Roles that Suffered After 3 or More Recasts

[Soapsuds]

I can see why he was...

 

[Melroser]

Jamie Frame, Nicole Love, and Peter Love on AW. It seemed that with each recast, the concept of the character completely changed. 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Melroser

[dragonflies]

YR: Billy

OLTL: Kevin

 

[Liberty City]

I'd also add Alice Matthews Frame. Both Jacqueline Courtney & Susan Harney did wonderful in the role, but... each subsequent one just did not click.

[AMCHistory]

Colby Chandler from AMC owns this title. Seeing how well Kathryn Newton grew as an actress, they should have just let her grow up in the role. Seriously, was there any love for any of the teenage Colbys? We had interchangeable blondes through the show’s run and TOLN. She could easily have been the “Brenda” of PV, if only the acting and writing was there. 

I am rewatching late 90’s AMC now, and I am really impressed with the underrated Michael Lowry as Jake. He was the right balance of Martin nobility, comedic relief, and 90’s hunk factor. Every successor could only play to one note: J. Eddie Peck was a hunk, RPG was comedic relief. Knowing Lowry came back to soaps, I wish AMC could have woo-ed him back.

 

 

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Y&R Greg. 

Had the final recast been a stronger choice,Greg might have survived the upheaval and continued to represent the Fosters alongside Jill.

TD Mike Powers

Constantly recast with none of the actors successfully nailing the role

SB Kelly

By the time Eileen Davidson was cast, the essence of the character was lost.

AMC Jeff Martin

Again a revolving door of actors that weakened an original character.

 

[Wendy]

The biggest mistake with regard to Santa Barbara post-Cruz/Eden was axing Carrington Garland for a "name" in Eileen Davidson. Davidson is a fine actress, but she was much too "hard" to be Kelly, and a bit too mature. Garland generated chemistry with EVERYONE and could have helped the show transition out of Cruz/Eden with any given love interest. (Roscoe Born left on bad terms, and Craig tried to murder Mason, her brother. So maybe Charles Grant as Connor McCabe still could have worked with her? We'll never know.)

Edited March 29, 2023 by Wendy

[Paul Raven]

Tara AMC

By the time Mary Lynn Blanks inherited the role there had been 4 Taras in 10 years,. It was just too much and the show was ready to move on.

Ryan's Hope

Recast city.

Frank #3 Daniel Hugh Kelly salvaged the role which was then recast 2 more times.

Pat Recast 3 times before Malcolm Groome returned

Mary 3 attempts to capture the magic of Kate Mulgrew

Siobhan  After Marg H 2 more attempts

 

[Soaplovers]

AMC:

Charlie Brent (adult).. 3 actors played him from the mid 80s to mid 90s.  He was a idealistic college student, then a pretty boy toy for Erica, then played by an almost 40 year old that looked closer to Erica's age..and was too old paired with Hayley then Cecily (when he was peers with Cecily and not much older than Hayley).

Liza Colby: Marcy Walker was more tomboy/mean girl, Alice Haining had a mischievous vibe that clashed with MW, and Jamie Lunar had some of the essence of Liza just was too sexy/young to play the part.

Days:

Mike Horton - at least 3 adults played him..all different from one another.

Jennifer Horton - Missy Reeves pre 2010s was fiesty/energetic...Stephanie C looked like Missy Reeves without any personality...and Cady gives Jennifer personality..but she just isn't Jennifer.

[DRW50]

Overall I preferred J Eddie Peck as Jake, at least once the pairing with Greenlee (just about the only person Rebecca Budig had chemistry with - on any of her soaps) got involved. I eventually learned to tolerate Lowry but he never did anything for me. His godawful intro story did not help.

[Liberty City]

Honestly... the only Colby I liked was Natalie Hall. The others were meh.

Eileen Davidson, out of all four actresses, had the MOST talent... but she was not tailor-made for the role of Kelly. They tried making her Ashley 2.0, and it failed. Carrington Garland did an amazing job re-inviting the role, and it's a shame they kicked her for someone older, because of Marcy Walker's absence.

[Vee]

Oh lord, I hated Natalie Hall. I'll never forget the clip they played of her caterwauling on The Soup(?).

[DRW50]

I think once outside of the bubble that Bill Bell and Kay Alden had Eileen in, it was more difficult to hide what a harsh presence she is (this was also an issue when she returned to Y&R, I think). She was all wrong as a Capwell kid, who, aside from Terry Lester's Mason I suppose, were generally smoother on the surface and cracked underneath.

Edited March 30, 2023 by DRW50

[Liberty City]

Part of me can't help but wish Terry Lester had remained in the role of Mason to see a reunion between him and Eileen Davidson. It's clear TPTB wanted some of the Abbott magic in the Capwell family, and it did not strike with Davidson's Kelly. Garland just made the role her own and, when the Dobsons returned, they wanted an *older* Kelly, and once again proved they didn't always have the best ideas and concern for the soap they created. They did the same in the O.G. days of Santa Barbara.

I'd also add the role of Santana Andrade to this list. Everyone post-Ava Lazar just made the role further from what it was originally conceptualized as.

[P.J.]

I admit, I didn't appreciate Dylan Bruce as much as I should have. I can't recall anything his Chris did. The recast that sunk Chris was Bailey Chase. He looked forty and was dating a teenage Alison.