ALL: Recasts who seemed like a different character.

[Paul Raven]

We had a recast thread for many years but the focus here is recasts who in appearance and characterization seemed like a different character.

Sometimes it was deliberate when  many years had passed so the change could be explained away by things that happened in that period.

But for others it was just a change that happened with the recast.

Exhibit A Amanda Guiding Light Came back years younger and went from neurotic uptight to ex Madam.

 

[Antoyne]

Justin Hartley’s Adam was nothing like Michael Muhney’s or really any of the other Adams tbh. He was genuinely a nice guy and didn’t do any of the plotting and scheming that every other portrayer has. He didn’t come off as a sociopath.

[Soaplovers]

Blair on OLTL would be the top spot for recast making a character different in so many ways.

[Khan]

I feel like AMC could own this thread at least in part.

[Aback]

Gina Tognoni’s Phyllis. She’s a great actress - which is why the audience warmed to her - but she was no Phyllis. She took the character too seriously. 

[kalbir]

So could Y&R.

[asafi]

Brenda Epperson and Shari Shattuck each created a different Ashely 

josh Taylor was recasted as roman Brady.. but his roman was more like Chris Kositchek.. so totally miscast here

Victoria Newman.. Amelia's version much different than heather. I liked heather much better. 

Jen horton - Stephanie cameron (1995-1998) was like a completely new character 

mickey horton.. after John clark retired.. the replacing actors were not mickey!!! 

[Lye-C]

Haiduk’s Susan and Kristen

Madison’s Belle

Mansi’s Abby

Krista Allen’s Billie

Valley and Wilder’s Jack

Taylor’s Roman 

DePaiva’s Eve

Dan’s EJ

Cady’s Jennifer

 

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Jamie Luner as Liza Colby

[Liberty City]

I think that's why she worked, though. She took a character, which had by and large, become a cartoon character and re-rooted her into reality (as much as you can on a soap opera), and it was a beauty to see.

[DramatistDreamer]

ATWT

The change in the character of Betsy Stewart Andropoulos when the actress changed from Meg Ryan to Lindsey Frost was like night and day. Betsy had been seen as a quirky cute ingenue and this likely had everything to do with Ryan’s characterization. Frost’s characterization was relayed with a sense of underlying soberness, no longer showing as a dreamy eyed young woman but a practical married woman with ambitions to work outside the home. Ryan’s Betsy had chemistry with her two onscreen husbands, Frost’s best onscreen chemistry was platonic chemistry with her onscreen best friend.

There was the controversial evolution of the Lily Walsh character under Martha Byrne vs. under Heather Rattray, who briefly took over the role when Martha left in the early 1990s. There are fans of both actresses’ portrayals but what really stood out is that the very different personalities happened under the pen of the same head writer! Martha Byrne did not originate the role (that was Lucy Deakins who actually beat out Byrne for the role and left to do movies, leaving an opening for Byrne to step into the role) but Byrne’s “poor little rich girl” characterization became the most known portrayal of the character. Heather Rattray’s portrayal was a decidedly more adult incarnation of the character, business savvy, ambitious and had a less romanticized view of relationships, to the point of quasi-vixen tendencies. Like I said, there are passionate fans of both and has been lots of debate about this.

Much discussed in the ATWT thread (so I won’t go into details here) is the stark contrast between how Scott Bryce portrayed Craig Montgomery from Hunt Block’s portrayal, which I am still scratching my head about whether the writing drove the portrayal or the portrayal drove the writing. But the difference was so drastic that when Bryce was brought back in the role over a decade after having left, he was totally confused by the recent history and direction of the character and continued to ask questions about how the character had landed in this state. Bryce was fired after this. In fact, I think both actors may have been fired that turbulent last decade of the series.

Finn Carter and Mary Beth Evans could not have performed two more different versions of the character of Sierra Esteban Montgomery. Evans appeared as Sierra during that turbulent last decade of the series and often played opposite Block’s Craig, which could explain much of it. Evans’ portrayal seemed archly aristocratic, as if someone told her that her character was part of an influential family but neglected to tell her that her character was also a revolutionary who had fought in a war in her homeland, a Central American nation. Carter had the much better writing but her performance was also more layered, showing the evolution of the character—you really have to watch to appreciate this.

The differences in how Melanie Smith portrayed Emily Stewart from Kelly Menighan Hensley is another example of a sharp contrast. We’ve talked about this in length in the ATWT thread and it really is worth delving deeper into the thread and watch supporting video clips for a clearer understanding of what I am describing.

[Soapsuds]

I'll add the Paul's from Andrew Kavovit to John Howard(model Paul) to Scott Holyrod to awful Roger Howarth. All totally different Paul's with Scott resembling more of Andrew's Paul.

[MichaelGL]

GL: Brian Gaskill's Dylan Lewis 

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 and the last actress to play Susan Lemay/Daisy. 

Honestly, Y&R, AMC, and GL could have their own threads when it comes to this. 

[DramatistDreamer]

The show should have stopped searching after casting Holyrod, who was a good fit for the role, like you just mentioned. To me, letting him go is just another part of that turbulent final decade of the show where tptb, even when they made a solid decision, ended up undercutting that same solid choice by making an unwise decision.

Letting Holyrod go in favor of Howarth was just bizarre, as his characterization of Paul didn’t fit with anyone beyond trading barbs with Block and McCouch.

Edited January 3, 2024 by DramatistDreamer

[I Am A Swede]

Thorsten Kaye as Ridge Forrester.  Fine actor, but completely different from Ronn Moss, who remains the definitive Ridge.