Recasts on shows: good, bad, in between

[I Am A Swede]

 

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that they made a similar announcement on B&B when KKL returned to play Brooke after her maternity leave in 1997 when she had been temporarily replaced by Sandra Ferguson.

[Xanthe]

Since obviously AW struggled to recast Alice with someone suitable with the constraints they were working with at the time, as a thought experiment, assuming that time and space and money are not constrained, is there any actress past or present, living or dead, big screen, small screen, or stage, who would have been close to an ideal Alice? (Assume that she is willing to bleach her hair, and if that is not sufficient, go to any lengths to change anything about her physical appearance, in order to perform the role.)

[Liberty City]

They somewhat did it for Marj Dusay's return as Alexandra Spaulding in 2002, following Joan Collins' exit.

"Marj Dusay is recreating the role of Alexandra Spaulding."

[danfling]

Again, I personally think that Another World did something amazing in hiring Susan Harney to replace Jacqueline Courtney in the role of Alice.

One actress who could have played the role was Judith Light (Karen #2 on One Life to Live) but I would not have wanted  her to change looks.    I also think that Ms. Light would have played Alice her own way, and the viewers would have had to adjust or stopped watching the program.

The only veteran that I would have considered for the role was Leigh Lassen/Natalie Isreal (Search for Tomorrow).

Ms. Lassen stepped into a mulit-recast role successfully.    And, Ms. Light replaced Kathryn Breech quite successfully!

[j swift]

I've been listening to the Passions podcast (iykyk) and was reminded of Gina Marie May, the one month Kay - that is some bad recasting

The weird thing about Kay was that from Taylor Anne Mountz to Deanna Wright and then to Heidi Mueller the character changed with the recast, which I consider a sign of a bad recasting.  Kay started as a sporty almost tom-boy who palled around with Miguel.  The initial point was that Miguel denied her attraction to him because he considered her to be one his childhood buddies.  Then, by the time Heidi Mueller (a failed reality star turned "actress') came along Kay became a va-va-voom girl who all the boys lusted after, and she looked like she could never dribble a basketball. 

Then, you have her sister Jessica who was off screen for so long between recasts that each time the character was reintroduced she had different traits.

[FrenchBug82]

I didn't even remember her. Was it a Charity Roehmer situation or was she OK on-screen and other factors might have played a part?

I am asking because we often hear long-time actors say that the actors who can't remember their lines "don't last very long" but it is not that common for actors to be quickly fired so I am always wondering who that might be.

Edited October 31, 2021 by FrenchBug82

[Soaplovers]

I always thought she was a temp recast because the original Kay quit suddenly.

Deanna Wright was my fav Kay.  She had a town boy vibe, but was also girlish.  And scenes where she went off on Grace were well done.

[amybrickwallace]

I love that way of phrasing it.

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[Mitch]

In other words, turn down the volume..the screeching is about to start!!! Weird turn of phrase since she didn't create Alex to begin with. However, it was prophetic as from then on in the writers made Alex a drug dealing shrew and then a meek little house mouse..she was never again really Alex (not Marj's fault.)

[SteelCity]

Didn't they want her as Stephanie Forrester originally?

[kalbir]

@SteelCity Yes, it's been posted here before that Bill Bell offered Stephanie to Jaime Lyn Bauer.

[SFK]

JLB is the name I remember reading years ago, and later, SSH.

[John]

Also Jane Elliot

[SFK]

As the announcer spoke that, Marj tossed back her head and let out one of her inimitable little vocalizations.

That woman got offered everything.

[teplin]

Rosemary Forsyth captured the icy side of Laura, but precious little of the warmth or sexiness that Susan Flannery brought to the role. Jaime Lyn Bauer was just another character entirely, I don't think she captured even the slightest essence of Laura ... though, to be fair, JER wrote her as a weak, simpering woman, which was about as far from the original Laura Horton as you could get.