldest sibling in his family on “Happy Days,” and he
was played by Gavin O’Herlihy. But he was later replaced by actor Randolph
Roberts. The most obvious difference between the men was that one was a redhead
and the other wasn’t. But this change passed by the notice of many viewers,
because the character was written out of the show after the first season.






SYDNEY SHANOWSKI FROM “HOPE AND FAITH”

Disney—ABC Domestic Television


Many movie-goers recognize Megan Fox from her role in the “Transformers” film
series, but few remember that she had a role on the Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa
sitcom “Hope & Faith.” Fox played the character Sydney after replacing actress
Nicole Paggi, who played the character in the first season of the show. The role
was also played by Brie Larson in an unaired pilot.






CHRIS PARTRIDGE ON “THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY”

Sony Pictures Television


The classic series “The Partridge Family” aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974 and the
show featured a musical family of talented kids. The youngest of the children
was played by Jeremy Gelbwaks in season one of the series, before he was
replaced by Brian Forster because he wasn’t happy on the set.






SARAH BRAVERMAN ON “PARENTHOOD”

NBCUniversal Television Distribution


The hour-long drama “Parenthood” is lead by some great actors like Dax Shepard,
Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, but can you imagine the show without Graham in
the role of Sarah Braverman? In an unaired pilot of the show, the character was
played by actress Maura Tierney before the replacement was made.






DANNY TANNER ON “FULL HOUSE”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


We all know Bob Saget as the lovable clean freak Danny Tanner, but due to
scheduling problems, he almost never got the role. Actor John Posey originally
played the role of Danny in the series pilot, but he was replaced by Saget after
he became available for filming.






COUSIN MARILYN ON “THE MUNSTERS”

NBCUniversal Television Distribution


“The Munsters” was a series in the 1960s that featured monsters and creatures
like Frankenstein, werewolves and vampires. Cousin Marilyn, however, looked like
any other normal girl. And the actress who played her was pretty normal, too.
Beverley Owen was replaced by actress Pat Priest because she wanted to spend
more time with her significant other Jim Stone, who was a writer on the
children’s series “Sesame Street.”






ANN VEAL ON “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT”

20th Television


The character of Ann Veal was known to have a “forgettable face,” so the
creators of the show wanted to use a different actress for the character in
every episode she appeared in. That is, until actress Mae Whitman landed the
role, and her memorable performance ended that plan.






DELORES PASTERNAK ON “TWO AND A HALF MEN”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


Delores Pasternak was Jake’s fifth grade teacher and Charlie Harper’s love
interest on the series, but while she was originally played by iconic actress
Missi Pyle, she was later replaced by actress Alicia Witt. The change was
noticeable, but both actresses did a hilarious job.






LOIS LANE ON “THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN”

Warner Bros. Television Distribution


On the ‘50s television adaptation of Superman, the heroic leading man was at
forefront of the show, leaving Lois Lane little time to develop her character.
While original actress Phyllis Coates did a great job in the role in the first
season of the show, actress Noel Neill was more memorable to fans of the show,
as she played the character for the remaining five seasons of the series.






LIONEL JEFFERSON ON “THE JEFFERSONS”

Sony Pictures Television


The character Lionel Jefferson was the son of matriarch Louise Jefferson, a
character who spun-off from the series “All in the Family.” Lionel was played by
Mike Evans in the first season of the series, but he was replaced by actor Damon
Evans (no relation) in the second season. Mike Evans later returned to the show
in season five and became a recurring star of the series in its sixth season.









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