20 times a major TV role was recast while filming

Janet Hubert’s misgivings with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are well-documented. While it’s jarring to suddenly see someone else playing Aunt Viv, the series would’ve suffered from the character being written out of the show. Strangely, recasting the part was the best option. 

Friends, like many sitcoms, took a little bit to find its footing truly, and including finding the right person to play Carol, apparently. The first time audiences met Ross’ ex-wife, she was played by a different actress than she was for the rest of the episodes she appeared in. Jane Sibbett played the role for the remainder of the series.  

It’s not uncommon for a child to get recast during filming, especially when they’re not in the show a tremendous amount. Still, it was a very obvious change when Cole and Dylan Sprouse started playing Ben in Friends. 

In the pilot episode of Gossip Girl, Eleanor Waldorf was played by a different woman than she was for the rest of the series. The casting change made a huge difference, though. We can’t imagine anyone other than Margaret Colin playing Blair’s icy mother. 

Parenthood had a successful run in the 2010s, and it’s hard to picture the cast without Lauren Graham. But before Graham was cast as Sarah Braverman, the role was occupied by Maura Tierney. Tierney had to quit to undergo cancer treatments. 

It’s too expensive to re-film pilot episodes, but it seems like some shows would’ve been better off doing so after recasting major characters. In Pretty Little Liars, Toby Cavanaugh was portrayed by James Neate. The role was recast to feature Keegan Allen for the rest of the series. 

Jason DiLaurentis in Pretty Little Liars was first portrayed by Parker Bagley. However, the series began including the character of Jason more and more, and it needed an actor who was available, so the part was recast with Drew Van Acker. 

The Night King was first played by Richard Brake, but after season five, the role was continued by Vladimir Furdik. Of all the roles to be replaced, this was by far the least conspicuous due to the nature of the role. The character is made to look unrealistic. A computer could’ve replaced him, and viewers probably wouldn’t have noticed.  

It’s not often that an actor is cast, recast, and then cast again for the same part, but such is the case for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in Full House. John Stamos had the twins fired for crying too much, but when the new babies cried even more, Stamos wanted the Olsens back. 

Gordon in Sesame Street might seem like a familiar face now, but he hasn’t always been. The role was originated by Matt Robinson, taken over by Hal Miller, and continued by Roscoe Orman since season six. 

Jane the Virgin had lots of epic plot twists that were addressed onscreen, but one that the cast didn’t discuss was the recasting of Mateo. It made sense, though. The show jumped ahead in time, and it needed an older kid. 

Mandy Milkovich in Shameless was first played by Jane Levy. After the first season, Levy left the series to do other acting work, leaving the role open for Emma Greenwell to play. Levy did find other work, including the titular role in the series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. 

Meg in Family Guy was originally voiced by Lacy Chabert, best known for her role as Gretchen in Mean Girls. Chabert dropped out, and the role became Mila Kunis’. Kunis has stated how she can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want that gig, noting that the money, hours, and workload are all great. 

Ross Butler first played Riverdale’s Reggie, but due to his role on 13 Reasons Why, he had to quit. Charles Melton took over the role, which proved very good for his career. Melton has since found work in successful projects like Poker Face and May December. 

Ann in Arrested Development wasn’t always played by Mae Whitman, but true to the character, the switch from one actress to another wasn’t the most noticeable shift. But to Whitman’s credit, she made that character more memorable than she otherwise would’ve been. 

The role of Bobby Draper in Mad Men was recast multiple times. First, the role was played by Maxwell Huckabee, then Aaron Hart, followed by Jared S. Gilmore, and ended with Mason Vale Cotton. We’re just glad Jon Hamm was never recast. 

Santino Fontana originally played Greg in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but when the character returned, he was instead played by Skylar Astin. The show addressed the change in its funny, meta way, which was equal parts odd and refreshing. 

When Lily became a more prominent character in Modern Family, they tapped a new child actor for the role. There’s a darling behind-the-scenes video of Aubrey Anderson-Emmons on set for the first time, telling the other actors she’d seen them on Modern Family. 

The role of Morgan in Boy Meets World started with Lily Nicksay and ended with Lindsay Ridgeway. While Nicksay did a great job, the showrunners sensed that she wasn’t happy during filming, and they decided to recast the role. 

The pilot of Private Practice was filmed with Merrin Dungey playing Naomi. When the show was picked up, Broadway star Audra McDonald was recast in the role. The Emmy- and Tony-winning actress played the role for the rest of the series.