TV Shows That Recast Characters: ‘Riverdale,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘The O.C.’ and More

Credit: YouTube; Jack Rowand/The CW; Shutterstock (3); YouTube; HBO Max (2)

TV Shows That Recast Characters: ‘Riverdale,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘The O.C.’ and More

Made you look! TV shows may come and go, but what about characters … can they be replaced? Technically, yes. In some cases, a casting change happens before fans even notice there’s a difference. Other shows, poke fun at the fact that an actor has left the show and they’ve added a new person in their place. Following season 1 of Riverdale, the CW was forced to recast the role of Reggie Mantle when actor Ross Butler had a conflict with the filming schedule. “We love what Ross did with the role of Reggie, but because of his commitments to other projects, we couldn’t use him nearly as much as we would have liked,” series creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said in a statement to TVLine in April 2017. Charles Melton filled the football player’s shoes beginning season 2. In the case of The O.C., some fans remember Big Little Lies star Shailene Woodley as Marissa Cooper’s (Mischa Barton) little sister Kaitlin Cooper, but others think of Willa Holland when they recall the early ‘00s drama. “Shailene was really, really young when she was on the show,” creator Josh Schwartz recalled in a Huffington Post interview in August 2013. “She was great in all of her scenes and we always loved her.” By the end of season 1, however, Woodley’s Kaitlin was off at boarding school, and when she returned in season 3, Holland took over the role in order to better fit the character’s age. [jwplayer tV7N8JYT-l3ahXupL] “The version of Kaitlin Cooper that we were going to bring back to the show was a little bit older than Shailene would’ve been able to achieve on her own and was kind of a very different character, which Willa was great for,” Schwartz explained. “But obviously, Shailene is super talented and it’s awesome to see her take off.” Comedy classics, Seinfeld and Friends also saw minor character switch-ups. Both Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) and George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) fathers were changed after their initial appearances. Meanwhile, Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer) ex-wife, Carol, was played by Anita Barone when fans were first introduced to her. Jane Sibbett played her, however, in every other episode. Some casting replacements are due to disputes between actors, as was the case on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. According to Janet Hubert-Whitten, who played the show’s original Aunt Viv, Will Smith (who played Will) wanted to “replace her and act like nothing happened.” She told omg! Insider in 2013 that she “felt demonized and beaten up and crucified for many, many years, no one came forward in my defense.” After an ongoing feud with Smith and other costars, the actress left the comedy in 1993 and was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Scroll down to see which of your favorite TV characters were originally played by someone else, including ones from That ‘70s Show, Roseanne and Boy Meets World. [podcast_block]

Credit: Disney/John Medland; Dean Buscher/The CW

'Superman & Lois'

Australian actor Michael Bishop took over the role of Jonathan Kent in Season 3 of the CW show after Jordan Elsass’ departure.

“It’s been a tough few weeks, as you might imagine, with everything going on with the show,” Elsass, who played the role of Superman's son for the first two seasons, said in a video recorded for a fan via Cameo in August 2022. “It’s sad, it’s a real shame. I know that I was pumped for season 3, for sure, but what are you going to do? Anyway, mental health is definitely 100-percent priority. It’s pinnacle. It’s got to take precedence. And mine has been … the last couple of years … it’s been rough.”

He continued: “I’m still debating whether I’m even going to act for a while. I may go in a different direction. I know that’s definitely going to be disappointing to some people.”

Viewers got their first look at Bishop as Jonathan in a January 2023 trailer for new episodes.

Credit: Shutterstock; Jay Maidment/Netflix

'The Witcher'

Henry Cavill played Geralt of Rivia in the first three seasons of the Netflix hit, but he confirmed he'd step down in an October 2022 statement. “In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf," Cavill said in a statement at the time. "As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”

Credit: Lionsgate; Shutterstock

'Step Up'

In February 2021, the Starz series announced that Christina Milian will take over the role of Collette when the show returns for its third season. The role was originally played by Naya Rivera, who died in July 2020 at age 33 following a drowning accident.

Credit: Netflix (2)

'Arrested Development'

Throughout the comedy, it was a running joke that Ann Veal (originally played by Alessandra Torresani) was forgettable. So, when the show swapped Mae Whitman into the role in season 2, fans didn’t think much of it.

Credit: YouTube (2)

'Boy Meets World'

Eric (Will Friedle) and Cory Matthews’ (Ben Savage) little sister, Morgan, was initially played by Lily Nicksay before she left the show in 1995 after season 2. When Lindsay Ridgeway appeared in her place in season 3, she joked that she’d had “the longest timeout ever.”

Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock; ox Tv/Seth Macfarlane/Kobal/Shutterstock; GEORGE FREY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

'Family Guy'

Although the character of Meg Griffin has always looked the same on Family Guy, she’s been voiced by two actresses. Lacey Chabert voiced the character from 1999 to 2000, before Mila Kunis came onboard.

Credit: NBC/Stuffed Dog/Quincy Jones Ent/Kobal/Shutterstock (2)

'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'

After three seasons of playing Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Janet Hubert-Whitten was fired from the show. According to multiple outlets, there was a feud with the show’s lead, Will Smith. “There will never be a reunion, as I will never do anything with an ass like Will Smith,” Hubert-Whitten told TMZ in 2011. “This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn’t know the word.”

Smith acknowledged the issues between the two in a 1993 radio interview, saying, "I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show because I know she is going to dog me in the press. She has basically gone from a quarter of a million dollars a year to nothing. She's mad now but she's been mad all along.” Her role was filled by Daphne Maxwell Reid.

Credit: HBO Max (2)

'Friends'

Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer) wife, Carol, who divorced him after falling in love with a woman, is a memorable character on Friends. The actress who played her, however, wasn’t always the same person. When Ross discovered he was going to be a father in a 1994 episode — and fans first met Carol — she was portrayed by Anita Barone. Throughout the rest of the show, she was played by Jane Sibbett.

Credit: YouTube; Elisabeth Caren/FOX

'Last Man Standing'

When the comedy first aired in 2011, the Baxters' eldest daughter, Kristin, was played by Alexandra Krosney. In season 2, the character began being portrayed by Amanda Fuller.

Credit: YouTube; Michael Becker/FOX

'Last Man Standing'

Nick Jonas briefly played Ryan Vogelson, the father of Kristin Baxter’s (Amanda Fuller) child, on Last Man Standing before Jordan Masterson took over the role.

Credit: Amazon Prime (2)

'Monk'

Melora Hardin is remembered by most Monk fans as Adrian Monk’s (Tony Shalhoub) late wife, Trudy, but she wasn’t the only actress to fill the role. Seasons 1 and 2 featured Stellina Rusich as the detective’s love.

Credit: HBO Max; ERIC MCCANDLESS/FREEFORM

'Pretty Little Liars'

In the pilot episode of Pretty Little Liars, Toby Cavanaugh was called Toby Marshall and was played by James Neate. He was replaced by Keegan Allen, who portrayed the character of Spencer Hastings’ (Troian Bellisario) love interest the rest of the series.

Credit: Netflix (2)

'Private Practice'

Before Audra McDonald took on the role of Dr. Naomi Bennett on Private Practice in 2007, Merrin Dungey played Addison Montgomery’s (Kate Walsh) college BFF on Grey’s Anatomy. When the spinoff began, however, McDonald portrayed the fertility specialist.

Credit: YouTube; Jack Rowand/The CW

'Riverdale'

When Riverdale premiered in 2017, football star Reggie Mantle was played by Ross Butler. Butler ultimately walked away from the series ahead of season 2 because he was also starring on 13 Reasons Why. Charles Melton then joined the cast and has played the role ever since.

Credit: YouTube; Moviestore/Shutterstock; ABC/Robert Trachtenberg (inset)

'Roseanne'

For five seasons, Lecy Goranson played Becky Conner on Roseanne. She left the show in 1993 to go to college and was replaced by Sarah Chalke. Goranson briefly returned to the show in 1996, before leaving again and being replaced by Chalke for a second time. Both actresses appeared in the show’s reboot in 2018, with Goranson reprising Becky and the Scrubs alum playing a rich woman who hired Becky to be her surrogate. The pair also appeared in the show’s second revival, The Conners.

Credit: YouTube (2)

'Seinfeld'

Fans might notice that the first season of Seinfeld features a different layout for Jerry’s (Jerry Seinfeld) apartment, among other big changes — like a totally different actor as his father, Morty Seinfeld. The character was initially portrayed by Phil Bruns before Barney Martin filled his shoes.

Credit: YouTube (2)

'Seinfeld'

Jerry Stiller’s portrayal of Frank Costanza earned him an Emmy nomination, but the character’s first appearance featured John Randolph in the role. After Stiller landed the role of George’s (Jason Alexander) father for the remainder of the series, creator Larry David had him re-shoot Frank’s first scenes to keep it consistent in syndication.

Credit: YouTube; Cliff Lipson/SHOWTIME

'Shameless'

Mandy Milkovich was originally played by Jane Levy on Shameless. In season 2, Emma Greenwell took over the role until the character was written off the show in 2016.

Credit: CBS; Diyah Pera/The CW

'Supergirl'

Smallville alum Erica Durance stepped in for Laura Benanti in 2017 as Kara Danvers’ (Melissa Benoist) late mother, Alura Zor-El, on the CW series Supergirl. Benanti portrayed both Alura and her twin sister Astra throughout season 1 and into season 2, before Astra was killed off due to the actress' Broadway schedule.

Credit: Netflix (2)

'That 70s Show'

Christina Moore took over the role of Laurie Forman on That ‘70s Show in season 6 after Lisa Robin Kelly walked away from the series. Kelly later told ABC News that she was “guilty of a drinking problem” at the time and that she “ran” from the show. Kelly died in 2013 at the age of 43 after checking into a treatment center for substance abuse issues.

Credit: HBO Max; Michael Levine/FOX

'The O.C.'

In season 1 of The O.C., Shailene Woodley played Kaitlin Cooper, Marisa Cooper’s (Mischa Barton) little sister. Willa Holland replaced the actress in season 3, because according to creator Josh Schwartz, “The version of Kaitlin Cooper that we were going to bring back to the show was a little bit older than Shailene would’ve been able to achieve on her own and was kind of a very different character.”

Photo Editor: Liz Abts