from RKK to PR as Bo on Days.

What year did Jill Larson join te show? I remember like it was yesterday, sitting in my grandparents' living room and my grandma saying, "(SFK), what do you think of the new Opal?"

89? I remember not accepting the recast for a long time because JL had recently finished a memorable run as Ursula on OLTL and all I saw was Ursula.

That was what made me start the thread.

Well, here's another recast first... my first *scandalous* recast was the revelation that the lady I knew from the Psychic Friends commercials and Episodes magazine ads who played Dorian on OLTL was fired and replaced with this new lady who wasn't really new at all but used to play Dorian back in the '80s. Meanwhile, my head almost exploded the first time I flipped through a SOD and saw an old b&w pic of Robin Strasser as the original Rachel!!! I had a similar reaction when I realized that this lady Marj Dusay who I really enjoyed as Alex on GL was in fact Blair's mom on Facts of Life ("OMG, I remember her!") and Carolyn Jones' replacement as Myrna on Capitol! I miss all of those soap opera aha! moments.

Ursula was 88 but I'm certain Jill joined AMC very late the same year.

Melody was just SOOO recast. I know Natalie became a victim then (Carter kidnapping her to the houseboat, etc) but ti reallyw as one of those WTF recasts.

89? I remember not accepting the recast for a long time because JL had recently finished a memorable run as Ursula on OLTL and all I saw was Ursula.

It's funny because Jill played Opal in a dithery way that sort of added years to her actual age. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she first arrive when Tad and Dixie were about to get married for the first time? I think she wore a black leather jacket and everything...

Jill Larson's debut as Opal was actually the holiday season of 1989...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she first arrive when Tad and Dixie were about to get married for the first time? I think she wore a black leather jacket and everything...

Yep, she showed up on the Martin's doorstep just as you described!

The first Galen was Courtney Gibbs Eplin - as in wife of AW's Jake, Tom Eplin. She lasted in the role almost as long as their marriage. The actor who played Dr. Stephen was Andrew Jackson (according to him, a direct descendant of the former US President).

I can't remember which was the first recast, because this era on AMC was so full of them... but it was either Heather Stanford as Nina, Alice Haining as Liza, or Hugo Napier as Mike Roy. I thought Hugo was alright, because he had good chemistry with Lucci and I felt he gave Mike more sophistication - which on the other hand, also made him a bit more uptight. Of course, I was just a kid, so maybe I wasn't as picky then.

Edited September 27, 201114 yr by YurSoakinginit

Genie Francis taking over for Stacy Baldwin as Laura Vining... Webber.

Wow, I officially feel really old. That was like 35+ years ago. Time flies.

Not the first,but one I distinctly remember was...'the role of Jill Foster Abbott is again being played by Brenda Dickson'...Jill was coming down the stairs at the Abbott house and paused while the announcement was made and then continued.

Dixie was one of the most jarring recasts ever. The two actresses were nothing alike. Same for the two Wills.

I mostly remember Andrew Jackson because Episodes did a photo shoot where he was standing in a fountain. Random...

AMC seemed to have a lot of recasts, so you would get used to it. At the time I started GL and ATWT I didn't notice that many (if I'd started just a year or two earlier I would have) so it was a jolt seeing these new people in key roles. The one I hated the most was the Billy Lewis recast. No wonder Barnabas murdered him.

Dixie was one of the most jarring recasts ever. The two actresses were nothing alike.

A long-ass time ago, I wrote and acted in this community theater in Hollywood... I worked with a director who happened to be Kari Gibson's (the original Dixie) former acting teacher. She told me that KG was new to NYC, and ended up going out, partying, and basically came to work each day exhausted... So she turned in performances that were way off - different than the qualities she brought to her screen test, which of course meant different than what TPTB wanted for Dixie. I think she only lasted one cycle.

The original Will, Lonnie Quinn, is now a weatherman, right?

Edited September 27, 201114 yr by YurSoakinginit

I thought all young soap actors went out partying all night...

Was Kari Gibson the same Kari Gibson on that Amazing Race knockoff or is that an IMDB error?

I remember the original Cooneys and I liked them. Of course, what does a dumb kid know, or whatever...

But the first Will kind of reminded me of Bubba from Mama's Family. James Patrick Stuart or whatever his name is was definitely more Palmer than Pete Cooney, he sold the transformation well, and it's kind of sad that Will experienced the descent that he did.

The first Dixie I just pretty much remember running around the mansion in her maid's uniform, closing the double doors of the library behind her and speaking in hushed tones to Will.

I thought all young soap actors went out partying all night...

Was Kari Gibson the same Kari Gibson on that Amazing Race knockoff or is that an IMDB error?

No, that's Kari Nye, Dick Sargeant's wife who played Joel Carruthers on Edge of Light.

I mostly remember Andrew Jackson because Episodes did a photo shoot where he was standing in a fountain. Random...

AMC seemed to have a lot of recasts, so you would get used to it. At the time I started GL and ATWT I didn't notice that many (if I'd started just a year or two earlier I would have) so it was a jolt seeing these new people in key roles. The one I hated the most was the Billy Lewis recast. No wonder Barnabas murdered him.

AMC did long have the rep of actors being recast fairly early on when they were introduced.