Ever remember watching one of your favorite sitcoms and suddenly realizing that the people you remembered seeing suddenly seem different? You might have kept watching thinking that this new person was someone that had been added in for some reason but eventually you discovered that this person is now playing the role of the actor that you’d grown used to. Shows switch up characters with an alarming frequency at times and much of it has to do with money, timing, and whether or not the actor really wants to be on the show any longer, or if anyone on the show really wants them there.
Here are several substitutions that were made midway through a series.
Becky – Roseanne
This became a back and forth jumble that turned into a giant mess as the original actress first went off to college and had no time for the show. Then once the new girl was put in the original actress suddenly had time. So she was put back in only to realize that now she had no time again. Fans noticed the constant switch and weren’t too happy.
The Mountain – Game of Thrones
It’s almost as though the Mountain got younger, grew more hair, and seriously bulked up from his first appearance to his current one. Plus, being older than Sandor it’s odd how the actor playing the Hound looks so much older now.
Aunt Vivian – Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Word has it that the original Aunt Viv and Will Smith were having issues on the set so the actress opted not to renew her contract. Her replacement was pretty good but didn’t have the presence of her predecessor.
Crabbe – Harry Potter
This is pretty much a replacement instead of a substitute since the actor that played Crabbe was arrested for drug charges and let go after it was discovered that he’d taken part in a riot. Not the best idea when you want to keep your job.
Kaitlin – The O.C.
This was kind of what you would call a switcheroo since it was an obvious replacement and the only reason that it was allowed was that the character went off to boarding school and then came back.
Lily – Modern Family
A lot of people didn’t even notice this one. Take that as you will but this was done more out of convenience and personal choice, of the parents, than anything else.
Laurie – That 70’s Show
The rumor was that the original actress was let go due to her drinking problem, which was never a big surprise. Unfortunately she passed away a decade after she was released, but her replacement did a pretty good job.
Meg (voice) – Family Guy
A lot of people don’t even seem to mind that Meg’s voice changed after season 1. It just became widely known that Mila Kunis was in fact the voice of Meg, and season 1 became a side note.
Reggie – Riverdale
It took real fans of the show to realize that the star had been replaced since the actor stepping into the role looked so much like the original. This replacement was due largely to time constraints between the filming of one show and another.
Jesus Foster – The Foster’s
This was another role that was switched when the character went to boarding school. Unfortunately the differences are a little to great to be forgiven.
Carol – Friends
It seems kind of cheap that the woman that fit the role first wasn’t considered to be worthy of a recurring appearance, even though her character was.
Miss Ellie – Dallas
The original actress declined to work during the recovery stage of a bypass surgery but would eventually come back when asked to do so.
Luke and Bo – Dukes of Hazzard
Sometimes it’s all about the money. The original stars were trying to get their contracts renegotiated and initially the studio said no. They tried to bring in someone to replace the Duke’s but the ratings took a heavy hit and so the studio worked out the contract negotiations.
Marilyn – The Munsters
The original actress actually broke her contract and was banned from the studio for about five years. The reason she broke the contract was to move to New York and get married. Sadly enough she was divorced by the time the ban was lifted.
John-Boy – The Waltons
There are just some characters you don’t try to replace. Write them out or maybe give their character an arch that sees them going off on their own, but if the actor decides it’s time to call it quits then the character needs to go with them.
Do studios really think fans won’t notice this?
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