A show’s cast is a key ingredient in the making of good television — but producers don’t always find the right person for the role. At least, not right away. A producer will often roll the dice on an actor or actress, and when it doesn’t work out, they’ll recast the part. In many cases, the replacement is a huge improvement that brings a better dynamic to the show, making us forget that their role was ever played by someone else.
It’s difficult now to imagine these characters, many of whom have become iconic, being played by anyone else — but at one point, they actually were. Here are 10 times an actor took over for a role on a tv show and did such a good job that they completely outshined the original pick.
10 Brian Forster
Replaced Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris Partridge on The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is a musical sitcom based on a real-life family band that was popular during the 60s and 70s, the Cowsills. In season one, child actor Jeremy Gelbwaks played Chris Partridge, one of the family’s musically gifted children. According to his Partridge Family co-star David Cassidy, Gelbwaks “had a personality conflict with every person in the cast, and with the producers.” That seems like an aggressive thing to say about a 9-year-old working on his first TV show.
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Regardless, the brown-haired boy got the boot, and a blonde kid was brought in as his replacement. Brian Forster must’ve been a better fit for the show’s cast and producers, since he played Chris Partridge for the show’s remaining three seasons. An animated reboot of The Partridge Family, following an African-American family, is reportedly in the works.
9 Mae Whitman
Replaced Alessandra Torresani as Ann Veal on Arrested Development
Arrested Development is a satirical sitcom that follows the Bluths, a formerly rich but consistently dysfunctional family. Throughout the series, the family’s teenage son, George Michael (Michael Cera), dates a stern Christian girl named Ann Veal, who is often forgotten by the boy’s father, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman).
As a running gag, the showrunners planned for a different actress to portray Ann every time she appeared on-screen to play into the character’s forgettability. In season one, she’s played by Alessandra Torresani, and in season two, she’s played by Mae Whitman. But Whitman captured Ann’s character so well that the showrunners tossed their plans out the window and kept the actress on the show.
Whitman played Ann Veal for the rest of the series, becoming the definitive version of the character. Pretty awesome for her — not so much for Alessandra Torresani.
8 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Replaced Ian Whyte as The Mountain on Game of Thrones
There have been an insane number of recasts on HBO’s fantasy epic, Game of Thrones. Some of them made sense (like casting an older Tomnen Baratheon), some weren’t an improvement (we’re looking at you, Daario Naharis), and some were so minor that they barely showed up on our radars. But of all the recasts on Game of Thrones, Gregor Clegane, also known as the Mountain That Rides, was the best.
A vicious and powerful warrior, the Mountain towers over everyone at a staggering height of eight feet. Probably not the easiest role to cast for. In season one, the Mountain is played by stuntman Conan Stevens. Due to scheduling conflicts with his upcoming appearance in The Hobbit, Stevens was replaced by Ian Whyte, who didn’t feel imposing enough to capture the Mountain.
The role was again recast in season three and given to bodybuilder, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. And this time, it stuck. Björnsson’s gruff and intimidating demeanor, coupled with the actor’s massive size, made Gregor Clegane a true terror to behold. When fans now think of the Mountain, this is the actor that pops into their heads.
7 Sherri Shepherd
Replaced Sharon Wilkins as Angie Jordan on 30 Rock
Created by and co-starring comedy legend Tina Fey, 30 Rock takes viewers behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show, based on Fey’s own experiences working on Saturday Night Live. Its cast includes Tracy Morgan, who plays the unpredictable comedian Tracy Jordan. For most fans, Tracy Jordan’s wife, the iconic and sassy Angie Jordan, has always been played by Sherri Shepherd.
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But diehard fans might remember that Angie Jordan was originally played by Sharon Wilkins, who appeared in just one episode of the series. Shepherd brought more humor, and a lot more attitude, to the character, turning her into one of the best parts of 30 Rock. There’s no one else that we’d rather watch abuse Tina Fey’s character or scream “HAM!” at the camera than Sherri Shepherd.
6 Brooke Shields
Replaced Eve Plumb as Pamela Burkhart on That ’70s Show
Actress Eve Plumb was originally cast in the hit sitcom That ’70s Show as Pamela Burkhart, the mother of sassy main character, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis). This version of Pamela was very different from the one we see later on — a buttoned-up and successful businesswoman and real estate agent. Pamela appeared in only one episode and wouldn’t appear again until season 6. And when she did, it was as a totally different person.
The writers of That ’70s Show decided to retool the character, turning her into an irresponsible mother who neglected her daughter – and also an attractive, older woman that made male characters swoon. Enter model and actress Brooke Shields, who brought a new and improved energy to the character of Pamela Burkhart. Shields would go on to own the character, playing Pamela for a total of seven episodes.
5 Jane Sibbett
Replaced Anita Barone As Carol Willick on Friends
Friends was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 90s and remains a beloved and popular show. If you’re a fan of the series, then you’re familiar with Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer) lesbian ex-wife, Carol Willick. The show kicks off in the middle of Ross’ divorce and introduces us to Carol early on. Most fans associate this character with Jane Sibbett, who plays Carol for the majority of Friends — except for one episode.
In the show’s second episode, “The One with the Sonogram at the End”, Carol is actually portrayed by Anita Barone. Barone left Friends soon after, in the hopes of finding a more full-time role. She was replaced by Jane Sibbett, who became the Carol Willick for Friends’ generational fanbase.
4 William Christopher
Replaced Rene Auberjonois as Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H
An abbreviation for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, M*A*S*H is a 1968 novel that was adapted into a 1970 war comedy. The film’s tremendous success went on to establish a franchise, which kicked off with the wildly popular TV series M*A*S*H. Several main cast members were replaced over the course of the show. One of its most notable recasts was the character of Father Mulcahy.
Mulcahy was originally played in the pilot episode by Rene Auberjonois, who didn’t have a single line of dialogue. But somehow, this was enough to convince showrunners that he had to be replaced. They brought in William Christopher, who played Father Mulcahy for the rest of M*A*S*H and for its short-lived successor, AfterMASH. Despite only playing Father Mulcahy for a single episode, Auberjonois can still be seen in the opening credits of every episode.
3 Mila Kunis
Replaced Lacey Chabert as Meg on Family Guy
Meg is the daughter and eldest child of the Griffin family from the raunchy cartoon, Family Guy. She’s also the most disliked character among the show’s fan base and often finds herself at the butt of a joke, usually at the cost of her own physical and mental well-being. Meg has been voiced by several actresses since her creation. Rachael MacFarlane, the sister of Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, voiced the character in the 1998 pilot episode.
Mean Girls co-star Lacey Chabert took over the role when Family Guy was picked up by Fox. She voiced Meg for all of season one and some of season two before leaving the show. In a 2003 interview with IGN, McFarlane elaborated on Chabert’s departure: “To be honest, I don’t really, to this day, know what it was. It was nothing – there was no tension or anything. She wanted to go, and she was very cool about it.”
The role of Meg then went to Mila Kunis, who’s famously voiced the character ever since.
2 Barney Martin
Replaced Phil Bruns as Morty Seinfeld on Seinfeld
Barney Martin famously played Jerry’s fictionalized father, Morty, in Seinfeld, though this wasn’t always the case. Actor Phil Bruns appeared as Jerry’s father in a single episode of season one. But co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David found Bruns too laid back and replaced him with a “harsher parent”. And voila — Barney Martin was cast in the role instead. Martin’s performance was a better match for Seinfeld’s comedic style, turning Morty into a crotchety and memorable character.
1 Jerry Stiller
Replaced John Randolph as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld
Morty Seinfeld wasn’t the only father to be recast on the hit sitcom, Seinfeld. Frank Costanza, George’s loudmouthed father, was played by actor John Randolph in Seinfeld’s fourth season. And like Phl Bruns, Randolph was considered too laid back to play the neurotic George’s father. The role was recast the following season, in favor of a more comedic actor. Enter Jerry Stiller.
Some people might only know him as the late father of comedian Ben Stiller. But others will recognize Jerry Stiller as a great comedian in his own right, who brought a fierce but funny energy to Frank Costanza and turned him into an iconic piece of the show. Can you imagine if Jerry and Larry had stuck with Randolph? We would’ve gotten a very different, and a vastly inferior, version of Frank Costanza.
