Not every actor stays with a TV show forever, and this can result in some incredibly jarring character recasts. There are several TV shows recast major characters after the pilot because they simply don’t work.

However, there’s nothing stranger than when a pre-existing character appears in a scene and is now played by someone else. It’s worth noting that a jarring recast isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although it can be. These characters arrive with one face and leave with another, and sometimes that is for the better. Regardless of why, these TV character recasts are unexpected, and shock audiences long after the credits roll.

10 The Doctor In Doctor Who

From William Hartnell To Patrick Troughton

Doctor Who is an incredibly unique show because it recasts the titular character several times, but the first is naturally the most jarring of them all, even though it was planned in advance. It’s always exciting when each incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who is introduced, especially when audiences have been theorizing over who it could possibly be. William Hartnell’s First Doctor is a white-haired man with a sharp tongue and is often considered quite rude, but Patrick Troughton’s Doctor is very different.

The second Doctor is far more childish, but he still has that classic Doctor streak running through him. Hartnell only serves as the Time Lord for a few years before Troughton takes on the role of the Doctor, but it’s a huge shock. Not only is the Doctor replaced with a new actor, who doesn’t resemble Hartnell in any physical way, but Troughton’s version of the character also has a brand new personality. While audiences nowadays are used to this, when Troughton first appeared in Doctor Who in 1966, it was undoubtedly jarring.

9 Laurie Forman In That '70s Show

From Lisa Robin Kelly To Christina Moore

One jarring TV recast that made the show worse is that of Laurie Forman in That ‘70s Show. Lisa Robin Kelly portrays the irresponsible and catty member of That ‘70s Show’s Forman family, and she does a brilliant job of riling Eric and his friends up in every episode she stars in. Kelly plays Laurie in the first 5 seasons of the show, and she is last seen on-screen after she tells Red that she has married Fez so that he can stay in the country after graduation.

When Laurie comes back from her honeymoon, having left Fez at home, she is instead played by Christina Moore.

When That ‘70s Show returns for season 6, however, Kelly is nowhere to be seen. When Laurie comes back from her honeymoon, having left Fez at home, she is instead played by Christina Moore. Unfortunately, there is barely any resemblance to the character left. Moore does a fine enough job as Laurie, but the character is written slightly differently, and the actress simply doesn’t have the same comedic timing as her predecessor. If it had just been about appearances, this recasting wouldn’t be so jarring, but sadly, That ‘70s Show forgets how to write Laurie after this.

8 Vivian Banks In The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

From Janet Hubert To Daphne Maxwell Reid

Viewers are still often divided over whether Janet Hubert or Daphne Maxwell Reid is the better Aunt Viv in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but regardless, there’s no doubt that the recasting of the character is a shocker. Hubert plays Viv for the first three installments of the show, and in season 4, Reid takes over the role. At the time, this recasting felt very sudden, and audiences gradually accepted it after reports of behind-the-scenes creative differences, but it didn’t make Reid’s appearance any less strange.

Annoyingly, Viv takes more of a backseat role after the recasting, which makes it even more jarring. Not only does the character look different, but she acts differently, too. Viv is cautious of Phil’s political career all of a sudden, quits her teaching career, and seemingly gives up being as ionate a parent as she was before the recasting. Thankfully, there has been further explanation of what happened with Hubert in recent years.

7 Becky Conner In Roseanne

From Lecy Goranson To Sarah Chalke (And Back Again)

The recasting of Becky Conner in Roseanne is one of the funniest examples in TV history, especially as the show leans into the obviousness of it on several occasions. In season 5, original actress Lecy Goranson departs the show to go to college. After this, Sarah Chalke takes on the character of Becky, and she stays in the role throughout seasons 6 and 7. It’s quite unexpected to see Becky look so different, but Chalke nails the character well, thankfully.

Over time, audiences get used to Chalke’s presence. That is, at least, until Goranson returns as Becky in season 8. However, she doesn’t replace Chalke, and instead, the character is played by both actresses on a rotation. This is due to Goranson’s schedule, but it’s incredibly jarring to see the two swap in and out in various episodes, despite Roseanne making meta jokes and acknowledging this.

Goranson disappears yet again in season 10, leaving Chalke to play Becky, but returns as her original character in The Conners. Just to make this recasting even stranger, in The Conners, Chalke plays the woman Becky plans to be a surrogate for in Roseanne.

6 Ruby In Supernatural

From Katie Cassidy To Genevive Padalecki

Even though the world of Supernatural allows for a bit more flexibility with recasting, especially when it comes to the demon Ruby, it’s still a shocker when Katie Cassidy is replaced with Genevieve Padalecki (who is credited as Genevieve Cortese at first). Katie Cassidy leaves Supernatural after season 3, and following a stint in Hell, Genevive Padalecki arrives as Ruby in a brand-new form in season 4.

Not only is it a very obvious recasting, with Padalecki being a brunette and a good deal shorter than Cassidy, but there is a shift in characterization, too

Initial reactions to Padalecki as Ruby were far from favorable, but over time, appreciation for her grew. In fact, this response is typically the same for new Supernatural viewers nowadays. Not only is it a very obvious recasting, with Padalecki being a brunette and a good deal shorter than Cassidy, but there is a shift in characterization, too. Many consider this a TV character recast that doesn’t match the original actor, but it is still an ambitious one, undoubtedly.

5 Carol Willick In Friends

From Anita Barone To Jane Sibbett

Even though Anita Barone only plays Carol Willick in Friends in one episode, season 1’s “The One with the Sonogram at the End,” it’s impossible not to notice when Jane Sibbett is recast as the character after this. Friends recasts Ross’ ex-wife, Carol, in “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” which sees Ross trying to speak to his unborn child. There are several noticeable differences between the two actresses. While they’re both blonde, Sibbett’s hair is brighter in shade and is longer, for example. Sibbett’s voice is slightly more nasally, but this is iconic and makes her more noticeable.

Of course, Sibbett has a lot more time on-screen in the role. Seeing as Carol is just a ing character in Friends season 1, and the writers at the time didn’t know which direction they were taking her in, it makes sense that there are some characterization changes so early on in the show’s run. This recasting is for the better, though, but it’s still jarring and takes a second to get used to.

4 Ann Veal In Arrested Development

From Alessandra Torresani To Mae Whitman

Arrested Development’s brilliant comedic writing allows for the hilarious recasting of Ann Veal, George Michael’s girlfriend, in a unique way. At first, the character is played by Alessandra Torresani, but is then replaced by Mae Whitman, which is ultimately for the better. Originally, Arrested Development planned for Ann to be portrayed by a different actress with every appearance.

This is a joke on the fact that Ann is considered rather plain and not very memorable, especially to Jason Bateman’s Michael Bluth, the ever-suffering middle child of Arrested Development’s Bluth family. But Whitman does a fantastic job as the character. Despite the show’s intentions, it’s obvious from Whitman’s first appearance that Ann has been recast. However, this leans into the show’s ridiculous meta humor.

3 Daario Naharis In Game Of Thrones

From Ed Skrein To Michiel Huisman

Ed Skrein only portrays Game of Thrones’ Daario Naharis for a short time, but he quickly engages audiences and gets them invested in the character almost immediately. In those three episodes, Skrein swiftly encapsulates the character. In Game of Thrones season 4, Daario Naharis is recast, which has continued to confuse audiences old and new since. It has since been explained that Skrein’s decision to leave the show was due to political reasons, but it still makes Michiel Huisman’s casting as the character a little odd.

Naharis makes a huge impact on Game of Thrones in that short time, but because the two actors look so different, the recasting is immediately obvious. However, Huisman does a beautiful job of playing Daario Naharis. Even though the recasting is jarring, it ends up being for the better. Of course, Skrein’s physical appearance as the character is more accurate to George R. R. Martin’s book depiction of Naharis, but Huisman’s performance stays true to his overall personality and complexity.

2 Greg Serrano In Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

From Santino Fontana To Skylar Astin

The recasting of Greg Serrano in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is subtle and can be easy to miss, but that’s what makes it so jarring. Santino Fontana plays Greg in seasons 1 and 2 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but the character leaves afterward to go to business school. Due to Fontana’s other projects, when Greg returns in season 4, he is instead portrayed by Pitch Perfect’s Skylar Astin. Astin is fantastic at replicating Fontana’s performance as Greg, and because of the physical similarities between the two actors, it can sometimes take a second for audiences to notice.

However, this is what makes this recasting so unexpected and noticeable. The show explains that Rebecca has been seeing Greg in a different light before, especially in moments where he is struggling with his alcoholism, and so Astin’s take on the character is a healthier and more put-together version of him. It’s a beautiful way to handle a recasting, especially as Astin only stars in the final season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

1 Darrin Stephens In Bewitched

From Dick York To Dick Sargent

Darrin Stephens’ change of actor in Bewitched is one of the most famous recastings in TV history. Dick York plays Samantha’s mortal husband up until the last three installments of the show, during which Dick Sargent takes over. While it could be assumed that the fact both actors are called Dick (but with different surnames) would result in audiences missing this, it’s far from the case. Funnily enough, the appearances of both men aren’t too different, but the way the character is written during this time is.

Dick York gave up playing Darrin in Bewitched due to a degenerative spine condition. In York's last episodes, Darrin is primarily seen in bed.

Unfortunately, there’s something about Sargent’s performance that misses the mark. Both Sargent and Dick have similar backgrounds, hence Sargent’s typecasting, but it isn’t the same. Sargent is far more snarkier as Darrin than York, and his rapport with Elizabeth Montgomery’s Samantha is missing something, which plays a part in Bewitched’s later decline.