ALL: When bad recasts happen to good characters!

[Wendy]

Maybe it was the picture and complaints I had heard about Fake/Temp Jax [since I'm not watching GH], or maybe it is the whole Greenlee debacle...but it seems like there has been a lot more talk about recasts of late and how many stink.

Can you think of any recasts, temporary or permanent, that made a once-great character suck? And ETA: This is not to say I personally thought Sabine Singh sucked as Greenlee. I cannot judge, as I never watched. But the whole thing surrounding her re-recast got me thinking!

Off the top of my head:

I was reminded of old school recast debacles in the Video Bash thread, when Taylor Miller left the role of Nina Cortlandt and Heather Stanford (then Barbara Kearns) took over the role for a year apiece. Thank God Taylor Miller returned. Stanford's Nina getting her ass whooped in that clip was amusing, though.

Anyone remember - speaking of returns and such - when Angie Hubbard was recast? Yep, it's true. Saundra Quarterman [best known from the sitcom, "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" in the '90s] played Angie for a time, and it was bad. I was glad to see her go.

And remember when Marcy Walker left AMC for SB in '84? Liza was recast with Alice Haining, who would later go on to play Angel Snyder on ATWT. A bad fit for actress and character.

And the less said about the change from Kate Collins' spitfire Natalie Hunter Dillon to Melody Anderson's wet dishrag version, the better.

Then there was Days and Tracy Middendorf's Carrie Brady, along with Anne Howard's Kimberly Brady.

And Santa Barbara recast Lisa DiNapoli, played by Tawny Kitaen, with the future Mrs. David Duchovny, Téa Leoni. Talk about a change: From tall redhead to medium blonde, with none of the attitude.

Anyone else?

[JackPeyton]

Kristan Allen as Billie on Days

Amanda Baker as Babe on AMC

[Adam]

Well I'd hardly call the character of Greenlee Smythe a "good" character when she was recast.... but at her core Greenlee is a good character and was miscast horribly this year.

Amelia Heinle coming in as Victoria Newman on Y&R is one of the worst ones I've seen in recent memory.

[Wendy]

I also just remembered John Novak as a recast Keith Timmons on SB. TIIC should never have even tried to recast such a role that Justin Deas owned - with multiple Emmys to prove it.

[detroitpiston]

Tamara Braun as Carly. She destroyed the character IMO with her weak, man needing, Sonny doormat portrayal. Thank God for LW who gave Carly her spine back.

[DaytimeFan]

Many loved Susan Walters as Diane Jenkins...but for me Alex Donnelly is the only actress who can fill Diane's stilettos. When Walters took over Diane lost her ferocity. She was still fun and bitchy, but she wasn't terrifying like when Donnelly played her.

Also, Amelia Heinle as Victoria is one of the worst in recent memory, Heinle sucked every bit of the bitchy fabulousness that Heather Tom injected into Victoria. Heather Tom's Victoria slapped Victor clear across the face, Heinle's Victoria went into a coma after being hit by a killer scone.

Although only a temporary replacement, Marj Dusay as Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel was recovering from back surgery) was not good at all (and I like Marj). It was sort of Marj's dry run before playing Vanessa Bennett on AMC.

I think one of the worst was Sandra Nelson as Phyllis on Y&R in 1997/1998. She just didn't do well at all. She lacked bite, timing, everything was just off.

And this is waaaaaaaay back but in the early 80s when Jeanne Cooper went to rehab an actress by the name of Giselle McKenzie filled in for her as Katherine. Bill Bell later told Cooper that he would never have another actress sub in for her because it just didn't work because a line between Cooper and Katherine didn't really exist.

[alwaysAMC]

Melody Anderson as Natalie Dillon on AMC

Amanda Baker as Babe Carey on AMC

[Shawn]

Tracy Middendorf as Carrie on Days.

It was painful to watch her. Luckily for the viewers, TPTB realized what a stupid move it was and brought back the one and only Carrie, Christie Clark.

[Port Oak Valley]

Jennifer Bransford- Carly GH... just not a good fit at all...

[Graciecat]

Nothing, in my mind, will ever top Jacob Young as Lucky #2. Jonathan Jackson was so incredible in that role- he brought such sympathy, integrity, and intelligence to the role. His Lucky was a true Spencer. And then JY showed up, and it was bad. Really, really bad.

[Khan]

To this day, I hate that GL didn't allow us to "grow up" w/ Rachel Miner as Michelle Bauer. Instead, we had to settle for Nancy St. Alban (sorry, Mannyacs) and Jesus Christ Rebecca Budig.

Also didn't care for Toby Poser as Amanda Spaulding. Not a thing about that girl suggested she was the sexually repressed girl who was raised by cunning, manipulative Lucille Wexler.

[stenbeck212]

For ATWT

Heather Rattray as Lily - So fragile, watching her performances could almost break her

Glynis O'Connor as Margo - Never was this character so homely

Susan Batten as Connor - A cougar with no sex appeal

Christina Chambers as Molly - Thankfully forgettable

Matt Cavenaugh as Adam - A middle of the road personality hardly credible as a would-be rapist

Oh, and my personal fave Roger Howarth as Paul, in his death defying highwire routine involving one expression and multiple acts of fakery

[DevotedToAMC]

Melody Anderson as Natalie on AMC....Kate Collins provided so much for the role and made you love to hate Natalie but also made her sympathetic. The rise and fall of Queen Natalie during her rape story proved to be one of Collins' high points in playing the character with many emotions and layers.

Andrew Ridings as JR on AMC...Jesse McCartney and Jonathan Bennett gave JR spunk, fire, a heart, and just overall strength to be a good character. Ridings comes along and makes him a moron as well as annoying and stupid. Thankfully, Jacob Young got the part and gave JR even more layers than McCartney and Bennett

Kelly Monaco as Brenda on GH....Brenda was not a favorite of mine but at least she had something going for her with VM. Then, Kelly comes along and they rename her Sam and nothing is worthy in the character

[Khan]

Re: Heather Rattray - Ironically, her Lily was supposed to be more brittle and less emotional than Martha Byrne's. That's why, for example, the bulk of her storylines revolved around Walsh Enterprises.

Re: Glynis O'Connor - Believe it or not, I thought she was pretty good as Margo. I bought her as Scott Holmes' on-screen wife, just as I do Ellen Dolan (and before her, Hillary B. Smith). Plus, she had real credibility as a woman juggling a family with a career in law enforcement. It's a shame, though, more people didn't give her a chance.

Re: Susan Batten - First of all, was Connor Walsh still relevant by the time Batten arrived? And secondly, was firing Allyson Rice-Taylor for her truly necessary? It seems to me then-EP Felicia Minei Behr had an agenda to bring along some former ABCD'ers. Thank goodness, though, she didn't get too far w/ that one. Otherwise, you might've seen Felicity LaFortune (ex-Laurel, AMC; ex-Leigh, RYAN'S HOPE) as a new Margo, and Daniel Hugh Kelly as a new Tom.

Re: Christina Chambers - Again, was it really necessary for TPTB to recast a character who wasn't as relevant anymore? Honestly, at this point, I'd just as soon pretend Molly, and mealy-mouthed Abigail, never existed.

Re: Matt Cavenaugh - Can't really blame him for that disaster. The guy he succeeded (forget his name) left rather abruptly (still would like to know what that was about), and plans for the character - that is, if JP ever has a plan for anything she does (aside, of course, from junking another piece of ATWT's legacy) - went all to pieces. That was one time when I watched a story unfold and had the distinct feeling it had spun out of control.

Re: Roger Howarth - All I can say is, whenever he's on-screen, I just close my eyes and pretend he's Andy Kavovit. (Just as I pretended all along that Grayson McCouch was just Brian Bloom w/ a weird Marlon Brando accent.)

[Khan]

And that "romance" with Laurie Lewis? Did him no favors.