ALL: When bad recasts happen to good characters!

[JackPeyton]

didnt the actress' that play Laurie go on to become a good actress? mean girls, veronica mars? or was that someone else?

there are so many diff levels to a bad recast tho. there is when the actor is just bad (in the case of KA as Billie on Days). When the char is written awful (as when LR came back to Days). and a few others.

[Paul Raven]

I liked Sandra Nelson!!

I thought she brought a more vulnerable side to Phyllis,who up till then had been a total bitch that nobody would put up with - even the saintly Danny and Cricket.

Sarah Aldrich as Victoria Newman.She was colorless and the show seemed to realise it too.She was given little to do and then dropped.

Philece Sampler as Donna on AW.Presented as way too young to be Anne Heche's mother, and completely miscast as a replacement for Anna Stuart.

Harriet Hall as Brooke on AMC.

Dennis Cole as Lance on Y&R

Kelly Kruger and Ryan Brown as Mac and Billy on Y&R

[DevotedToAMC]

Believe it or not but she did! She must have really improved since AMC

[AMCHistory]

Actually, Amanda Seyfried (on Mean Girls fame) played Joni Stafford, Jamie and later Reggies romantic interest. She was a wonderful actress who did not get her due when she was abruptly let go when MMT came on. I think her last episode was Erica and Jack's wedding that wasn't (which was the last for Micah Alberti too).

Alexandra Daddario played Laurie and she, like Riddings, blew.

[JackPeyton]

she really has. her epsidoes of VM were always the best, she was amazing in mean girls, and rocked in alpha dog.

shes also in mama mia! the move

[DeeeDee]

Amen! Reggie/Joni = Love!

[JackPeyton]

thanx. i was wondering how she went from being so awful to so good.

its because it was two diff actress'!

being let go from AMC must have been the best thing for her. look at her now!

[AmandainNC28655]

This is a good thread, as their have been so many temp and permanent recasts on daytime for various and sundry reasons over the last few years. Some of them rocked the house, while others were as dull as dishwater. I know that alot of people have focused on the recasts that had us wishing to have our teeth scrapped by the dentist, rather than watching them day in and day out. While I included those, I also decided to focus on some of the recasts that I found to be good over the years. These are JMO, and I understand if you do not agree with me. So with all that said, here are my thoughts.

Good

Peter Bergman-Jack Abbott- The Young and the Restless. I liked Terry Lester in the role, just the looks he could give made you realize Jack was the quintessential bad boy even if he was trying to be good. Peter Bergman can still bring that bad boy element to Jack and I think he was a pretty good recast for the role of Jack.

Sandra Nelson- Phyllis Summers- The Young and the Restless. Yes Nelson was no Michele Stafford, but I did enjoy her in the role of Phyllis of when Stafford left to try her hand in primetime and film. As someone stated earlier, Nelson brought out the vulnerable, softer side of Phyllis....but she could aslo be a MEGA bitch too when need be. I even remember the Michael/Phyllis romance when Nelson was in the role. She was a pretty good recast.

Sabine Singh- Greenlee Smythe DuPres Lavery Montgomery- All My Children. While I am a fan of Rebecca Budig and am somewhat glad to see her back on the show, I must admit the longer Sabine played the role the better she got. I could definitely dig her as Greenlee and she began to make the role her own. AMC missed a potential gem by releasing her.

Sandra Ferguson- Felicia Scorpio Jones- General Hospital. I may be in the minority here and I do LOVE Kristina Wagner and her Felicia portrayal. However, I do think that Ferguson did a good job when she was recast in the role a few years back. It was a shame that the show used her only a few times and then sent Felicia off again.

Bad

Amanda Baker- Babe Carey- All My Children. Okay I was a fan of AH in the role and wish that the show would've written the character of Babe off with AH. Amanda Baker is as dull as dishwater in the role. She has no chemsitry what so ever with Jacob Young or Billy Miller, and she bears no resemblance to Krystal or David. At least, AH resembled BE somewhat and that helped make their mother/daughter relationship a bit more believable. Amanda Baker leaves alot to be desired with her portrayal.

Melody Anderson- Natalie Dillon-All My Children. I guess I got used to seeing the spunky, spitfire, in your face Natalie when she was played by Kate Collins. When Anderson was cast in the role, Natalie became dull and a classic stepford wife. Even though I wish Natalie was still around to reek havoc in Pine Valley, as long as Anderson would be in the role I am glad she is gone.

Charity Rahmer- Belle Black-Days of Our Lives. Okay she was probably the shortest recast in daytime. I guess Days was desperate to fill the void left by Kirsten Storms when she vacated the role of Belle, but Rahmer was just downright HORRID. I am glad that someone over at Days said "WTH did we do" and corrected their mistake pronto.

Sandra Ferguson- Brooke Logan- The Bold and the Beautiful. Even though I liked her recast on GH, I did not like Ferguson when she took over for Katherine Kelly Lang on B&B. I think this was during Lang's last maternity leave. She did not bring the spunk to Brooke that Lang can.

Gordon Thompson and Terry Lester- Mason Capwell-Santa Barbara. I think the departure of Lane Davies from SB left the show scratching their heads. Thompson and Lester both gave the role a valiant effort, but I do not think they could capture the traits of Mason that endured him to fans and to Nancy Grahn's Julia.

Christine Tucci- Amanda Cory Fowler- Another World. Amanda went from being blonde, to brunette(Tucci), to a red head and then back to a blonde during the course of her adult life on Another World. I remember when Ferguson debuted in the role and thought she was a perfect fit. I had a hard time getting into Tucci's Amanda Cory and remember being glad when she left the show. What a way to end the show, by having the original adult Amanda (Ferguson) end the show in the role.

Glynnis O'Connor- Margo Hughes-As The World Turns. Never liked her in the role....period. I tried and tried to be open minded, but couldn't do it. She was boring, frumpy and just blah in the role. I would've rather had the dentist scrape my teeth, than watch O'Connor.

[JackPeyton]

first of all... i flove anyone who can make this many refrences to sandra ferguson!!

now... i agree about her being a good recast on GH. to me - she brought to it what KW did back in the day - heart and soul and made her real. KW this past time was trying soo hard to act it was near painful. it would had made me LOL if it wasnt so sad and had Kirsten Storms not knocked those scenes so far outa the ballpark they landed on a football field!

and CT was horrid in the role of amanda! i have not seen it all but from what i have seen its awful and i dont even want to picture anyone but SF as Amanda Corey (SF also rocked Sunset Beach as Jade!!)

however, i disagree with you about brooke on B&B. but that could be because im a huge SF fan, and i think KKL is horrid and have no idea how she has been the star of this show for as lonf as she has aside from the fact that her bad acting isnt just bad, its campy bad and that works for B&B. i also loved cat Hicklands short stint in the role

[Shawn]

I totally forgot Charity Rahmer as Days' Belle. Probably the WORST actress to ever hit daytime.

And I must disagree with KA's Billie being bad. Need proof that she had the chops? Look up the scenes of Billie held prisoner in Rome being injected with heroin. Krista OWNED those scenes and no one can deny it.

[JackPeyton]

ONE good scene does not = good or even okay recast.

KA still gets a massive fail in life.

tho i do give it up to the girl for her recent horror movie and the fact that bangs george cloney. so... maybe she gets a pass.

[Shawn]

Her personal life has nothing to do with her time on Days. She did a great job with what the writers gave her. They wanted Billie to become a total bitch for some reason, and she brought it to the table ten fold. That's an actor's job. To play the part as written (even if its badly).

Who she "bangs" is completely irrelevant, and how is her life a massive failure? Because she's not an A-list celebrity?

[JackPeyton]

i was referring to her HORRID acting ond ays as a fail. i give her props for her personal life. banging george cloney? horror movies? being hot as hell? yes yes and yes!

i actually loved what they did with billie as far as the writing goes. her being a vixen was great. but KA was awful. if she was on the show NOW with the talent she has NOPW it would be comp diff.

[jinx_avery]

Laura Allen as Laura Kirk English on AMC.

[Noel]

A couple come to mind....

GL

Signy Coleman as Annie Dutton on Guiding Light. Can I get an AMEN from anyone on this board?

Kit Paquin as Marina Cooper. That was a bad one. I think they fired her 3 weeks after being on the show.

Ann Hamilton as Melinda Sue Lewis. She shortly got the heave-ho too.

Nicole Forester as Cassie Layne Winslow. I shouldn't be dissing her because she had to fill in some large shoes after Laura Wright left role that she played for nearly 9 years. But she's pretty bad.

ATWT

I didn't watch ATWT during the time, but I do remember reading in Soap Opera Digest that fans of ATWT actually sent canned foods to the studio to "can" this particular actress . Drum roll please....

Susan Batten as Connor Walsh on As The World Turns.

DAYS

Charity Rahmer as Belle Brady. Enough said.

OLTL

Karen Witter as Tina Lords