Casting shakeups and recasts happen more often than you’d think—that’s show business! But that doesn’t make it any easier to see some of our favorite series’ actors get the boot. Below, we’ve rounded up eight of television’s most surprising recasts in everything from “Batman” to shows like “Game of Thrones” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
“Sense8,” Capheus
News of this recasting just broke last week, so details behind the unexpected shift for Capheus are still murky. British actor Aml Ameen will no longer be a lead player on Season 2, as he’s been replaced by recent MFA acting grad Toby Onwumere. Ameen starred as Capheus, a Kenyan man caring for his AIDS-suffering mother and one of the eight series stars who are telepathically linked. It’s been widely reported that there were tensions between Ameen and series’ co-creator, director, and executive producer Lana Wachowski during a table read and then while filming in India.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Vivian Banks
Lovingly called “Aunt Viv,” this fan favorite character from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was abruptly recast after three seasons from Janet Hubert to Daphne Maxwell Reid. The lore behind this recasting remains to this day as a he-said, she-said between NBC, Will Smith, and the dismissed Hubert.
“Game of Thrones,” Daario Naharis
Actor Ed Skrein has little to complain about now that he’s starred in “Deadpool” alongside Ryan Reynolds, but the British actor’s departure from “Game of Thrones” after Season 3 still has us scratching our heads. He debuted towards season’s end as Daario Naharis, a skilled fighter and eventually lover of Daenerys Targaryen. Come Season 4, however, Skrein was out and Dutch actor Michiel Huisman was in! What gives? It was eventually chalked up to off-camera “politics.” You win some, you lose some, Eddie!
“Roseanne,” Becky Conner
When it came time for actor Lecy Goranson, who played Becky Conner on the long-running and much beloved “Roseanne,” to go to college, she dropped the script and picked up the textbooks. Goranson left in the series’ fifth season and was replaced by Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”)—until she came back to play Becky on Season 8, that is. Then she left again for the ninth and final season. It’s a daughter flip-flop that even Roseanne Barr found funny, cheekily making a reference to “Bewitched” (also famous for recasting Darrin Stephens) on her own multi-cam comedy.
“Bewitched,” Darrin Stephens
That brings us Darrin Stephens of “Bewitched,” who was originally played by Dick York for five years before Dick Sargent took over from 1969–1972. As husband to protagonist witch Samantha, York became a household name and an audience favorite through the hit sitcom’s run. When a years-long back injury eventually forced him to quit, he handed the baton to Sargent who continued through the series’ final three seasons.
“That ’70s Show,” Laurie Forman
Sometimes, a recast is simply out of the creators’ hands. The late Lisa Robin Kelly first joined the cast of “That ’70s Show” on Season 1 as Grace’s notoriously promiscuous older sister, Laurie. Due to the actor’s off-camera battle with addiction, she left after Season 2 as her Laurie went to college, then returned for Season 5. Then, come Season 6, the role was recast and given to Christina Moore.
“Batman,” Catwoman
With a franchise like “Batman” and an iconic character like Catwoman, audiences will of course be subject to various incarnations. With the “Batman” TV series in the late ’60s, two ladies slid into the skin-tight cat suit. First was Julie Newmar, who played Selina Kyle and her masked alter ego Catwoman for 13 episodes. Then the iconic Eartha Kitt took over for the series’ last lap in 1967.
“The Munsters,” Marilyn Munster
Through this CBS black-and-white sitcom’s run, Marilyn Munster was played by two different actors, then a third and fourth came on for the franchise’s movies! Beverly Owen first filled the monstrous shoes before leaving on her own accord. Actor (and, conveniently, Owen lookalike) Pat Priest then took over for the remainder of the television series. But when it came time to film “Munster, Go Home!” the role was snagged by the then on-the-rise talent Debbie Watson. Then “The Munsters’ Revenge” in 1981 brought in Jo McDonnell.
Need some acting tips? Watch below:
Inspired by this post? Check out our audition listings!