Discuss: When Characters Are Recast
Filed under: Casting, Fandom, James Bond, Harry Potter, Remakes and Sequels
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This summer may be confusing to some less blog-literate moviegoers thanks to two recast roles. In both The Dark Knight and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a prominent character is played by a new actress. In the former sequel, "Rachel Dawes" will be played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes, who had the role in Batman Begins. In the latter, "Eveyln Carnahan O'Connell" will be played by Maria Bello, subbing for Rachel Weisz, who appeared in both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.
This certainly isn't the first time characters have been recast with different actors, and over at The Onion, the A.V. Club has listed 20 such memorably jarring switcheroos, which they're calling The Darrin Effect (after the famous character replacement on TV's Bewitched), in television and film. Surely everyone recalls when Sarah Chalke took over the part of "Becky" on Roseanne; the writers even occasionally even slipped in some reflexive jokes about it. And let's not forget the glaring problem of recasting Jodie Foster's Oscar-winning role of "Clarice Starling" -- Julianne Moore played the part in Hannibal. Or the tragic yet surprisingly respectable replacement of Michael Gambon for a deceased Richard Harris in the Harry Potter movies.
A few of the A.V. Club's picks, though, don't technically fit, in my opinion. The change from Billy Dee Williams to Tommy Lee Jones as "Harvey Dent"/"Two-Face" in the Batman movies? I never think of Joel Schumacher's installments to be in the same universe as Tim Burton's (even if some actors, such as Michael Gough remained throughout), but even if you do, considering all the different actors portraying "Bruce Wayne"/"Batman", where's the big deal in recasting another part? Similarly, if in The Dark Knight, Wayne/Batman were played by someone other than Christian Bale, the switch from Holmes to Gyllenhaal wouldn't be as significant.
I also had a minor issue with the claim that "Kitty Pryde"/"Shadowcat" appeared by name in all of the X-Men films, but then I recalled that a character is called "Kitty" in the first movie. And I always had a forgiveness for the recasting of the Griswold children in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, because I always thought about the other franchises with recast roles, such as the James Bond films. But wait, that actually just means that the A.V. Club should have included the many actors who've played Bond -- nope, they've got an explanation why not, too, even if the same rule should also exclude the Harvey Dent/Two-Face switch.
Personally, I think there should have been some mention of lesser sequels that recast roles, such as Splash Too (at least recently deceased Dody Goodman got to retain her role), the Tammy and the Bachelor followers and The Sting II. I guess because they weren't widely seen, they weren't so jarring.
Has there ever been a recast that was just too jarring for you to fully accept?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-14-2008 @ 8:25PM
gs942002 said...
In my opinion, it pisses me off when they do that.
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7-14-2008 @ 8:31PM
Tony said...
Surprised not to see the Back to the Future movies on the list, seeing as how Marty's dad and girlfriend changed from the first movie to the second two.
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7-15-2008 @ 12:42AM
Christopher Campbell said...
See, now, that one is so non-jarring that I always forget about it. And I actually hate Elizabeth Shue's wide-eyed "i'm as surprised to be in these sequels as you are to see me in them" style of acting when I'm actually watching Part II. As for the George McFly recast, that's hardly noticeable, which is why Crispin Glover had good reason to be pissed.
7-14-2008 @ 8:45PM
victor de la torre said...
Why do you consider Joel Schumacher's "Batman forever" to be in a different universe from Burton's installments if the latter filmmaker was actually responsible for being one of it's producers?
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7-15-2008 @ 12:43AM
Christopher Campbell said...
I guess because they're so different in tone. And because of the changes in Batman portayers, too. I did use the word "universe" intentionally to differentiate between that and "series."
7-15-2008 @ 12:47AM
victor de la torre said...
touché
7-15-2008 @ 12:18AM
Jackryan said...
The entire Bond franchise is guilty of the same thing.
Look at all the Moneypennies, Felix Leiters, Blowfields, Ms, and Bonds they went through.
Arguably it's kind of expected when you need to hone in on what works and what doesn't.
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7-14-2008 @ 10:52PM
Riley Freeman said...
maggie g i dont like. i dont tthink katie holmes is attractive and they got worse with maggie. the female lead should be hot. neither of the 2 were.
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7-14-2008 @ 11:12PM
Se7en said...
there was a "Splash, Too"???
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7-15-2008 @ 12:48AM
Christopher Campbell said...
Yep, and it makes no sense in relation to the original. It's almost like a bad pilot to a Bewitched sort of TV series spinoff.
7-15-2008 @ 12:11AM
scotty said...
With the Vacation movies, I think it became an in-joke (after the first sequel) that the kids were not only recast but became younger with each following sequel. If they manage to produce another Vacation movie, the Griswald kids will probably be in elementary school.
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7-15-2008 @ 1:06AM
Mike said...
Rusty and Audrey are not younger in each movie. Just looking at Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation, Ethan Embry was obviously older than Johny Galecki.
Which sibling is older, Audrey or Rusty, does change from film to film. And they are never beyond their teen years.
My dislike of European Vacation is largely tied to my hatred for the actors cast as Rusty and Audrey.
7-15-2008 @ 1:28AM
Christopher Campbell said...
Totally agree on the European Vacation kids. Especially Dana Hill. I was always reminded of her mentally challenged role in a CBS Schoolbreak Special called "Welcome Home, Jellybean." But mostly the overeating scene just made her look gross. After Dana Barron (who I never knew reprises her role for the Cousin Eddie movie), she was a real disappointment.
7-15-2008 @ 2:18AM
aaron said...
they switched moms on the fresh prince...remember that.
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7-15-2008 @ 3:08AM
scott said...
so ruins the continuity for me. The Mummy is not the same without Weisz and Maggie is no Rachel Dawes like Katie Holmes. Katie sweetened it up unlike Maggie who's slutty and over the face feisty. Jodie Foster made Agent Starling so real for me too.
And come on..this is Batman his girls are hot not looking like the Joker.
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7-15-2008 @ 11:23AM
vi said...
The Miami Vice recast for the movie was so awful. VH-1 did a segment on why tv and movie recasts are a bad move and I recall they said the most successful recast ever was the dog,Lassie. LOL!!!!
Im only acceptant of recasts when the actor/actress dies.
007 and Batman I suppose its ingrained in me the franchise must go on hence the recasts. BUT overall recasts takes me out of the movie and its so soap opera lame for my taste.
On the Batman Holmes situation, like Nolan Im disappointed Katie left because I have a hard time believing two men are battling over Gyllenhaal.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a109180/dark-knight-helmer-unhappy-with-holmes.html?imdb
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7-15-2008 @ 7:08AM
Jim said...
This is a slightly different twist on this subject, but I hate it when they try to keep a TV series going even when the lead actor - the most important actor - moves on. Case in point, Northern Exposure. There was zero reason to keep that series going after Rob Morrow (Dr. Fleischman) left. I was/am a HUGE fan of the first four or so seasons of that show, but man did that change turn me off. That, and the way David Chase came in and made 'The Sopranos in Cicely' (it was pretty damn obvious back then that David Chase was itching to do an Italian TV series).
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7-15-2008 @ 7:49AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
Katie Holmes: Infinitely Hotter (in 2005, anyway)
Maggie G: Infinitely better actress!
But for the most part, I think fanboys are interested in "hotter." It's called "Batman," not "Assistant DA!"
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7-15-2008 @ 9:09AM
ML said...
In the case of Batman, Holmes was so forgettable, that I simply don't care. In most TV series, it's a huge problem. Usually it's the case that for some reason the actor is not available (even if it's a stupid contract dispute); then they have to decide whether the character is indispensable. Either way, the way they handle things risks the wrath of the fans. I'm pretty forgiving about it, but most fans are not.
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7-15-2008 @ 11:38AM
Logan said...
I despise recasts because its insulting. Maggie or Katie hands down Katie Holmes both the looks and acting. Damsels in distress are not Oscar calibers.
Katie is hot 2005 but she looked young.
Now she is hotter because she's more of a woman.
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