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13 TV Love Interests Who Disappeared Or Were Recast, But It Wasn't Super Subtle

By Nora Dominick,

9 hours ago

1. First, in Gilmore Girls Season 3, Lorelai begins dating Alex, who Billy Burke plays. He appeared in three episodes after Lorelai met him while attending a class with Sookie about how to run an inn. Eventually, he just disappears and we never learn why he and Lorelai broke up.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=16B2QM_0vVEvSOA00 — One of the last references to Alex is when Lorelai runs into Max again and mentions him.
While it's not clear why Alex suddenly disappeared without another mention, fans often reference him as one of Lorelai's best boyfriends .
Warner Bros

2. In Saved by the Bell Season 4, Leanna Creel starred as Tori Scott, who dated Zack for a short period of time. Leanne was brought on to the show after Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley left, with Kelly and Jessie disappearing. Tori's episodes were randomly placed between episodes that were already filmed featuring Kelly and Jessie. Eventually, Tori just disappeared without any explanation, and she notably wasn't included in the graduation episode.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2A8VB7_0vVEvSOA00 — Looking back on the chaos Tori caused, Leanne told Today , "I didn't know what a brouhaha that my character would cause. The whole idea that I wasn't in the graduation episode." Tori's appearance caused such a stir with viewers there were even wild fan theories about Tori doing something to Kelly.
Speaking about joining the show, Leanne also said, "I just remember [the producers] saying, you know, 'Don't worry about it, it won’t matter, these are gonna play in all different orders and it doesn't really matter.' And, again, I think the one that's really the most egregious is the graduation episode, and I don't think I was aware about the graduation episode at the time, blissfully unaware."
NBC / Via youtube.com

3. In the second episode of Friends , Carol, Ross' ex-wife who reveals she's pregnant, is played by Anita Barone. Then, when Carol appeared later in Season 1, Jane Sibbett took over the role for the remainder of the series. Anita reportedly left the show because she wanted to find a more permanent role on another show instead of the guest star work she would get as Carol on Friends .

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1S2hjc_0vVEvSOA00 — Reflecting on how she booked the role of Carol following Anita's exit, Jane told Today that she got the call mere hours after giving birth to her son. "I picked up the phone, and it was my agent saying, 'Hey, remember that show *Friends?* They want to know if you can take over the part of the pregnant lesbian that you wanted to do originally, and you would have to start work tomorrow,'" Jane said.
She also revealed she was immediately sent a VHS tape of the pilot, watched it, and knew she had to work with David Schwimmer because he was so good as Ross.
NBC

4. Also, in Friends , Rachel's BFF Mindy notably gets together with her ex-fiancé Barry. When we first meet Mindy in Season 1, she's played by Jennifer Grey . However, when Mindy and Barry's wedding finally happens in Season 2, she's now played by Jana Marie Hupp.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0O0JN8_0vVEvSOA00 — Speaking to MediaVillage , Jennifer said she didn't reprise her role after Season 1 because of "such bad anxiety." She elaborated, saying, "I was a fan of the show, and I got the call to do it. Then, when I did it, I had such bad anxiety because they kept changing the script. It's very hard to be a guest star because you're not a part of it, and you're really trying to figure it all out. They were trying to figure out what the character was, what the scene was, and it was changing, and changing, and changing. It all made me so anxious that I could barely do it."
Jennifer added, "I had a lot of performance anxiety."
NBC

5. When Crazy Ex-Girlfriend began, Greg, who became one of Rebecca's love interests, was played by Santino Fontana. He played the role for 22 episodes, but when Greg came back in the final season, Santino was replaced by Skylar Astin. The show even poked fun at the new casting in the show by having Rebecca begin to see Greg in a whole new way.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46AYxB_0vVEvSOA00 — Santino departed the series for another opportunity when it was uncertain whether or not the show would continue past Season 2.
Speaking about how Santino's departure impacted Greg's overall storyline, co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna told EW , "We always intended to take the guys [Greg, Josh, and Nathaniel] and explore them as individuals outside of the love story. That's the thing we didn't get to do as much with Greg because Greg ended up spending a lot of his time on the show as a love interest because Santino left. And when he came back [played by Skylar Astin], he came back as a love interest right away."
The CW

6. When Bewitched began in 1964, Darrin, Samantha's husband, was played by Dick York. He played the role for five seasons before Dick Sargent took over the role for the remainder of the series. According to the New York Times , Dick Y. left the show "when problems stemming from an old back injury, including overdependence on painkillers, forced him to leave."

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4M2GN6_0vVEvSOA00 — He reportedly passed out while on the *Bewitched* set and was hospitalized, which was one of the inciting incidents that led to his departure from the show.
Upon departing the show, Dick Y. reportedly told the Sacrament Bee in 1969, "Five years as Liz’s husband on *Bewitched* ; there are no hard feelings,” he said. “I just want a chance to do other stage and movie roles."
ABC / Via youtube.com

7. In Shameless Season 1, Ian befriends Mandy, played by Jane Levy, who has feelings for him. Later, Ian reveals he's gay, and he ends up with her brother, Mickey. Following Season 1, Jane departed the series, and Emma Greenwell took over the role for the remainder of Shameless .

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=23116r_0vVEvSOA00 — Mandy marked Jane's first TV role, she told Backstage , "My first scene I ever did was me pouncing on Cameron Monaghan and taking his pants off, essentially pretending to go down on him."
While she loved the show, she ultimately left after she booked *Suburgatory* , which she felt was a special opportunity. The series ran for three seasons on ABC from 2011 to 2014.
Showtime

8. In True Blood Season 6, Luke Grimes played James; however, when the show returned for Season 7, and James began a romantic relationship with Lafayette, Luke was replaced by Nathan Parsons. Originally citing creative differences, it was later revealed that Luke was reportedly uncomfortable playing a gay character.

9. In Game of Thrones Season 3, Ed Skrein played Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen's love interest; however, after the season, he was replaced by Michiel Huisman. At the time, Ed told EW , "My plan was to stay with Game of Thrones for the long haul. That was always my plan. I would have loved to. It was a wonderful experience, but politics led to us parting ways."

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3aehaP_0vVEvSOA00 — Recently, Ed and Michiel starred together in Netflix's *Rebel Moon* , and Ed discussed what it was like working together, telling the Hollywood Reporter , "There were no awkward standoffs with him or anyone in the cast. Michiel is a good dude. He’s a really good dude, and I loved spending time with him on set."
He continued, saying, "So that's the way it goes. People will replace me in the future and I will replace other people in the future, and I'll be a gentleman about it at all times."
HBO

10. Daniel Sharman portrayed Isaac in two seasons of Teen Wolf and was notably Allison's boyfriend while she and Scott were broken up. Following Allison's death, Isaac simply disappeared from Beacon Hills and never appeared again after Season 3.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4HPczW_0vVEvSOA00 — Prior to Season 4, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Daniel would not be returning to the show. He reportedly asked to pursue other opportunities, with *Teen Wolf* creator Jeff Davis telling fans that Isaac would not be killed off but would simply be absent from Beacon Hills.
Daniel's departure came around the same time both Crystal Reed and Max Carver left the show, with Allison and Aiden both being killed off.
MTV

11. In The Goldbergs Season 4, Adam's girlfriend Jackie is introduced, and Rowan Blanchard portrays her. Rowan played the role for 11 episodes. However, when Jackie returned in Season 6 after their breakup, she was now played by Alexis G. Zall. At the time of the recast, creator Adam F. Goldberg tweeted , "I did not recast anyone. The actress passed for the season."

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4D3vZT_0vVEvSOA00 — At the time, there were reportedly rumors that Rowan was fired from the production. In a series of follow-up tweets Adam discussed Alexis' casting further and Rowan's departure. He tweeted , "I never said a word that @AlexisGZall has taken over for Jackie cause I wanted people to be as shocked as Adam. This story is true, the real @JackieRGeary returned from NYC all cool and fringy. I'm so lucky we found Alexis! She's brilliant and my high school romance lives on..."
He continued, tweeting , "Let me make this clear. I didn’t fire her and never would’ve. She turned us down and that meant having the character vanish and this is my life and Jackie didn’t vanish suddenly. Their story continues."
ABC

12. In the pilot episode of Arrow , Jacqueline MacInnes Wood portrayed Sara Lance, who was secretly having an affair with Oliver when they shipwrecked five years before he returned to Starling City. When Sara returned in Season 2, after Oliver believed she was dead, Jacqueline was replaced by Caity Lotz.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OW3wF_0vVEvSOA00 — Jacqueline was reportedly replaced due to scheduling conflicts that prevented her from appearing on *Arrow* in an expanded role.
Caity went on to play Sara for the remainder of *Arrow* and even led the spinoff series *Legends of Tomorrow* , which she starred in until the show ended in 2022 after 110 episodes.
The CW

13. And finally, Nick Jonas guest-starred in Last Man Standing in Season 1 as Ryan, Kristin's ex and father of her son. He appeared in one episode before he was replaced by Jordan Masterson, who played the character for the remainder of the series.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OpxB3_0vVEvSOA00 — *Last Man Standing* notably made several major casting changes over the years, including several of the main characters.
Jordan replaced Nick after the role of Ryan became bigger, with Ryan and Kristin eventually getting married.
ABC

We can't fit everyone into one post, so tell us which other TV love interests disappeared or were recast in the comments below.

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Comments / 2

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NotSoCommonAnymore

1h ago

I wonder if AI Reporters get coffee breaks.

jem from ny

3h ago

Tv shows do that , they forget America housewife with Anna cat , she was replaced, also Carol from growing pains she was replaced by Tracy gold was not in the first episode. Same with Dj from Roseanne Michael fismen was not in the first episode as well. I also thought that the save by the bells with Tory made no sense she was there for a few episodes then she disappeared.

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