To Recast or To Not: That is The Question!

[GHScorpiosRule]

Nolan North needs to be on this show. He would be an awesome find. I love his work.

 

Wellllll, he's already been on this show. Okay, okay, it was The Nurses Ball crossover with Port Charles in Port Charles' first season. But yeah, I don't see why he couldn't reprise his role. IF I were still watching. AND IF someone else were running this show.

[jsbt]

Nolan North has a very steady voice acting career now and has spoken pretty disparagingly of his time on soaps, IIRC. He's a superstar for gaming now. I heard the same about his being up for that role at the time, though; that or one similar. I personally would've always seen Chris Ramsey.

 

Dylan Neal must have been desperate.

[ulkis]

Also, I believe Tequan Richmond was hired in summer or fall of 2012, well after Frank arrived.

 

 

Yup, it was in summer.

 

Mark Teschner is an excellent casting director, but no one is perfect so maybe he really liked Jimmy's audition.

 

 

I definitely think Frank is interfering, but Mark has definitely hired a couple of dire people before. When Garin Wolf was writing all the newbies hired were pretty awful. Maggie, Steve Webber's ex-girlfriend - she was horrendous. Delores Padilla, the cop who was Dante's partner - she was loosening up a bit but that was only in comparison to how downright horrible she was at first. Lady in White-, dear lord. Although imdb has her with quite a few jobs post GH so maybe it was just that no one could make that train wreck of a character work. Ewen the evil psychiatrist sheep farmer was okay, but that was pretty much his limit: okay.

[Chairperson Meow]

Can we just get the damn Jason recast over with? I have a headache with the anvils.

At this point, I'll take almost anything.

[Ambrosefolly]

UYI Carly Schroeder is working regularly, but not high profile jobs. I read she has expressed an interest in returning and she is close with KS. Which is a shame because if Lindsey Morgan can find a regular gig, then she should be able to.I am hoping that her education and pursuing other things is what is getting in the way of her booking CW/ABC Family type projects. She is in her prime as actress got really good reviews for Mean Creek, plus she is a decent comic actor and her handlers should be marketing her as a younger Martha Plimpton. 

[testardo]

I was just reading Soaptown and they did a sort of old characters. They had a picture of Adam grimes he was a doctor on Night Shift. He looks a lot like JJ right now that is, but he could be a recast for Lucky and as we know JJ is on Nashville and has a record contract he won't be back. This guy looks enough like old Lucky so he could be accepted. I don't have trouble with a re-cast IF they look like the old character.I didn't watch Night Shift ,I guess he played a gay doctor, right up Rons alley.He played Dr Klyle Julian 2008

Edited August 31, 2014 by testardo

[jsbt]

That Carly Schroeder rumor has been around for the better part of two years and frankly I have always found it suspect, like fanfiction from fans of PC and the characters. CS has done quite alright for herself as an adult actress after soaps, and I've never gotten a good source on that info. I mean, there are grown actors who played the kids on soaps who I would have always liked to see come back, like Erin Torpey, Chris McKenna or Carmen LoPorto on OLTL, but they very, very rarely do so.

 

If it's true, great, I'd be thrilled, but nobody legit has ever made the claim AFAIK, which leads me to suspect it's a Kevin and Lucy/PC fan's fondest dream made into a spumor.

Edited August 31, 2014 by jsbt

[Chairperson Meow]

Speaking of Erin Torpey, she'd make a great Serena.

[WendyCR72]

Oh, God. No Erin Torpey as Serena please. No more Livers eveeeeerrrrrrrrrrr! </Joan Crawford >

 

Actually, as much as Serena would MAYBE give her folks 3 seconds of airtime instead of 0, I can't see why she is needed now unless it is to be destroyed with...everyone else.

[jsbt]

Erin's too old for the role.

[ulkis]

She's the same age range as Rylan and Storms, so technically she would fit in with those two, but I guess they are making her a little younger if she comes on?

[Chairperson Meow]

Erin Torpey still looks so young and can act. But yeah, Ron would ruin her. I'm thinking right for the role lol.

[Harmony233]

I've always wanted Serena back but honestly I'm terrified at how RC would write her.Some of those Serena scripts that was being passed around were horrible.I'm certainely not up for a recton of serenas childhood and how Lucy and scott were horrible parents when I watched and despite all of lucy and scott's flaws  and they have many lol.They was actually good parents.

 

I always thought the time to bring serena on would have been when LOgan was found out to be Scott's son.So much wasted potential there.

[ulkis]

jsbt wrote this about the recast of Jessica Buchanan on OLTL, and it's depressing me because it all fits the writing for Lulu, as soon as the surrogacy story started:

 

After just a few weeks in the role she defaulted to a classical soap archetype, the damsel in distress with the occasional touch of feistiness, a plaything for supervillains and bad guys, everyone from Mitch Laurence to the Music Box Killer to Tico Santi. After recasting the role with fanfare, the major lesson OLTL had apparently taken away from the experience was that Jessica was now fair game to be a generic soap heroine - when she wasn't crazy and in heat, she was barefoot, pregnant and kidnapped.

 

Jessica stayed that way basically to the end of the show, with only her DID and her alters making the character vary at all, veering between crazy whore and pregnant, endangered madonna. It destroyed the character. And it wasn't all Bree Williamson's fault, because Bree Williamson can act when she is given strong material. It was a choice the lazy writers and execs at OLTL (along with Brian Frons) made, as though the recast had cleared their way to make the character fit into a standard box, along with Michael Malone's obsession with Antonio Vega and his desire to grow the young Jessica into a sort of classical adult heroine that instead mutated into a very bland damsel. Jessica never was really Jessica again, she was just a collection of all the things wrong with modern soaps."

Edited September 3, 2014 by ulkis

[Chairperson Meow]

And Jessica had a Brody, like Lulu has a Dante.

[NiqueAlexis]

I read this at another board talking about the recast of Jessica Buchanan on OLTL, and it's depressing me because it all fits the writing for Lulu, as soon as the surrogacy story started:

After just a few weeks in the role she defaulted to a classical soap archetype, the damsel in distress with the occasional touch of feistiness, a plaything for supervillains and bad guys, everyone from Mitch Laurence to the Music Box Killer to Tico Santi. After recasting the role with fanfare, the major lesson OLTL had apparently taken away from the experience was that Jessica was now fair game to be a generic soap heroine - when she wasn't crazy and in heat, she was barefoot, pregnant and kidnapped.

Jessica stayed that way basically to the end of the show, with only her DID and her alters making the character vary at all, veering between crazy whore and pregnant, endangered madonna. It destroyed the character. And it wasn't all Bree Williamson's fault, because Bree Williamson can act when she is given strong material. It was a choice the lazy writers and execs at OLTL (along with Brian Frons) made, as though the recast had cleared their way to make the character fit into a standard box, along with Michael Malone's obsession with Antonio Vega and his desire to grow the young Jessica into a sort of classical adult heroine that instead mutated into a very bland damsel. Jessica never was really Jessica again, she was just a collection of all the things wrong with modern soaps."

(I know the person who wrote this posts here, so if you want me to give you credit let me know)

That's why I've been saying he is her answer to oltl Jessica recast version. The writing is awfully Erie esp the character seemingly been nothing but anchor for Baby Rabbies like Jessica was for DID. I only liked Bree's Jessica with Brody & that was cause of the writing for her Jessica as a whole. JMB Lulu was never typical younger heroine material.

Frankly I have no issue with ER its the writing for Lulu. She proved today at least to me she can play Lulu Spencer.

[Ambrosefolly]

Frankly I have no issue with ER its the writing for Lulu. She proved today at least to me she can play Lulu Spencer.

 

I feel very sorry for ER. She probably thought she was brought to play a scrapper, the kid of Luke the most like him (and that includes Ethan, or doesn't include him if you fanwank he isn't a Spencer). Instead she is stuck playing this baby obsessed, damsel in distress. I do think that at the very least, ER has been committing to the material. 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Ambrosefolly

[jsbt]

She's given the role all she can, IMO. The problem is that since the day Ron took over he has never seen Lulu as anything but a Jessica on OLTL - clueless, beautiful, obsessed with making babies, helpless and potentially mentally vulnerable. He tried to make her nutty last year, too. And this started with Julie Berman's Lulu, who had no story for her last year other than babies.

I read this at another board talking about the recast of Jessica Buchanan on OLTL, and it's depressing me because it all fits the writing for Lulu, as soon as the surrogacy story started:

 

After just a few weeks in the role she defaulted to a classical soap archetype, the damsel in distress with the occasional touch of feistiness, a plaything for supervillains and bad guys, everyone from Mitch Laurence to the Music Box Killer to Tico Santi. After recasting the role with fanfare, the major lesson OLTL had apparently taken away from the experience was that Jessica was now fair game to be a generic soap heroine - when she wasn't crazy and in heat, she was barefoot, pregnant and kidnapped.

 

Jessica stayed that way basically to the end of the show, with only her DID and her alters making the character vary at all, veering between crazy whore and pregnant, endangered madonna. It destroyed the character. And it wasn't all Bree Williamson's fault, because Bree Williamson can act when she is given strong material. It was a choice the lazy writers and execs at OLTL (along with Brian Frons) made, as though the recast had cleared their way to make the character fit into a standard box, along with Michael Malone's obsession with Antonio Vega and his desire to grow the young Jessica into a sort of classical adult heroine that instead mutated into a very bland damsel. Jessica never was really Jessica again, she was just a collection of all the things wrong with modern soaps."

 

(I know the person who wrote this posts here, so if you want me to give you credit let me know)

 

You can credit me if you want. And yeah, it's the exact same thing.

[ulkis]

She's given the role all she can, IMO. The problem is that since the day Ron took over he has never seen Lulu as anything but a Jessica on OLTL - clueless, beautiful, obsessed with making babies, helpless and potentially mentally vulnerable. He tried to make her nutty last year, too. And this started with Julie Berman's Lulu, who had no story for her last year other than babies.

 

He kinda started her off correctly, after Garin Wolf's brief awful timid anxiety ridden (nothing being wrong with anxiety ridden but for Lulu to be out of nowhere afraid of Dante's being a cop was stupid) version of her, with the whole Ronnie storyline and her deciding she wanted to branch out. There looked to be interesting things going on with Johnny and especially Patrick, but then they dropped it for some reason. And then the baby stuff started. Which, I actually liked until Maxie miscarried. If Maxie had actually carried their baby it could have been heartfelt and interesting - instead he turned into magic dogs and ice princesses and shit. but yeah, unless something different happens than what I'm expecting with this

Stavros return

, Ron has turned Lulu into a total damsel. Although I will say I do hope there is a tiny chance things will not turn out like I expect - after all I thought for sure Lulu slept/was raped with/by Stavros and it didn't happen, so. Here's hoping.

 

(Although, if Lulu is Jessica, who would be the OLTL equivalent of Maxie? I'll repeat my question in the Maxie thread)

Edited September 3, 2014 by ulkis

[ulkis]

She's given the role all she can, IMO. The problem is that since the day Ron took over he has never seen Lulu as anything but a Jessica on OLTL - clueless, beautiful, obsessed with making babies, helpless and potentially mentally vulnerable. He tried to make her nutty last year, too.

 

I do think the amnesia story could have had a chance of being successful if they had used Johnny in the role of Milo. Johnny was shunned by the whole town, an amnesiac Lulu would have been the perfect place for him to find refuge, and for her to be drawn to something familiar. Instead, fucking Milo happened.

[Chairperson Meow]

Johnny should have never left. He should have gotten manslaughter for killing Papa Z at best. And Collenhope don't exist.

[ulkis]

I was fine with him going because I honestly don't have much use for Johnny and 98% of any of this cast leaving this show to lessen the bloat is a good thing, imo, but he was a natural fit for that story.

[jsbt]

I do think the amnesia story could have had a chance of being successful if they had used Johnny in the role of Milo. Johnny was shunned by the whole town, an amnesiac Lulu would have been the perfect place for him to find refuge, and for her to be drawn to something familiar. Instead, fucking Milo happened.

 

I honestly would not have liked it no matter what - I thought it was a really disgusting, misogynistic retread of the same horrible story with Teen Jessica on OLTL.

 

For the GHers among us, in 2010 Jessica got put through electroshock treatment  by her insane 'father' Mitch Laurence, who hoped to wipe her mind of her memories and leave her his obedient daughter (so he could then fuck her). Mitch failed to rape her, but Jessica recovered with her adult mind having regressed to the age of 17 - she believed it was 1997 or so, that she was still in high school and in love with her old boyfriend Cristian. She then spent the next few months vamping it up, wearing retro clothes, shunning her committed boyfriend  and trying to 'lose her virginity' to a man who was now happily involved with another woman.

 

They canned the story early due to a vicious response, but not before "Teen Jessica" fell in bed with Cristian's roommate Ford, who bedded the mentally ill woman and impregnated her. Ron Carlivati then spent a year telling us that Ford was not, repeat, not a rapist, but actually a great misunderstood guy and probably Jessica's true love. Stop me when this sounds familiar.

 

They did the same story with Lulu, minus a few minor changes (Stavros for Mitch, weather machine for electroshock, Dante for Brody Lovett, Milo for Cristian). Supposedly it was also viciously despised by fans last year, which led to them cutting it even shorter for Lulu. God knows what would have come next, or what will come soon. I just hate this shit and I can't understand how Ron could have found it remotely fun or appropriate on OLTL or GH.

[ulkis]

Yeah, I remember dreading that Ron would turn Lulu into Jessica back when they announced him. I don't know WHY I thought he would, since I had little knowledge of OLTL. I think it was because they were both the blonde daughters of a legacy family and while Maxie is also a blonde daughter of a legacy family, Lulu had had the story of having a breakdown and stint and Shadybrook, same her mother did. And as we all know, mental illness is passed down solely from mother to daughter. Sons don't have to worry about it! (Excuse me while I seethe a moment about that Guza/Garin bullshit for a moment.) I'm sorry to see that it's come to pass.

 

For the GHers among us, in 2010 Jessica got put through electroshock treatment  by her insane 'father' Mitch Laurence, who hoped to wipe her mind of her memories and leave her his obedient daughter (so he could then fuck her).

 

 

uuuuuuuuuugh. At least Stavros isn't Lulu's father. So far. (Although I know Mitch turned out not to be Jess' father.) Although I could totally see Ron trying to fake everyone out that Stefan was really Lulu's father or some bullshit* so while Stavros isn't harassing his daughter he IS harassing his niece!

 

*There was a lot of fan speculation in the late 90s that Lulu was really stefan's daughter. I could see Ron running with something creepy like that, or at least pretending to.

[SlovakPrincess]

O_o

Ew. That Jessica story sounds so gross I could just die. I guess Ron really likes electro shocking and torturing women, too, what with the shit the villains put Robin through while she was held captive.

I don't know that the Lulu character has worked all that well for a while now, but now I feel doubly bad for the recast actress. Like it wasn't a thankless role already, and now it's just kind of icky.

[jsbt]

It's actually worse than it sounds, believe me. Did I mention they let Jessica attend high school and go to prom 'for her therapy?'

Edited September 3, 2014 by jsbt

[Chairperson Meow]

Whoa, I gotta say if anyone was Cristian it was Johnny. Not Milo. Ew.

[GHScorpiosRule]

*There was a lot of fan speculation in the late 90s that Lulu was really stefan's daughter. I could see Ron running with something creepy like that, or at least pretending to.

 

Taking response to History Thread.

 

[dubbel zout]

It's actually worse than it sounds, believe me. Did I mention they let Jessica attend high school and go to prom 'for her therapy?'

 

That was Marty's suggestion, no? A rape victim herself? Holy cats.

 

I'm not averse to recasts, because stuff happens, but I am averse to recasts when the sole purpose is to gut the character and send it in a completely different direction. It's such a slap in the face to the audience and the character.

[Chairperson Meow]

God, the singing.

And yeah, I'm down with good recasts. But I hate when they don't make sense. Example. Charity Rahmer.

[OnceSane]

This thread is about recasts on GH, not OLTL characters or their story arcs.

[Chairperson Meow]

I'm waiting for a Lucky recast. I think Lucky and Anna need to be a hot, sexy thing.

[OnceSane]

I think BM would have made a good Lucky recast, but it feels like RC/FV have given up on that idea.  I think they believe they can get JJ back in the future.

[SlovakPrincess]

Ha ha ha! I'll bet the powers that be really do think that, but I think JJ would never come back, especially to the loony tunes this show had become. Not after his Nashville success.

[Chairperson Meow]

I think he broke his tear ducts.

[ulkis]

Ha ha ha! I'll bet the powers that be really do think that, but I think JJ would never come back, especially to the loony tunes this show had become. Not after his Nashville success.

 

There's a chance . . . but not for another 10 years. They need to accept that if he ever comes back, which is remote, it is going to take the better part of a decade at LEAST.

[dubbel zout]

The only way I could see JJ returning is if the show ends. I think he'd be gracious enough to spend a few days wrapping up some stories.

[jsbt]

I think he'll be back before that, but not for too much in the way of airtime. A visit or two, maybe.

 

And I don't think planning story around JJ's maybe appearing is a good idea - what they have done with Liz is criminal - but I also don't think they should recast again. The second he came back there was no comparison. They mangled the original recast because they went for a hot guy who couldn't really act, then they hired a passable, unspectacular performer who was a nice guy but could not carry story and sat on the sidelines for years. They never got a recast right, then they brought him back, and now everyone and anyone they hired would always be chasing that, IMO, unless you find some titan of talent. Which they are not going to do, because Michelle Stafford/Roger Howarth/Michael Easton/fill in the blank gotta eat. So let him visit, but would I recast again? No.

[Chairperson Meow]

Then I demand Dillon. We need Q's.

[yowsah1]

I think BM would have made a good Lucky recast

 

I wish GH would follow Y&R's lead (no, not THAT way!!!) and grab an actor from a recently-ish cancelled CW show for the role.  Luke Mitchell could do things with the role, I think.

 

Then I demand Dillon. We need Q's.

 

And if they can't get Scott Clifton to return, once again go with an ex-CW actor and grab Jason Dohring.

Edited September 4, 2014 by yowsah1

[OnceSane]

If we must have BM as Jason, maybe we could get BW back as AJ?  I don't think SK could be wooed away from B&B while RC & FV are still at the helm here.

[testardo]

If we must have BM as Jason, maybe we could get BW back as AJ?  I don't think SK could be wooed away from B&B while RC & FV are still at the helm here.

[/q

I would watch the return of Billy Warlock. Wow that would be something. Two actors who can act, on screen together. Billy Warlock was the actor who made me root for AJ. when he was on screen with Sonny. he showed how bad MB was. Billy's AJ stood up to Sonny, and when he was allowed I loved to see him show Sonny he wasn't afraid of him. Of course F&R think just like Guza sonny has to win ,so maybe I would be better off the way things are. I don't care what happens to any of the characters. Have a big shoot out and leave no one standing and start over. Start with a new EP and HW also.

[Chairperson Meow]

I'm sorry, but I want a tall AJ. I'm spoiled. I can't have BM, CD looking like family (or fah mah lee as some cast members say ) and have BW looking like the odd one out. Now, oddly enough, I'd buy Brandon Barash as AJ. Other actors (cough Sarah Brown) have played different roles, so I think he'd make a good AJ. Plus, he's got practice going against Maurice and the cast. Plus, I loved his scenes with Roger.

[crowsworks]

BM could make a good 'badish' guy. He did a Justified asa  hillbilly kiddie chaser perv.  Very well done. He didn't leer or anything overt. Charming, telling a 14 year old how mature he thought she was... not like a kid at all. Chilling.

[WendyCR72]

I'm sorry, but I want a tall AJ. I'm spoiled. I can't have BM, CD looking like family (or fah mah lee as some cast members say ) and have BW looking like the odd one out. Now, oddly enough, I'd buy Brandon Barash as AJ. Other actors (cough Sarah Brown) have played different roles, so I think he'd make a good AJ. Plus, he's got practice going against Maurice and the cast. Plus, I loved his scenes with Roger.

 

I don't see Brandon Barash working as AJ. Yes, GH has had former actors in new roles...and not one remains. Sarah Brown tanked, Natalia Livingston tanked (okay, that one's not so shocking!), but that rarely ever works.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I really don't understand why some are against a dark-haired AJ. Though Billy Warlock wasn't AJ for *me*, he was believable as Quaretermaine, because hello! He looked like his father, Alan, who, had dark hair. And from what I can recall, Sean Kanan was the first and only blonde AJ, anywayz.

 

And I doubt Warlock would come back to this shitfest anyhoo. Doesn't matter that he was fucked over but good by a different regime, but I seem to recall him giving Kanan moral support via...Twitter? when Kanan left.

[WendyCR72]

I really don't understand why some are against a dark-haired AJ. Though Billy Warlock wasn't AJ for *me*, he was believable as Quaretermaine, because hello! He looked like his father, Alan, who, had dark hair. And from what I can recall, Sean Kanan was the first and only blonde AJ, anywayz.

 

And I doubt Warlock would come back to this shitfest anyhoo. Doesn't matter that he was fucked over but good by a different regime, but I seem to recall him giving Kanan moral support via...Twitter? when Kanan left.

 

Not to mention the first adult AJ, Gerald Hopkins, also had dark hair. (Ironically, the twins to play Devil Opie as a baby, AJ's kid (duh!), were also named Blake and Dylan Hopkins.)

[Chairperson Meow]

I'm spoiled! I love SK and I'm like it's more height. I love when he looks down at Sonny.....literally. Okay. I crush hard on SK and I love him as AJ. It's like there is no New Coke. There is no Crystal Pepsi. Dammit.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Don't get me wrong, Sean Kanan was AJ for me. But you will recall that his AJ was NEVER allowed to tower over that midgety moobster or get the better of him in a fight, when it was clear Kanan's AJ could have and would have wiped the fucking floor with him.

[dubbel zout]

There's no point recasting AJ if he's going to continue to lose all the time. I'd rather AJ stay dead than watch him yet again be the Q and town punching bag.

 

I also think the show needs to lose at least half a dozen characters before adding more, but that's a pipe dream.

Edited September 8, 2014 by dubbel zout