Notable Un-Recasts

[Wendy]

Of course, Bo Brady:

Peter Reckell (1983-1987; 1990-1992; 1995-2012)

Robert Kelker-Kelly (1992-1995)

And, as noted above, Reckell took back over in 1995 until the character's end.

[Darn]

 

See my problem is that she's not lazy at all! She tries too damn hard, every scene (especially on GH) is about her acting. When she's bored of the material she overcompensates with her various tics. The scene can't be funny, no it has to be Funny with her hamming all over the place. She never lets anything breathe because she's trying so hard to show off.

[DramatistDreamer]

Wasn't Stafford kind of 'phoning it in' at the end of her previous run on Y&R though?

[lucaslesann23]

pretty much, She and JFP didn't get along iirc.

[BetterForgotten]

Stafford was phoning it in YEARS before JFP. That pairing with Nick was the end of her putting any effort into her work. 

[Soaplovers]

I accepted Gina's colder take on Phyllis considering she'd been in a coma..and after lots of rejections..became guarded.

 

Stafford used to be able to reign in her acting back in the day.  She was more low key and restrained on Pacific Palisades..and she did play a scary Sheila like character on Y & R.  Maybe she was just bored playing phyllis and hammed it up.

 

 

[applcin]

I'm probably alone in saying the only time I liked Max Holden on OLTL was when Nicholas Walker played him.

RH
Malcolm Groome sandwiched the role of Pat. The first and the last, with several others in between.
Ditto Ilene Kristen with Delia.
And while Mary Ryan was killed off with another actress in the role, it was originator Kate Mulgrew who returned as Mary's ghost.

GH
Anna Devane - Finola Hughes, Camilla More

The Doctors
Althea Davis - Elizabeth Hubbard, Virginia Vestoff
 

[Vee]

I think what Staff does is lazy - it's her goofing off onscreen vs. going by the script and what it wants her to portray. Trevor St. John and Roger Howarth both went rogue in different eras of OLTL in the same way as well.

[ghfan89]

I agree. They should have continued with the Pierce and Janet story instead.

[Paul Raven]

ATWT

John Colenback played Dan Stewart from 66-73 before being written out. The following year Dan returned, now played by John Reilly and played out the Kim/Dan story. When he left 2 years later Colenback returned but it has been stated that Colenback didn't  have the same chemistry with Kathryn Hays and he was killed off.

So in this case the original didn't last the distance.

[Vee]

 

I felt the same as a kid, but watching it today the chemistry between Kiberd and Mattson and her performances overall are very strong. She's daytime's Bette Davis - you can't look away. Domesticating her is what I never bought into. That said, I can see why people felt betrayed when Janet returned in the 2000s; her reformation was a long arc. I was never shocked to hear she'd lost her mind again, but I don't think you needed to annihilate both characters to revert her. I also felt it was clear Broderick, Nixon, etc. had taken steps to rehabilitate the Janet character near the end of the ABC run, which was probably for the best. I felt Kate Collins was excellent in the 2000s, but it was a very broad script for her. How bizarre that Mattson was kept away bc of a grudge over her GH run. She didn't exactly cover herself in glory during her later GH stints from 2012-on, but I can see her having a lot of opinions on what was done with Janet after she left.

Edited July 16, 2020 by Vee

[OzFrog]

I can’t believe no one has yet mentioned the character of Curtis Alden on Loving. A million and one recasts with that one...

 

• Chris Marcentel - 1983-1985
• Linden Ashby - 1985-1986
• Burke Moses - 1986-1988
• Chip Albers - 1989-1991
• Patrick Johnson - 1993
• Michael Lord - 1993
• Chris Marcantel - 1993-1995

[ChickenNuggetz92]

Y&R's Victoria Newman

 

Heather Tom (1991-1997)

Sarah Aldrich (1997)

Heather Tom (1997-2003)

Ameila Heinle (2005-Present)

[titan1978]

About Stafford- I agree with @Vee.

 

In their prime and for the most part- people like Tristan Rogers, Tony Geary, Jane Elliot, Nancy Grahn (and many others)often interpreted the material instead of saying it word for word, but did so from a place of character and brought their scene partners along for the ride.  Stafford often eats everyone else alive- and it seems selfish.  Her tics distract from others and her own performance.

[Faulkner]

I can’t imagine how tedious it must be to act on these sh!tty soaps under the current grueling circumstances. But some of these actors (who’ve returned to their soaps for a check and relative security—Stafford, Massey, the list goes on) could TRY to GAF. It just makes me appreciate the Laura Wrights and Maura Wests of the genre who give it their all (not always to great effect but still) and must be exhausted at the end of the day.