Imagine that you are an actor. For years you’ve been working your way up the ladder, from bit part to bit part. Suddenly, your agent calls you with good news! Some casting agent saw your demo reel and they want you for a new television series! You’re overjoyed, of course, and not just because of the fame and fortune that come with the role but because of the respect and security that comes with steady work.
You go into the studio ready to roll and film the first episode. Then, tragedy strikes! Your agent calls you and tells you that the network has decided to go another way. Thankfully, you’re still getting paid for your time, but it’s still a kick in the head.
This can happen for any number of reasons. In the case of an ensemble drama or comedy, one actor may not fit in with the rest of the cast for one reason or another. Sometimes an actor will be offered another part in between the filming of the pilot and the selling of the show and be unable to return to work in the original project. On a rare few occasions, the studio or the network may order nearly everything from the original pilot to be scrapped and the show runners will have to start from square one with an entirely new cast.
Whatever the circumstances, here are 21 Characters Who Were Recast After The Pilot!
Catelyn Stark on Game of Thrones
Best known for her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC’s 1995 mini-series production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Jennifer Ehle was the original choice for the role of the Stark family matriarch, Catelyn Stark, on Game of Thrones. However, Ehle backed out of the series shortly after filming the first pilot and Northern Ireland actress Michelle Fairley was recast into the role.
Ehle kept quiet about the reasons for her leaving, though the show’s producers confirmed that her departure was an amicable one and that she had left the role rather than being fired. Years later, Ehle revealed that she had quit Game of Thrones after thinking better of getting involved in a long-running drama series so soon after giving birth and missing the formative years of her newborn daughter.
Danny Tanner on Full House
For eight years, Bob Saget played Danny Tanner – a widowed, neat-freak sportscaster who struggled to raise three daughters with the help of his best friend and brother-in-law – on the sitcom Full House. Though Saget was the producers’ first choice to play the role of the fastidious father, he was unavailable to film the Full House pilot.
In what proved an amusing coincidence given Danny Tanner’s occupation as an anchorman, Saget was unable to take the role due to a prior commitment as an on-air contributor to CBS’s The Morning Program.
John Posey was cast to play Danny Tanner in the original Full House pilot.
Unfortunately for Posey, Saget was able to slip free of his contract with CBS and was soon cast in the role the producers had wanted him to play in the first place!
Willow Rosenberg on Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Of all the members of The Scooby Gang on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow Rosenberg would undergo the greatest changes over the series’ seven seasons. Originally a shy nerd who seemed the polar opposite of the outspoken and athletic Buffy, Willow threw herself into her studies of witchcraft to help her friends. In time, she would become a magician of great power and find love with fellow witch Tara, becoming one of the first lesbian couples on primetime television.
It is hard to imagine anyone but Alyson Hannigan playing Willow, but the shocking truth is that Hannigan was the second actress to play Willow. Riff Regan was originally cast as Willow, but executives at The WB felt that her attempts to portray Willow’s shyness only served to make her unlikable. Hannigan proved capable of making Willow into an underdog the audience rooted for as her confidence grew.
Phoebe Halliwell on Charmed
The middle of the three Halliwell sisters, Phoebe was often considered the weak link of the trio by enemies of The Charmed Ones, since her magical powers were geared more towards passive influences. It was a mistake that few of villains survived to make twice, however, as Phoebe offset her more defensive magic with considerable martial arts training and clever spell-play.
Though Alyssa Milano would revitalize her career playing Phoebe, she was not the first choice to play her.
Lori Rom was originally cast in the role, but backed out after filming the pilot for unspecified reasons.
It is rumored Rom felt the role conflicted with her Christian beliefs, but it seems unlikely she would have gotten to the pilot filming before realizing she was playing a witch! It is also rumored Rom and Shannon Doherty did not get along and Rom quit rather than continue working with her.
Inara Serra on Firefly
With a unique look born of her Brazilian and Italian heritage, it is hard to imagine anyone but Morena Baccarin playing the role of the companion Inara Serra on Firefly. Baccarin lent a unique sense of grace to the role. And yet Rebecca Gayheart was originally cast to play Inara, but was fired after only one day of filming on the pilot episode!
According to Joss Whedon, the problem was one of simple compatibility.
Talented as Gayheart was, she just didn’t seem to gel with the rest of the cast. Given the importance of the ensemble to Firefly‘s writing style, it was vital that the cast click together immediately. Morena Baccarin proved to be the piece of the puzzle the series needed.
Daenerys Targaryen on Game Of Thrones
The original pilot for Game of Thrones has remained unseen, even as a Blu-Ray extra. Only a few screen shots and casting details have emerged, painting a picture of how the series might have looked.
One of the biggest changes was the role of Daenerys Targaryen, which ultimately went to Emilia Clarke. Originally the role was awarded to actress Tamzin Merchant, who went on to play the role of Catherine Howard – the fifth wife of Henry VIII in The Tudors.
No reason was ever given for the recasting, though George R.R. Martin denied having any issue with Merchant’s portrayal of The Mother of Dragons. Indeed, Martin declared himself a fan of Merchant’s on his blog and spoke quite highly of her performance on The Tudors.
Tom Hanson on 21 Jump Street
While he had appeared in several films before being cast as undercover cop Tom Hanson, it was 21 Jump Street that made Johnny Depp a household name. It was a fame Depp could have done without, as the young actor seeking more challenging roles back then.
The prospect of playing the same pretty boy cop character week after week was so unappealing to Depp that he refused the role of Tom Hanson when it was first offered to him. He relented only when it became clear that his appearance in the movie Platoon was not bringing about the surge of feature film offers he had hoped for.
This proved an unfortunate turn of events for Jeff Yagher, who played the role in the original 21 Jump Street pilot. While Yagher worked steadily in film and television after being ousted, it cannot be denied that Depp became a Hollywood legend.
Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls
Melissa McCarthy first found fame as chef Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. Her performance as Sookie would lead to her Emmy Award winning role as Molly Flynn on the CBS sitcom Mike and Molly. It would also allow McCarthy to break into films, where she was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA award for her performance in the movie Bridesmaids as well as a Golden Globe for her leading role in the movie Spy.
It’s strange to think how things might have gone radically differently for McCarthy had she not been recast in the role of Sookie. In the original pilot for Gilmore Girls, Sookie was played by Alex Borstein, who is best known today for providing the voice of Lois Griffin on Family Guy. Borstein backed out of the role when the pilot was picked up, not wanting to leave her role on Mad TV.
The Captain on Star Trek
Given how iconic William Shatner was in the role of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, it astounds many to learn that he was not the first choice to serve as the Captain of the Starship Enterprise.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s feuding with NBC over the content of Star Trek has become the stuff of legend. Executives hated the pilot episode “The Cage”, saying it was “too slow” and “too cerebral.” They also objected to the Enterprise having a female First Officer and felt Mr. Spock was too strange looking, forcing Roddenberry to choose between keeping one or the other when a second pilot was ordered.
Jeffrey Hunter – who was only contracted to appear in the pilot – declined to recreate the role of Captain Christopher Pike for the second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. Thus was Captain Kirk created and a legend born!
Roz Doyle on Frasier
Sassy single-mother Roz Doyle was the perfect foil for stuffed-shirt Frasier Crane on Frasier. Played to perfection by Peri Gilpin, Roz acted as the producer on Frasier’s radio show and was ever-ready to pull out a pin and burst Frasier’s bubble whenever he got too full of himself.
Oddly enough, while the role of Roz was written with Gilpin in mind, she was not cast in the part after Lisa Kudrow auditioned for the role. Reportedly Kudrow got the most laughs of any actress reading for the NBC executives.
While the producers agreed Kudrow was a great comedian, her quirky delivery added humor to lines that were meant to be played straight.
It was also felt that Kudrow lacked the edge Roz needed to match Frasier as an equal. After two days of filming the pilot, Kudrow was let go and Gilpin was back in the booth with Kelsey Grammer. Obviously that worked out for the best, as Kudrow went on to fame and fortune as Phoebe on Friends.
Al Borland on Home Improvement
With his trademark flannel shirts, iconic beard, and sedate manner, Al Borland was the perfect foil to the much more manic Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on Home Improvement. Shockingly, Richard Karn, who played the role for all eight seasons and wrote two best-selling books on home repair, was not the first choice to play the role.
Originally Stephen Tobolowsky, who has appeared in over 200 films and numerous television programs, was cast to play the role of Tim Allen’s sidekick. When Tobolowsky was unable to make it to the filming of the Home Improvement pilot due to a previous film engagement, Richard Karn was brought in to act as a substitute guest co-host.
Karn’s chemistry with Allen proved so strong that when the series was picked up by ABC, Tobolowsky was let go and Karn was hired in his place.
Jenna on 30 Rock
The character of Jenna from the comedy 30 Rock underwent some radical revisions as the series was developed. Originally the character was named Jenna DeCarlo and she was the star of a television series called Friday Night Bits With Jenna DeCarlo.
Tina Fey reportedly wrote the role with her former Saturday Night Live castmate Rachel Dratch in mind.
Dratch played Jenna DeCarlo in the original pilot for 30 Rock, but Lorne Michaels apparently wanted the role to be recast. The character was renamed Jenna Maroney, her television series’ name changed to The Girlie Show and Jane Krakowski was cast to play her.
It is unknown why Dratch was dropped from the show, though it is suspected that Michaels and the network may have wanted a more conventionally attractive actress in the role. Dratch would later appear throughout the show in a variety of humorous cameo roles.
Toby Cavanaugh on Pretty Little Liars
Seduced by his step-sister Jenna and then blackmailed with the threat of her claiming she was forced into it, Toby Cavanaugh had a rough start on Pretty Little Liars. After being blamed for a number of things he didn’t do, Toby went on to become a cop and found love with Spencer Hastings.
James Neate – who has since then gone on to play the role of Jack in The Man in the High Castle – played the role of Toby Marshall in the Pretty Little Liars pilot before Keegan Allen was recast in the role of Toby Cavanaugh. The reason for the recasting is unknown but it is interesting that they also changed the last name of the character before the series started.
Margot Bishop on The Catch
Originally pitched as a drama about a gutsy forensic accountant, Shonda Rhimes’ series The Catch underwent significant retooling even before the first pilot was filmed. The series came to focus on Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos) – a successful Los Angeles private investigator who is defrauded by her fiancee. In order to save her career as well as her reputation, Vaughan tries to track her fiancee while working on other cases, only to uncover an international cartel of of con artists.
Bethany Joy Lenz was originally cast to play Zoe – the con-artist wife of the con-man who fooled Alice Vaughan.
She was replaced in the role by Sonya Walger, and the role itself was changed so that Walger was now portraying a woman named Margot Bishop.
Liv Aberdine on Constantine
While it didn’t last long, Constantine still made an impression as the infamous “Master of The Dark Arts” was brought to life by Matt Ryan. The pilot episode saw Constantine seeking out Liv Aberdine (Lucy Griffiths) – the daughter of an old friend, who had inherited her father’s psychic powers. The original series’ plan would have seen Constantine training Liv in using her powers whilst exploiting them to find sources of dark magic.
Ultimately the pilot was extensively reworked and Liv Aberdine never appeared again after the first episode. The writers decided that setting Constantine in the role of teacher was a mistake. Since the writers had been planning on introducing the character of Zed (Angelica Celaya) – a psychic from the Hellblazer comic – into the series eventually, they said “why wait?”
Zed appeared at the end of the reworked first episode and replaced Liv for the rest of the series’ run.
Eleanor Waldorf on Gossip Girl
When Florencia Lozano was removed from the role of fashion designer Eleanor Waldorf on Gossip Girl, it was for an incredibly complementary reason. The executives who watched the pilot episode felt that Lozano looked far too young to be the mother of a 16 year old girl. Margaret Colin was recast into the role of Blair Waldorf’s mother and would continue to play the role for the rest of the series’ run.
Being fired didn’t hurt Lozano’s career at all.
Indeed, she soon found a niche playing homicide detectives in both television and in film. Lozano appeared playing a police officer in the movies Perfect Stranger and The Ministers and also appeared in episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Sarah Braverman on Parenthood
Lauren Graham has a long, loyal following of fans who have tracked her career from project to project since she first found fame as Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. She’s also fondly remembered for her role as “Mrs. Santa’s Sister” in the movie Bad Santa and for her performance as Sarah Braverman on the sitcom Parenthood.
Strangely enough, Graham was not the producers’ first choice to play Sarah Braverman.
Originally the role was given to Maura Tierney, who was best known at the time for playing the role of Dr. Abby Lockhart on ER. Unfortunately, Tierney was diagnosed with cancer shortly after being cast and had to step out of the role to seek treatment. Thankfully, Tierney has bounced back in a big way, going on to win a Golden Globe for her work on the series The Affair.
Sam Malone on Cheers
It’s hard to imagine anyone besides Ted Danson standing behind the bar at Cheers. Thorough 275 episodes spread across eleven seasons, former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher and recovering alcoholic Sam Malone was America’s Bartender, overseeing (and often instigating) the shenanigans that ensued at the bar “where everybody knows your name.”
Shockingly, this was not the original plan of Cheers‘ producers. Originally Sam Malone was a former wide-receiver for the New England Patriots and was to be played by former football player turned actor Fred Dryer. When the pilot failed to excite executives due to the lack of chemistry between Dryer and Shelley Long, Danson – who had been among the final three actors up for the role – was called back due to how well he’d played off of Long.
Dryer would eventually turn up on Cheers as Sam’s friend Dave and the rest was TV history.
Jill Taylor on Home Improvement
Patricia Richardson is one of the most iconic television mothers of all time. While many women have played the role of the stern authoritarian who seems to view her husband as another overgrown child to take care of, there was something special about Richardson’s portrayal of Jill Taylor on Home Improvement that broke the mold and defied the usual sitcom tropes.
It is ironic that Richardson was not the first choice to play the role that would define her career.
Actress Frances Fisher was originally cast to play Jill Taylor, but proved to have a complete lack of chemistry with Tim Allen. The producers were so keen on Richardson taking on the part, based on her performances on other sitcoms, that they were willing to work around her nursing schedule for her newborn twins and didn’t wait for her to lose the weight she had gained during pregnancy.
Jim Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210
Jim Walsh was a tough but fair father to his children Brandon and Brenda on Beverly Hills, 90210. He also became something of a foster father to Brenda’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Dylan McKay, often offering Dylan some much-needed advice.
James Eckhouse would play the role of Jim Walsh for all eight seasons of the original 90210 series. Though he seemed born to play the part of the stern yet sage father, Eckhouse was not the first actor to be cast in the role.
Originally Lyman Ward – best known for playing the role of Ferris Bueller’s father in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – was cast in the role of Jim Walsh. No reason was ever given for the casting change, but given how synonymous Ward had become with his role from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, executives may have been fearful no one would buy Ward as a strict disciplinarian.
