Daytime's 10 Most Insane Recasts!
After getting over the shock of The Young and the Restless making the boneheaded decision to recast Malcolm Winters, one of daytime's most popular hunks ever, with Family Matters alum Darius McCrary, an actor about as physically dissimilar to Shemar Moore—the Emmy-winning, wildly popular stud who originated the role— as humanly possible, I couldn't help but recall other ridiculous recasts soaps have attempted over the years. Some worked. Some didn't, but one thing is for sure, this is nothing new for daytime!
No. 10: Adam Lazarre-White for Randy Brooks as Nathan on The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless seems to make a habit of not bothering to make sure their African-American actors resemble the people they are replacing. In 1995, light-skinned, green-eyed Adam Lazarre-White took over the role of Nathan Hastings from the darker toned Randy Brooks. To go along with Nate's new skin and eye color, the soap quickly wrote the reformed mob henchman-turned-upstanding P.I. into a corner by having him cheat on wife Dr. Olivia Barber Hastings (Tonya Lee Williams) with an HIV-positive Keesha. Nate was killed off in 1996. Results: Failed.
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17 November 2009
1 hour 12 min
I would say Jennifer Bransford as Carly on GH was an EPIC failure.....
23 July 2008
1 hour 18 min
Great list. Number one is hilarious.
9 September 2009
1 day 1 hour
I didn't like it either when they recast GL's Alexander Spaulding with Joan Collins wasn't a fan of hers thought no one could replace Beverlee McKinsey But I did like Marj Dusay. That was a great role for an older woman, and when they replace Roger Thorpe can't remember who it was.
22 January 2008
3 hours 56 min
Thanks Season! TML, Jennifer almost made it, but I was trying for ridiculous in terms of physical dissimilarities. I thought about Billy Warlock for Sean Kanan, that was an insane one that proved successful.
25 December 2008
38 min 53 sec
Joan Crawford scares the living sh*t out of me. Mommie dearest indeed.
I can't get over the pic of nuMalcolm next to Shemar's pic. What were they thinking???
3 March 2009
13 hours 5 min
This topic is just way too funny.
Darius is only 10 years older than Christel Khalil. Is Y&R going to use make up everyday so that he looks older?
17 February 2009
5 weeks 6 days
Christina Chambers as Marty.Suddenly shes a latina.Yeah! That flew over well,especially since she couldnt act.
16 August 2007
17 min 7 sec
I'd call that one JUST AWFUL! Christina Chambers should get an honorable mention for being an AWFUL Marty recast AND an AWFUL Molly recast. lol
23 April 2008
1 week 3 days
This list is frakkin' fantastic! But Honorable Mentions should go to:
Signey Coleman as Annie Dutton (from Cynthia Watros) on GL: Started off wonderfully under her persona then failed miserably after the reveal.
Clemetine Ford as Mac (???) on Y&R: Y'all rag on her enough on the podcast.
Eric Martsolf as Ethan Crane Winthrop (from Travis Schult) on PASSIONS: For a Reilly-written show, EXCELLENT! Eric hit the ground running with his first scenes as Ethan confesses his undying love for Theresa as she's about to be lethally injected.
Bruce Hall as Joey Buchanan (from Nathan Fillion) on OLTL: Mixed ONLY because Bruce wasn't written for properly and placed in a religious corner whereas Nathan was someone's muse in the mid-90s.
??? (who later was on GH as Sonny's blond sister) as Alli Fowler (from Lindsay Lohan) on Another World: Young LiLo's portayal of Alli had her in the same category of Starr Manning at their age. Spunky, smart, and wise-beyond-their-years, had that character been written consistently, she would have been a young Harley. After they aged her, she became a stereotypical blond/damsel in distress type that was a FAIL.
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more on my commute home.
1 July 2009
13 hours 32 min
How about Sandra Quarterman for Debbi Morgan as Angie on AMC? How about some more from GH or AMC or AW or Days?
14 May 2008
19 min 52 sec
X-tina Chambers... Oy.. I block her out.
11 February 2008
28 min 2 sec
wth were they thinking??????? From the sublime to the rediculous. What a crying shame.
11 November 2008
6 days 12 hours
I was counting down waiting to see Jennifer Bransford photo...lol
18 February 2009
1 min 57 sec
This list is perfect from 10 to 1! I was ready to rip some new orifices if the Crawford Catastrophe hadn't been somewhere on the list, but when I saw it at number one! Beautiful! I'd bet Bette Davis loved that time in Joan's history! How transparently delusional do you have to be to think you can stand in for your daughter in the same role?! Riot.
Honorable mention from me is when Gordon Thomson replaced Terry Lester as Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara. The scene where Dash punched Mason (Lester) and he fell to the floor, then got up as Thomson! That was hilarious! The look on Nancy Lee Grahn's face was priceless. (It's on YouTube, but last time I checked, it was only available dubbed in Spanish.)
12 February 2008
7 hours 58 min
Great list, Jamey. #1 was the ultimate ki. LMAO!
25 November 2008
9 hours 55 min
Great list, Jamey! Your number one really had me laughing! Reading this list left me scratching my head wondering what some of these casting directors were smoking. Obviouly, Y&R's casting director is on something because the only recasting he/she has gotten right is Billy Miller.
Even though Nicole Forrestor had the blond hair and looked simialr to Laura Wright, she was very much wrong for the part. I alo agree with other poster's picks of Christina Chamber and Jennifer Branford.
I have only been watching OLTL for about 2 years, so it stunned me to find out that Blair's "father" is Asian. WTF? Even though she is popular now, that had to be a shocking cast change at the time.
20 May 2009
17 hours 5 min
I watched AW post-Alicia Coppola, so I always loved the turbulent relationship that RC and LD generated. Since you're talking in terms of appearance, I understand, but in terms of acting ability, it was a successful recast. Especially, since ABC Daytime recreated that dynamic on all four of its soap operas.
14 November 2009
10 weeks 5 days
I think it is unfair to call Josh Taylor's Roman a failure...He has great chemistry with Kate and has good father-daugther chemistry with Sami, yes-Wayne was the better Roman but to call JT'S Version a failure is a little off base.
17 February 2009
3 hours 51 min
Jamey... you rock! I was scrolling through the pages one by one and I thought...I bet they won't mention the craziest recast in Soap History...Joan Crawford.
IT WAS YOUR NUMBER ONE!!! I LOVE YOU!!! Made me LOL!
I would like to add Jacob Young and Greg Vaughan to disastrous recasts in the role of Lucky Spencer. I would have been perfectly satisfied knowing Lucky was alive and out there somewhere than to have to suffer through 10 years with these 2 in the role. In just a few short weeks Jonathan Jackson is making me love Lucky again when I thought that was impossible.
On a positive note...I loved SJB in the role of Carly so I was a little leary when TB came on board but in very little time she won me over. I don't ever remember wishing SJB was back while TB was playing her. I loved them both but TB managed to create her own Carly niche without taking away from the character SJB had created while at the same time adding new and more interesting dimensions to Carly.
BTW...Luke I like the new format. It seems more user friendly and seems to have a lot more features. Thanks for all you do!
22 January 2008
3 hours 56 min
Thanks for the love guys, it is sooo hard picking just 10, so I was worried I would leave a big one off (Like Dennis Parlato as Roger on GL, Doh!) Glad y'all are going easy on a brutha! LOL
5 December 2008
4 weeks 5 days
Great List, Jamey
You know your stuff!!!
20 February 2009
4 hours 34 min
Jamey, have to agree on recasting African Americans, glad to see Darius getting work, but he and Shemar are not running into each other at auditons. Maybe Bryton put in a good word. Anyway, this list is a good start but I would love a longer list and a reverse list: best recasts.
BTW, I'm not sure I'll ever get over the Mia Korf thing.
5 March 2009
1 day 21 hours
Fantastic list, Jamey! Number 1 is just scary. You made me think of some recasts that were not worthy of the Top Ten but one came to mind that stands out for me. The recast of Meg Ryan's Betsy Andropoulus(sp?) on As The World Turns. That actress was ten feet taller than Ryan! LOL
23 November 2008
2 weeks 1 day
How about tall blonde Walt Willey replacing short dark Roscoe Born on Ryan's Hope? I loved them both!!
1 July 2008
3 weeks 3 days
Good list, Jamey.
I was very curious when The Young & the Restless made the choice to recast the role of Keesha, Nathan Hasting's HIV-Positive mistress. Y&R replaced the biracial Wanda Acuna with the Caucasian Jennifer Gatti - who was the original Dinah Marler on Guiding Light. Plus, Wanda Acuna portrayed Keesha with a bitchy, sex-kittenish style, while Jennifer's portrayal was more rough and tumble. Jennifer's lackluster performance made it quite easy for me to bid the character farewell when Keesha was written off the show.
2 January 2008
3 days 17 hours
Have to agree with Jamey about the Roman thing (and the other Top 10 as well). I am in the minority but I never cared about Marlena and John. Loved Marlena and the REAL Roman. And I still see Chris Kositchek whenever Josh Taylor is on screen. They should bring Wayne Northrop back and then make Ken Corday's BFF Chris Kositchek again.
How about John Ingle as Mickey Horton? Love him as Ed Q but that marriage to Bonnie Lockhart (aka Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis) was ridiculous.
And Krista Allen was never Billie Reed for me after Lisa Rinna left.
Clementine Ford as Mac.
The Anna recast when Finola Hughes left GH in the 80s. She was replaced by that actress who played Gillian on DAYS.
Then there were all the Dawn recasts on GH...so many that they had to finally kill off the character.
Have not accepted NL as Emily Q; Amber Tamblyn's Emily had a lot of fire whereas NL made her sugar incarnate.
There was Jacob Young as un-Lucky. Liked GV better but they totally ruined the character with the writing.
Yes, I know NL and JY won Emmys. Go figure.
Have you done a Best Recasts list lately?
18 September 2009
1 week 5 days
Great list Jamey!
But you forgot one of your favorite characters (and one of mine) Victoria Hudson Frame Harrison McKinnon! Even though Ellen originated the role, both recasts (Jensen Buchanan & Anne Heche) were hugely popular with the fans. Or Victoria Wyndham who replaced Robin Strasser as Rachel on AW. Or Rusell Todd and Laurence Lau as recasts of Jamie Frame (despite them being younger than what Jamie should've been). Or Mark Pinter as Grant on AW. If any cast had the best recasts it was AW. Their recasts were superb no show can touch AW when it came to recasting.
22 October 2009
11 hours 59 min
I'm surprised you guys didn't add RKK to this list. Robert Keller-Kelly was used for Bo Brady for 3 years. Then he went to GH and became Starvos for a year as well.
23 July 2008
1 hour 18 min
Ellen Wheeler coming back to play Marley while Jensen played Vicky was pretty insane. Sure they explained why the identical twins now looked completely different but what the hell caused the growth spurt. lol.
23 July 2008
1 hour 18 min
cheryl, I think Jamey's list is more about recasts that were very different physically from the actors they were replacing. Robert and Peter look VERY similar.