Jennifer Parker (‘Back to the Future’)
Elisabeth Shue replaced Claudia Wells as Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, in “Back to the Future II” because Wells was caring for her gravely ill mother. Shue also played Jennifer in the third movie.
Becky Conner (‘Roseanne’)
The role of Becky Conner on ABC’s hit sitcom “Roseanne” was recast when the original actress playing her, Lecy Goranson, went off to college. Sarah Chalke stepped into the role, though Goranson also returned later. In the “Roseanne” revival, Goranson played Becky and Chalke played another character.
Danny Tanner (‘Full House’)
Although he’s well known for the role today, Bob Saget didn’t always play Danny Tanner on “Full House.” The pilot was originally filmed with actor John Posey in the role. He was recast with Saget in 1987 after the studio decided Saget was a better fit. Posey, meanwhile, has gone on to have a solid acting career, with recurring parts in popular shows like “ER” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Sookie St. James (‘Gilmore Girls’)
Alex Borstein played the original Sookie St. James on the unaired pilot of “Gilmore Girls.” But she was replaced by Melissa McCarthy in the picked-up series because Borstein had a conflict with her “MADtv” schedule. Borstein did go on to have cameos on the beloved show, though.
Aunt Viv on (‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’)
Janet Hubert did not leave the role of Aunt Vivian “Viv” Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” without a fuss. She allegedly did not get along with her fellow cast members, particularly Will Smith. Daphne Reid replaced her in the fourth season of the show.
Shrek (‘Shrek’)
Chris Farley had almost completed recording the title voice for the movie “Shrek” when he died in 1997. Mike Myers, a friend of the late actor from their “Saturday Night Live” days, ended up replacing Farley as the iconic character before the film was released in 2001.
The Doctor (‘Dr. Who’)
The classic British TV show has had no fewer than 13 actors playing the Doctor since the show started in 1963. William Hartnell was the first Doctor Who. Jodie Whittaker is the current doctor, and the first woman to play the role. The recasting of the main role is built into “Dr. Who” with the Time Lord able to transform physical form.
James Bond
Similar to “Dr. Who,” the James Bond movies has a long tradition of recasting its main character. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, most recently, Daniel Craig have all played Bond. With Craig about to embark on his final adventure as Agent 007 in 2020, it remains to be seen how they’ll handle casting for the next set of movies.
Queen Elizabeth II (‘The Crown’)
Claire Foy did an admirable and award-winning job as Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of Netflix’s “The Crown.” But as the character ages into middle age in season three, Oscar winner Olivia Colman will step into the role for a couple seasons before she’s replaced by an older actor for the monarch’s later years.
About The Delite
Somtimes it can feel like the world is full of negative news. Luckily, there is still a lot of good in the world. There are amazing people doing incredible things. Our goal is to help showcase some of these positive, inspiring stories in order to bring a smile to your face.