Recasts on shows: good, bad, in between

[danfling]

Comment on various recast from over the years.   Were they good recasts, bad recasts, or in between recasts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that one of the worst recasts was on Ryan's Hope.   Actress Robyn Millan replaced Ilene Kristen as Delia Reed Ryan.

 

I am sure that someone will tell me that the presence of Ms. Millan was only to be temporary.   At the time, I did not hear that and thought that it was a permanent recast.

 

Oddly enough, Ms. Kristen had been told by the producers/creators/writers of the show to study tapes of Ms. Millan on Where the Heart Is.  They wanted an emulation of her.

Edited April 23, 2019 by danfling
grammatical mistake

[danfling]

One Life to Live had some very good recasts, and that show did better with its recasts than did All My Children.

 

The role of Dr. Dorian Cramer was played by four really good actresses!   (My favorite one was Claire Mallis.)

 

Erica Slezak (Victoria Lord) , Michael Storm (Dr. Larry Woleck), and Judith Light Karen Woleck) were all recasts. (and were extremely good!)

 

All of the actresses who Cassie (except one) were very good.

 

 Although I loved Andrea Evans in the role of Tina, I preferred Karen Witter in the role.   (That has never changed my admiration of Ms. Evans.)  I did NOT care for Krista Tesreau (and I waited six months until I decided on my opinion of her.)

 

I did not see the replacement (Esther Rolle) for Lillian Hayman as Sadie.   I cannot comment on that recast (nor David Pendleton as Lt. Ed Hall).

 

Even the show's temporary substitutes were excellent.    They showed a temporary Nora, Asa, Sadie (Cynthia Belgrave), and these substitutes did excellent jobs.

 

I never cared for Blair #2.   How did others feel about her?

 

 

 

 

[danfling]

One of the best recasts on One Life to Live was Tom Berrenger as Tim Siegel.

[j swift]

I'm not sure if you intended to discuss temporary or permanent recasts but I thought that I would tackle recastings amoung the Capwell Clan of Santa Barbara

 

CC - Jed Allen balanced the gravitas and the sexiness of CC.  By contrast, Paul Burke seemed like mutton dress as lamb when he was going after Gina and Peter Mark Richman looked like a lecherous old man with Santana.  Charles Bateman played CC's stern side well, (especially in the scenes when Mason outed Channing), but he lacked the sex appeal to force Sofia to choose between him and Lionel.

 

Kelly - I prefer Carrington Garland, even over the original Robin Wright, mostly because she played the dynamic between Kelly and Eden.  Two girls growing up in a single-father household would have tons of issues with competition and sexuality.  Carrington played that motivation more than the others in the role

 

Ted - he was such an underdeveloped character that the switch from Todd McKee to Michael Brainard just seemed like a de-SORASing of Ted

 

Gina - Robin Mattson brought a sensitivity to her relationship with Brandon that was not there when Linda Gibboney played the role.  I think if Gibboney had persisted with her manic/panic style of acting than Santana would have been a much more reliable alternative to raise Brandon and Gina probably wouldn't have lasted until the end.

 

The worst recasts: Scott Jenkins as Warren brought a skeeziness to the character when he tried to seduce everyone he met.  He was such a miscast that they even threw away the set used as Warren's bedroom and never re-used it.  John Novak as Keith Timmons was too young and he only played the angry Keith, not the clever/funny Keith.  And Tea Leoni, interesting actress, unfortunately, brought in to wrap up the Lisa Dinapoli storyline and then disappear.

Edited April 23, 2019 by j swift

[pdm1974]

I just remember being shocked when Blair turned white and had a Southern accent!

Carrington Garland was my favorite Kelly as well. She played a perfect balance of everything, and plus...she looked like Eden's sister. I think it was very short sighted to replace her with Eileen Davidson who just never meshed into the role. Once Eden left, I think CG's Kelly was the best candidate to pick up that mantle of lead heroine.

[danfling]

j swift, I am referring to ANY recasts.

 

[Franko]

I liked Kassie, although it helped that her portrayal of Blair was the first I'd seen. I had a similar preference for Robin Mattson as Janet on AMC. As an adult, I can now appreciate Mia and Kate, but it's hard to discount a first and lasting impression.

 

 

 

 

[j swift]

Obviously, there were a million actors who played either Tom Hughes or Kevin Buchanan.  And, there are a few thousand more who will play Kyle Abbott.  However, I'm fascinated by the parts that got quickly recast numerous times, like Daniel Romalotti (3 adult actors on Y&R), Sharon Newman(4 actors on Y&R) or Dawn Winthrop (4 actors on GH).  As I recall, one of the Daniels never made it to air and SOD didn't have a picture to publish for one of the Dawns because she was replaced so fast.  I guess with Dawn they threw in the towel once Gloria Monty reappeared.  However, I wonder why shows persist with characters who need to be recast more than once in their first year.  I can't think of other examples, (and it may have been a luxury of that time in soap production), but early frequent recasts seem like a soap history staple  

Edited April 24, 2019 by j swift

[Wendy]

 

Well, CC on Santa Barbara had recast after recast until TPTB got it right with #4 in Jed Allan. Maybe other shows hoped to finally hit the casting bull's eyes - and just never did.

[pdm1974]

How many Kevins were there? It felt like a new one every year. Kirk Geiger is the one that sticks out to me because I watched the show during his tenure.  There were also quite a few Joeys. The casting of Natalie is the one they seemed to get right from the start.

[j swift]

According to Soap Central, it was an even dozen

Morgan K. Melis (1976 to 1982), Chris Cunningham (1982), Jonathan Brandis (1982), Ryan Janis (1983 to 1990), Matthew Vipond (1990), Joey Thrower (1990 to 1992), Kirk Geiger (1992 to October 17, 1994), Jack Armstrong (1994 to 1995), Ken Kenitzer (1995), Kevin Stapleton (January 1996 to April 1998), Timothy Gibbs (April 1998 to March 2001), and Dan Gauthier (June 27, 2003 to November 2010)

 

Unless you consider the genetic likelihood of fraternal twins where one is blonde and one is ginger, but given their nontraditional gestation and insemination, I'll let them get away it 

Edited April 24, 2019 by j swift

[Efulton]

Another World did a great job recasting female characters.  Some roles were recast with actresses who were as good as or better than the popular original actress.  Victoria Wyndham / Robin Strasser (Rachel), Anne Heche / Ellen Wheeler (Marley/Victoria), Anna Holbrook / Laurie Heineman (Sharlene),  Irene Dailey / Audra Lindley (Liz), Beverly Penberthy / Susan Trustman (Pat), Carmen Duncan / Beverlee McKinsey (Iris), Nancy Frangione / Susan Keith (Cecile), Amy Carlson / Alexandra Wilson (Josie), Mary Page Keller / Jennifer Runyon (Sally) and Susan Sullivan / Judith Barcroft (Lenore).

[pdm1974]

He was probably the best out of all of them! The custody trial with Kelly...he did some great work.

[Wendy]

 

Saw this and was wondering if it was the same tragic Jonathan Brandis that took his own life. Per Google, it was. Per this site/page detailing Brittany Murphy, his prom date in high school was the equally-tragic Brittany Murphy. (Scroll down.)

 

Jonathan's page.

 

Edited to correct and add links.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Wendy

[pdm1974]

Wasn't there a brief time when another actress played just Vicky between Ellen Wheeler and Anne Heche?

 

I hated that JB refused to also play Marley. The recasting (after a fire facial reconstruction) with Ellen Wheeler was so baaaaaaddddd. Not to mention the height difference was like a foot between the two! Of course, this was near the end.