10 Close Casting Calls That Would’ve Completely Changed These TV Shows

There are rare occasions where a TV character is so iconic they transcend the performer playing them. When Al Swearengen delivered his first surly lines behind the bar of Deadwood, I couldn’t imagine anyone other than Ian McShane strapping on the suspenders, which makes it even more surprising that he wasn’t the first choice for the part.

It’s a long road to getting a TV show on the air, and along the path from script to screen, many ideas are tossed out for a production, especially regarding casting. There’s no bad idea in brainstorming, but these original casting choices for major characters would have drastically impacted the series they were on.

10

Rumor Willis as Serena van der Woodsen

‘Gossip Girl’ (2007–2012)

In the halls of the Constance Billard School for Girls, no one is considered more popular than Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively). As one of the main cast members of the CW phenomenon Gossip Girl, the success of the series catapulted all of its leads into overnight fame. However, there was once consideration for another actress in the role of Serena.

CW casting director David Rapaport shared that the network originally pitched the idea of Rumer Willis in the role that Lively would go on to make famous. It seems unthinkable to have anyone other than Lively play Serena, but there were reportedly some concerns regarding her appearance of being too “sunny California” to pass for a New York socialite. Which makes sense, because above all else, Gossip Girl always strived for realism.

9

Matthew Broderick as Walter White

‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

The story of Breaking Bad, where a terminally ill high school teacher turns to making meth in order to provide for his family, hinged upon the performance of its lead character, Walter White. Bryan Cranston was able to take a man in a relatable situation and use that sympathy to allow viewers to witness a thrilling descent into criminal depravity. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Cranston in the role, but the executives at AMC thought differently.

Creator Vince Gilligan was pushing for Cranston as Walter, but network executives still needed some convincing. They were having a hard time separating the actor from his role as the goofy TV dad in Malcolm in the Middle, and as the story goes, names like Matthew Broderick were suggested. Broderick makes sense considering how Walter is presented at the start of the show, but the thought of a bald Broderick giving menacing stares just doesn’t hit the same way.

8

Thomas Jane as Rick Grimes

‘The Walking Dead’ (2010–2022)

In the bleak world of The Walking Dead, making it to the next day in a world overrun with flesh-eating zombies was near impossible, but survivors could always count on the determined leadership of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). For the good years and some of the bad, Lincoln was the moral center of a show where only the ruthless prospered, standing tall as one of the last remnants of law and order.

However, if things had gone slightly differently, it would have been Thomas Jane yelling Carl into the wilderness. Original showrunner Frank Darabont had previously worked with Jane on The Mist, and thought the actor would be the perfect choice to lace up Rick’s boots. Scheduling conflicts forced Jane to drop out of the part and do HBO’s Hung instead, but the shift in casting didn’t seem to hurt The Walking Dead’s success.

7

Katie Holmes as Piper

‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013–2019)

In the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is the newest inmate of Litchfield Penitentiary, set to serve 15 months for money laundering. Although the series expands into the lives of the many prisoners Piper spends time with, the initial focus is on her adjustment to life behind bars. Over the course of the series, Piper resorts to increasingly ruthless tactics to thrive within the prison system before learning how to acclimate to the outside world.

Schilling does a fantastic job of playing the many aspects of Piper’s complicated journey, but she wasn’t the first choice to play the prisoner. Before Schilling accepted the part, Katie Holmes was considered for Piper’s orange jumpsuit. According to creator Jenji Kohan, the prospect of Holmes joining Orange Is the New Black never went past the conversation stage, but it’s interesting to imagine how the show would have looked with the Dawson’s Creek alum involved.

6

Dana Delany as Carrie Bradshaw

‘Sex and the City’ (1998–2004)

Sex and the City was a defining show for HBO when it premiered, complimenting the network’s other hit, The Sopranos, to revolutionize what the medium of television could accomplish in storytelling. For every dating mishap or sexual pun, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) was there to cheer on her friends and then write about them for everyone else in New York City to read about. Although Sex and the City succeeded based on its group dynamic, Parker was the face of the show.

However, Dana Delany would have been the face of the show had she not turned down the role of Carrie first. Delany was offered the part by series creator Darren Star, but the actress had recently completed the movies Exit to Eden and Live Nude Girls, and didn’t want to enter another sex-focused project. Delany has shown no regrets about passing on the part, who would later go on to have an extended run on the ABC hit Desperate Housewives.

5

Michael Keaton as Dr. Jack Shephard

‘Lost’ (2004–2010)

Although Lost was an ensemble piece that benefited from a large cast of talented performers, Dr. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) was the unofficial protagonist of the sci-fi drama. Even though Jack was battling his own demons on the island, his level-headed thinking and skills as a doctor made him the person most often turned to in a crisis. However, if a few creative decisions hadn’t been made, the character of Jack would have looked completely different when played by Michael Keaton.

The Birdman actor was briefly attached as Jack, but in an entirely different capacity. Originally, Jack was set to be built up as the series lead, only to be shockingly killed in the first episode by a mysterious monster. Keaton was up for the extended cameo, but when Jack became fleshed out into a main character with better survival skills, production could not secure his services for an extended time.

4

Lisa Kudrow as Roz Doyle

‘Frasier’ (1993 – 2004)

Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) appeared as an intelligent and capable professional on his radio show, but it was primarily due to his producer, Roz (Peri Gilpin), who ensured everything ran smoothly. With a down-to-earth attitude and sharp sarcastic wit, Roz could lovingly put Frasier in his place when his ego grew too large for the room. Gilpin is a vital part of Frasier’s chemistry, so I was very surprised to learn Lisa Kudrow was actually cast in the part of Roz for a short window of time.

Kudrow was only on set for a few days before she was fired because her chemistry did not work with the group dynamic. While it had to be crushing at the time to lose out on a role in a promising sitcom, the short-term misfortune freed her to audition for a little show called Friends the next year. Kudrow might not have been the right fit for Frasier, but Friends proved Kudrow was a talented and funny comedic performer.

3

Hugh Grant as Hannibal Lecter

‘Hannibal’ (2013-2015)

Cultured, intelligent, and cannibalistic, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) is a predator in expensive suits using his brain as the ultimate weapon. Fans of the series Hannibal were able to follow the famous villain as he spent time with troubled FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and learned new recipes that required specialized ingredients. Hannibal was one of the best horror shows that somehow ended up on network TV, but the dynamics would have been quite different if Hugh Grant had stepped in as Lecter.

NBC had cold feet about casting Mikkelsen in such a high-profile role, with their suggestions being John Cusack and Grant, who both reportedly turned down the part. Cusack is a stretch for the part, and I can see where NBC is going with that line of logic to secure American viewers. Grant, on the other hand, would have been a lot of fun, and after seeing him play evil and charming simultaneously in Heretic, it could have easily worked. All that said, I wouldn’t want anyone else other than Mikkelsen as the doctor, even if he always looked like he wanted to eat everyone in the room.

2

John Lithgow as Frasier Crane

‘Cheers’ (1982–1993)

Frasier (Grammer) may not have started out as a cast member on Cheers, but he quickly became a fan-favorite character with his pompous behavior that made him stand out from the other barflies. Originally introduced as a love interest for Diane (Shelly Long), Grammer’s performance as the intellectual blowhard propelled him into one of the most beloved sitcom spin-offs of all time. With a part that seemed designed specifically for Grammer, it’s shocking that it was actually written with someone else in mind.

Before Grammer had a chance to turn Frasier into a sitcom megastar, the role was originally designed for John Lithgow. Lithgow is a multi-talented performer who can jump into broad comedy like 3rd Rock From the Sun as easily as he can play a deranged serial-killer, so it makes sense he would be considered for the part. Even though Lithgow would have done a good job, I can’t see him committing to the part the way Grammer did, and it’s guaranteed Frasier would never have happened.

1

Ed O’Neill as Al Swearengen

‘Deadwood’ (2004–2006)

​​​​​​​ A complicated member of the Deadwood community, Al Swearengen operates as both a protagonist and antagonist, sometimes within the same scene. While Swearengen’s quick temper would often lead to his enemies having their throats slit and fed to the pigs, he developed into an unlikely leader of the town over Deadwood’s three seasons. Throughout it all, McShane delivered lines like he was doing Shakespeare in a western, and it’s awe-inspiring to watch.

As much as McShane is perfection in the part, creator David Milch originally had his eyes set on Ed O’Neill in the part. They had previously worked together on the short-lived detective series Big Apple, and Milch wrote Swearengen with O’Neill in mind. This is one of those instances where you have to believe everything happens for a reason, because McShane may not have been the original plan, but he turned in one of the best TV performances of all time.

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