6 major TV characters that were recast after an actor died (2024)

FAQs

Why did they change Gladys Kravitz? ›

Gladys Kravitz of 'Bewitched'

Pearce was diagnosed with terminal cancer before Bewitched started in 1964, a fact which the actress hid from producers. Towards the end of the show's second season, Pearce passed away from ovarian cancer. Gladys was recast, with Sandra Gould taking her place.

Illness and death

In March 2010, Whitfield was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began undergoing treatment immediately in New Zealand. This delayed production of season two of Spartacus: Vengeance.

Various reasons. One of the most common is that an actor gets tired of a role or has health issues. Sometimes it works. More often than not it doesn't.

Mr. York was replaced on the show by Dick Sargent in 1969 when problems stemming from an old back injury, including overdependence on painkillers, forced him to leave.

Alice Pearce died unexpectedly of ovarian cancer in 1966. Similar to the way the Darrin switch was handled later, the “new” Gladys (played by Sandra Gould) was never explained. What's more interesting is the fact that the first Louise Tate (Irene Vernon) left Bewitched willingly to pursue a different career.

“When you're whispering, you're making a choice to restrain your expressiveness,” Urbaniak said. “This is very much in keeping with an old leading-man tradition of conveying strength through restraint.” John Wayne didn't Talk Like This, but his voice still confined his expressiveness, which made him appear strong.

The very best actors have good technique and exceptional talent. Acting techniques, like projecting your voice and movement on stage, can be learned and finessed, improving any talent. The extra edge that extraordinary natural talent brings is something that cannot be taught and is what makes great actors stand out.

She originally auditioned for the role of Sura but auditioned for the role of Naevia instead. Brandt did not return due to production delays following the death of Andy Whitfield, and she was replaced by Cynthia Addai-Robinson.

Oscar-winning actor Jane Fonda shared via Instagram that she has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer that involves the white blood cells of the body.

How old was Spartacus when he died? ›

32 years (103 BC–71 BC)

Spartacus / Age at death

For the scene in which Samantha casts a spell that makes Mr. Brockway see everyone as having black skin, the white actors, including Sargent and White, appeared in blackface.

Aunt Clara

She has a collection of over 3,000 doorknobs (inspired by Lorne's real-life collection). Rather than recast the role after Marion Lorne died at the end of the fourth season, she was replaced in season six with Samantha's bumbling new housekeeper Esmeralda.

On the hit 1960s sitcom Bewitched, Dick York played Darrin Stephens, the long-suffering mortal married to witch-turned-housewife, Samantha. Yet in season six of the show's eight-season run, York was replaced in the role by actor Dick Sargent.

“fact” that Clara is Maurice's sister and that Maurice, out of great love for his sister, insisted that Endora invite her to join in on the activities she would have with Enchantra and Hagatha.

Jim Carrey was approached to play Jack Wyatt/Darrin Stephens, but had to decline because of other commitments. As he resembles Dick York, it was commonly felt that he would be the only good choice for the role (and that anyone like Will Ferrell would just be miscast).

Disney's Strange World to Lose $100 Million: Why It Flopped at Box Office - Variety.

The Rise of Skywalker was the last movie to gross over $1 billion before the COVID-19 pandemic, but fan reception to the grand finale of the Star Wars Skywalker saga continues to be mixed.

How do famous actors cry? ›

The Menthol Method Here's a trick frequently used when professional actors make themselves cry. Menthol tear sticks and menthol tear-producing sprays are products designed specifically to generate tears and are often used by film and TV actors.

Read passages from your favorite book aloud, aiming to create and keep a lower timbre. Hum deep in your throat to warm up your voice in a deeper register. Create a buzzing noise with your lips, deescalating in pitch until you can comfortably create lower notes. Don't force it, but try to gently expand your range.

If you are like most human beings, you have probably had a good cry—maybe while watching a sad movie or maybe after a break-up. Of course, some tears are produced because of extreme grief or pain, and sometimes we cry when we experience profound moments of joy. Actors can recall these memories and produce "real" tears.

Their lives are complicated by Samantha's tampering, mortal-hating mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead); a nosy neighbour, Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce, 1964–66; Sandra Gould, 1966–71); and Darrin's demanding boss, Larry Tate (David White).

Sandra Gould (July 23, 1916 – July 20, 1999) was an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Gladys Kravitz on the sitcom Bewitched. Gould was the second actress to portray the role, debuting at the start of the third season. Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Alice Pearce accepted the role of the Stephens' nosy neighbor soon after discovering that she had terminal cancer. Pearce kept this secret from the "Bewitched" cast and crew and managed to work through 30 episodes before her death in 1966. Sandra Gould took over the role for the remainder of the show's run.

What controversial ended Bewitched? ›

March 25, 1972

Bewitched / Final episode date

Louise Tate (Irene Vernon, and, after Vernon's departure from the show, Kasey Rogers) is Larry's wife and Samantha's closest mortal friend. Louise Tate was played by Irene Vernon during the first two seasons and then replaced by Kasey Rogers, who wore a short black wig to appear similar to Vernon.

Multiple infants actresses played Tabitha until the show's creators settled on one actress for the part. First played by Cynthia Black, Tabitha was then performed by two different sets of twins, until choosing Erin Murphy to be a full-time Tabitha.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CORRINE CAMACHO! Ms. Camacho played Phoebe the human frog in Season Three's "Nobody But a Frog Knows How to Live."

In Endora Moves in for a Spell, Endora says she was an only child until Arthur was born, which would imply Clara is not her sister, since she is older than Endora.

Endora, who will probably go down in history as the witch who wore the most eye shadow of any witch ever, was the mother of Samantha Stephens, the sorceress in the 1960s and '70s sitcom Bewitched.

Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the television series Bewitched.

See Erin Murphy, who played Tabitha on “Bewitched” in the '60s and '70s, hit the red carpet at the Family Film Awards.