Soap Opera Characters Fans Want To See Recast

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Soap opera fans can be fickle when it comes to the characters on their favorite shows, especially if there is a recast involved. There are fans that wish a character could be recast because they miss the old actor or actress who played them. Then there are times when an actor or actress simply annoys viewers in the role, and this might have more to do with the character they are portraying than the actor or actress themselves! Alas, below are 12 soap opera characters fans would like to see recast.

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12. Days’ Roman Brady

This may seem like an odd recast since actor Josh Taylor has been playing the staple Days of Our Lives (DOOL) character since 1997; however, long-time fans of the show simply cannot relate to Taylor’s portrayal of Roman Brady as they still connect to the actor who originated the role in 1981, Wayne Northrop.

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11. Y&R’s Victoria Newman

The same ideology that plagues Roman Brady with fans over at DOOL seems to be occurring with the Young and the Restless’ (Y&R) Victoria Newman. While has been in the role for well over a decade, fans who have watched the show longer seem to still be so connected to Heather Tom, the actress who originated (grown-up) Vicky from 1990 to 2003. Despite the fact that Heinle has won two Daytime Emmy awards for her work on the Y&R, many viewers still don’t see her as Victoria Newman.

Robert Voets / ©CBS / courtesy Everett Collection

10. GH’s Emme Rylan

General Hospital’s (GH) Emme Rylan is another example of someone who was recast into a role that was once held by a fan-favorite actress. While there are those who adore Rylan, there are many GH fans out there that wish the character of Lulu Spencer be recast as they miss the original actress who played her, Julie Berman.

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9. B&B’s Ridge Forrester 

Accomplished soap opera actor Thorsten Kaye has been on a plethora of soaps including One Life to Life, All My Children, Port Charles, and of course, Bold and the Beautiful (B&B). Hopping into the well-established role of Ridge Forrester, there are B&B fans that simply cannot connect with the actor’s portrayal of this character.

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8. GH’s Kiki Jerome

Speaking of Port Charles, Kiki Jerome is another character many fans would love to see recast. While Haley Erin has done a great job with the role, a lot of viewers feel the actress is simply not a good fit when it comes to the feisty and strong Jerome character. Perhaps a recast is in order in the near future to really turn things around for Kiki.

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7. Y&R’s Abby Newman

Interestingly enough, Haley Erin once played a teenaged version of Abby Newman, the youngest daughter of the infamous Victor Newman. Abby has also been a character that has had many a recast in her day and each actress that has played her has had a different spin on the character. Abby is in a real funk as of late, with broken relationship after broken relationship, not to mention the drama she’s endured at work with her sister and dad. Many Y&R fans would love to see Abby recast, with a newer and stronger version of the character coming out.

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6. DOOL’s Claire Brady

Many DOOL fans find Claire annoying, but that might have more to do with the character than the actress who portrays her. Still, as Claire continues to evolve into a young adult, a recast may be in order. While actress Olivia Rose Keegan did a stellar job in the role, recast Isabel Durant never really found her footing in the character. As a result, Claire faded from storylines and eventually left Salem. Still, there’s a lot of promise for this character, should she return!

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5. DOOL’s Eve Donovan

For many long-time fans, the recast of Kassie DePaiva into the Eve Donovan role in 2014 was simply not a good fit and it felt like an entirely new DOOL character that entered Salem, versus the one played by Charlotte Ross many years ago. There’s no arguing that DePaiva is a huge talent, and while the newer fans of the soap may love her, die-hard Days’ fans are still working on this transition four years later.

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4. B&B’s Paris Buckingham

B&B has tried long and hard to push Paris Buckingham on audiences, but so far it hasn’t done the character any good. In fact, most viewers wish the character would go away completely! However, the consolation prize would certainly be for Paris to be recast with someone other than Diamond White, who hasn’t formed any meaningful chemistry with her co-stars. It isn’t too late to save this character, at least until her sister Zoe comes back to L.A.!

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3. Y&R’s Phyllis Summers

There are some Y&R viewers that believe Phyllis is in a dire need of a recast. While actress Michelle Stafford turned Phyllis into a legendary Y&R character when she left the show in 2013, fans were devastated. Gina Tognoni has a pretty good job, all things considered, but a lot of viewers didn’t see her as Phyllis. Those fans got their wish when Tognoni was fired and Stafford reprised her famous role!

© John Paschal/jpistudios.com

2. DOOL’s Abigail DiMera

When Marci Miller stepped into the role of Abigail DiMera in 2016, she had some pretty big shoes to fill. The previous Abby, actress Kate Mansi, was a fan-favorite and many had grown accustomed to her portrayal of the character. DOOL fans were probably 50-50 split when it came to this new actress; some adored Miller, while others wished the role of Abigail could be recast. Alas, when Miller decided to depart DOOL in 2022, everyone was pretty upset about it. Will the role be recast yet again?

© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

1. GH’s Drew Cain

GH has had quite a struggle over the years since Billy Miller left the coveted role of Drew Cain. For years, viewers petitioned for the ABC soap to bring Miller back. Finally, the soap relented and brought all-around talented guy Cameron Mathison into the role. Sadly, his take on Cain is so different from Miller’s that he may as well be a new character. If the soap cannot bring Miller back, then perhaps they should’ve left Drew Cain imprisoned on Cassadine Island!

© Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass is an avid fan of daytime drama and has been watching Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless for over two decades now. As a full-time freelance writer, she gets to combine her love of soap operas and writing through her Fame 10 articles. Also a mother of two busy girls and a mommy blogger, she's been published multiple times over in Huffington Post Parents and Scary Mommy.

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