Recasts on shows: good, bad, in between

[danfling]

Khan, I was going to point out that Ms. McLauglin was on the show for twelve years    She was written off during her early years,   but Irna Phillips (upon returning to the show) suddenly brought her back.

[Chris 2]

Brenda Epperson was physically right for the role and she was good, but her Ashley didn’t quite have the same steely backbone that Eileen Davidson has.

 

I had a hard time accepting Peter Bergman for the longest time. He’s good in the role. Terry Lester was better.

 

I can’t stand Jess Walton as Jill. Her Jill is so miserable and unhappy. Brenda’s Jill, during the 80s, reveled in being the villain. They’re both hams, but at least Brenda was a fun ham.

 

Also - I noticed the GH almost never recast during Monty’s tenure. I didn’t realize that was a deliberate choice. Once Wes Kennedy took over, regular recasting started. 

Edited December 21, 2019 by Chris 2

[Mitch]

It was like they had to get rid of her so as not to remind the viewers that Steve was married before Betsy.  Carol could have been a good support character, they could have just had her marry her minister (her real life husband) and still work for Lisa at Fashions and be there, not necesarily with a story line. She could have given Steve some advice with Betsy and be one of the people to stand up to Nick.

[Dion]

 

True. The only permanent one that immediately comes to mind is Heather Webber (Mary O'Brien to Robin Mattson).

 

There had been a number of recasts in the year leading up to Monty's tenure though - Laura, Rick, Monica, Heather (Georganne LaPiere to Mary O'Brien) and Diana.

 

And I think there were a few during Monty's second tenure - most significantly Wally Kurth as Ned, and the short-lived Anna recast.

[Paul Raven]

The recast of Rick from Michael Gregory to Chris Robinson occurred in 78 after Monty had taken over.

 

Also Gina being recast with Donna Bacalla taking over from Anna Stuart was  during Monty's time. and I think Alice Grant also?

 

But these all occurred early on in the Marland /Monty era and were deemed necessary for the overall structure of the show.

[Dion]

Ah yes, thanks for that correction regarding Rick, @Paul Raven.

 

And it does make sense to me that Monty would make a few necessary recasts at the beginning and then refrain from doing so for most of the rest of her first tenure.

[amybrickwallace]

 

I actually wrote to Rita and Norman Walter a few years ago, and apparently Rita wanted to step away from show biz to start a family and be a full-time pastor's wife.

[Mitch]

Interesting..good, I am glad they just didn't dump her.

 

 

[amybrickwallace]

 

So am I. I think she did one or two indie movies in the mid-1980s, but her show biz career basically ended after she left ATWT.

[danfling]

To fans of Dark Shadows (1960s, presently or in-between), did you prefer Robert Gerringer or Peter Turgeon as Doctor Dave Woodard?

[danfling]

One of the best recast in daytime television history was the late Thayer David as Matthew Morgan on Dark Shadows.   George Matthews was the original Matthew.

[Chris B]

Two underrated recasts for me come from Ryan’s Hope, which was Recast Central. The first is Mary Carney as Mary Ryan. Of course Claire Labine  wanted To kill off Mary when Kate Mulgrew left, which is completely understandable. Ultimately the show forced a recast and Mary Carney was perfect. A good actress and similar but she made the role her own. They quickly fired her and the only justifiable reason is that they were still upset about Mulgrew leaving. We had to suffer through two more recasts before they finally killed her off. 
 

The other is Ann Gillespie as Siobhan Ryan. I liked most of the Siobhan’s so I didn’t mind her leaving, but I also don’t understand why she left. I thought she was great in the role. 

[David_Vickers]

ALL MY CHILDREN

BEST

Alicia Minshew as Kendall Hart. IMHO better than Sarah Michelle Gellar who was too young.

Jacob Young as JR Chandler

Justin Breuning as Jamie Martin

Jill Larson as Opal Gardner Cortlandt

Lee Meriwether as Ruth Martin

Michael E. Knight as Tad Martin

Cady McClain as Dixie Cooney

Sal Stowers as Cassandra

Cornelius Smith Jr. as Frankie Hubbard

 

WORST 

Barbara Kearns the red head Nina Cortlandt. 

Alice Haining as Liza Colby. 

 

AS THE WORLD TURNS

BEST 

Hillary B. Smith and Ellen Dolan as Margo Hughes

Mary Ellen Stuart as Frannie Hughes

Scott Holmes as Tom Hughes

Martha Byrne as Lily Walsh Snyder

Lindsay Frost as Betsy Stewart Andropolous

Graham Winton as Caleb Snyder 

Kelley Menighan as Emily Stewart, although much different. 

 

WORST

Roger Howarth as Paul Ryan

Susan Batten as Connor Walsh

 

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

BEST

Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams Brady

Matthew Ashford as Jack Deveraux

Robert Scott Wilson as Ben Weston

Kate Mansi as Abigail Deveraux DiMera

Victoria Konefal as Ciara Brady

Martha Madison as Belle Black Brady

Jason Cook then Brandon Beemer as Shawn Brady

Julie Pinson as Billie Reed

Lauren Koslow as Kate Roberts

Lindsay Godfrey as Sarah Horton

Stacy Haiduk as Kristen DiMera & Susan Banks

Eric Martsolf as Brady Black

Chandler Massey as Will Horton

Mary Beth Evans as Kayla Brady

 

 

WORST

Charity Rahmer as Belle Brady

Steve Wilder as Jack Deveraux

 

GH

BEST

Genie Francis as Laura Webber Spencer. 

Tamara Braun as Carly Benson Corinthos

Laura Wright as Carly Benson Corinthos

Robin Mattson as Heather Webber

Leslie Charleson as Monica Quartermaine

Billy Warlock as AJ Quartermaine  (Warlock and original SORAS'd AJ Gerard Hopkins looked like they could be Alan and Susan's son,  Sean Kanan looked like he should be Monica's)

Chris Robinson as Rick Webber

Constance Towers as Helena Cassadine

 Stephen Martines (Nikolas Cassadine)

Marcus Coloma(Nikolas Cassadine)

Jennifer Guthrie as Dawn Winthrop. GH made a huge mistake killling her off, and before that Sharon Case as Dawn was also good.

Emme Rylan as Lula Spencer.

Greg Vaughan as Lucky Spencer (my preferred adult Lucky)

Jen Lilley as Maxie Jones (much prefer her over Kirsten Storms)

Cynthia Watros as Nina Reeves.

 

WORST

Jennifer Bransford as Carly Benson Corinthos

Brooke Bundy as Diana Taylor,

 

ONE LIFE

Erika Slezak(Viki Lord Buchanan)

Claire Malis, Robin Strasser, Elaine Prince (Dorian Cramer Lord)

Karen Witter(Tina Lord), although love Andrea Evans who was always my fave Tina.

Judith Light(Karen Wolek)

Michael Storm(Dr. Larry Wolek)

Marilyn Chris(Wanda Wolek)

Brynn Thayer(Jenny Wolek)

Steve Fletcher(Brad Vernon)

Kirk Geiger, Dan Gauthier & Kevin Stapleton (Kevin Buchanan)

Ava Haddad, Holly Gagnier & Laura Bonariggo Koffman(Cassie Callison)

Bree Williamson as Jessica Buchanan.

Nathan Fillion, Don Jeffcoat as Joey Buchanan

Heather Tom as Kelly Cramer.

Pat Elliot as Renee Buchanan.

 

Grew to love Kassie DePaiva as Blair Cramer, but was the oddest re-cast in soap history,  going from Asian Mia Korf to white southern belle Kassie DePaiva.

 

WORST

Marsha Clark(Tina Lord)

Jack Armstrong and Tim Gibbs (Kevin Buchanan) 

Tracy Melchior(Kelly Cramer)

 

SANTA BARBARA

Jed Allan (C.C. Capwell)

Carrington Garland (Kelly Capwell)

Gina Gallego(Santana Andrade)

 

WORST

Eileen Davidson(Kelly Capwell)

 

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS

BEST

Peter Bergman(Jack Abbott)

Melody Thomas Scott(Nikki Newman)

Jess Walton(Jill Abbott)

Michael Mealor(Kyle Abbott)

Brenda Epperson(Ashley Abbott)

Hunter King(Summer Newman)

Sharon Case(Sharon Collins)

Donny Boaz(Chance Chancellor)

Justin Hartley and Mark Grossman(Adam Newman)

Judah Mackey(Connor Newman)

Sean Dominic(Nate Hastings)

Gina Tognoni(Phyllis Summers)

 

 

WORST

Maura West(Diane Jenkins) was never right for the role

Sandra Nelson(Phyllis Summers) -- seemed to frumpy, ugly for Phyllis to be honest.

 

 

 

 

 

[robbwolff]

George Mitchell was the actor who originated the role of Matthew Morgan. He only appeared in a few episodes when he was replaced by the much younger Thayer David.

[danfling]

To David Vickers,

You mention Marilyn Chris as a replacement in the role of Wanda.   She originated the role, left, then returned.   (She had first appeared on All My Children as Edie.)

 

Also, I'd like to add a good replacement on As the World Turns:  Patricia Bruder as Ellen Lowell Cole Stewart.  Henderson Forsythe as David was also a good recast.