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42 TV and Movie Characters Who Changed Big Time While No One Was Looking

March 17, 2024

A writer can spend years of their life perfecting their precious pilot. Then, if they have the misfortune of having it picked up to series, they suddenly have to write endless new episodes of the same show. So it’s only natural that some of their characters will undergo an off-screen lobotomy here and there.

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42

Characters that weren't supposed to last NoHo Hank on Barry The character was supposed to die in the pilot, but then Bill Hader told show co-creator Alec Berg, We'd be insane to kill that guy. He's so funny. In the second episode, Hank appeared in a sling and beaten up, having survived. CRACKED.COM — Source

41

Characters that weren't supposed to last - Countries Studies Training - - de - DUND - LA E - MIFFI - - . - PAREN - THE - with 1st Q - المملكة and في Memo Andy Bernard on The Office Ed Helms was only hired for ten episodes, but the writers liked him and his character so much that they brought him back again and again, even having him replace Michael Scott later in the series. CRACKED.COM — Source

40

Characters that weren't supposed to last The Fonz on Happy Days Henry Winkler's iconic role was supposed to be occasional and speak sparingly. Audiences loved him whenever he spoke, so the role kept growing MIGRETAR and growing as seasons went on. CRACKED.COM — Source

39

Characters that weren't supposed to last Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad The now-favorite murdering grandpa was created because Bob Odenkirk had a shooting conflict, and the script needed a character to relay information. Vince Gilligan liked both characters, so he kept writing episodes involving them. CRACKED.COM — Source

38

Characters that weren't supposed to last t Steve A Steve Harrington on Stranger Things The Duffer Brothers have stated that Steve was being set up to be killed off, but Joe Keery's performance (and the audience's positive response to the character) made them change their mind. CRACKED.COM — Source

37

Parks and Recreation

Characters that weren't supposed to last Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt's character was supposed to just disappear once Ann Perkins dumps him in the first season. However, show creator Mike Schur thought Pratt was too funny not to use, so he and writers slowly altered his character to be more loveable and sweet to keep him around. CRACKED.COM — Source

36

Characters that weren't supposed to last The Janitor on Scrubs The Janitor was only supposed to last in the first season, and be revealed as a figment of J.D.'s imagination. However, Neil Flynn was so good and funny at ad libbing that show creator Bill Lawrence changed course. CRACKED.COM — Source

35

Characters that weren't supposed to last Steve Urkel on Family Matters Jaleel White's nerdy neighbor was only supposed to be for one-off appearances, but got so popular with viewers that he eventually became the central character of the entire sitcom! CRACKED.COM — Source

34

Law & Order: SVU

Characters that weren't supposed to last Odafin Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU Ice T was only brought in as a replacement for four episodes, but tested so well that he became a series regular for over 20 years. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

Milhouse

Characters that weren't supposed to last SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Milhouse Van Houten on The Simpsons Milhouse was created for a Matt Groening pitch for NBC that didn't get picked up, and then used for a Simpsons-themed Butterfinger commercial. The character was then added to the cartoon's pilot episode and, well, everything came up Milhouse. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

Characters that weren't supposed to last Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad Show creator Vince Gilligan thought of killing off Pinkman early in the series, but after pitching the idea to the show producers and seeing their reaction, he reconsidered. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Characters that weren't supposed to last Sue Sylvester on Glee Jane Lynch was attached to a different project as Glee started, so she couldn't commit to a recurring character. The other project wasn't picked up, though, and Lynch could work full time on creating an environment that is so toxic. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Characters that weren't supposed to last Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spike was supposed to be just a one-off villain for Buffy to slay (that's the show, after all), but was kept around to become a fully rounded character. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

Characters that weren't supposed to last I - He-lo - HREE GOOD ASONS O BAY FUR I I - re Tre S Rush Summer Roberts on The О.С. Rachel Bilson only had three lines in the pilot, but show creator Josh Schwartz was so on VI impressed with her and her chemistry with Adam Brody that he wrote her into a regular role. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

The Golden Girls

Characters that weren't supposed to last Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls Estelle Getty was only supposed to be in the pilot episode, but the audience loved her so much that she was added to the main cast. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Popeye was hired for just one gig, then stayed forever. In 1929, the characters of the comic strip Thimble Theater needed a crew for their boat, so they hired this grizzled, one-eyed sailor they met on the docks. The audience loved the new character, so Olive Oyl POPEYE dumped her long-term boyfriend for him. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Xena was supposed to die very soon. Xena was created for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and was intended to kick the bucket after a three-episode arc. But the producers wanted a spin-off, and thought this new character could carry her own show, so she ended up surviving - and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS overshadowing the original series. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

CRACKED.COM Jason Voorhees barely shows up in the original movie. The villain in Friday the 13th is Pamela Voorhees, Jason's mother, seeking revenge for her son's death. Murderous Jason doesn't show up until the sequel- FRIDAY THE 13TH and he only gets his hockey mask in part three. — Source

24

The Smurfs were throwaway characters. The Belgian comic Johan and Peewit had been running for six years when the little blue fellas showed up as a part of a specific story. They ended up becoming so popular that Peyo, the comic's creator, reluctantly parked the main characters to focus on the Smurfs. SMURFS CRACKED.COM — Source

23

Inspector Clouseau was only comic relief. The Pink Panther was intended as a vehicle for David Niven, with Clouseau as a bumbling police detective failing to catch Niven's suave thief. But Peter Sellers' comedy act stole the spotlight, so the sequels dropped the crime drama and THE PINK PANTHER focused only on Closeau's antics. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

CRACKED COM The Daleks were supposed to be a one-time threat. The all-evil, pepper shaker aliens were created early in Doctor Who's history-and by the end of the story, they had all been destroyed. But they proved to be so popular that they were brought back over and DOCTOR WHO over, becoming the show's most iconic monsters. — Source

21

CRACKED.COM The Smoking Man has four words in Season 1. The Smoking Man was at first just a bit player in a vast conspiracy. As the show went on, he ended up THE X-FILES becoming Mulder's main (and unkillable) nemesis. — Source

20

CRACKED.COM Miles O'Brien didn't even have a name. The everyman Irish engineer was completely nameless in the first episode of The Next Generation, and didn't get a full name until the show's fourth season. From a mere extra, he grew STAR TREK up to be a regular in two different Trek series. — Source

19

CRACKED.COM President Josiah Bartlet was created as a background character. UNITED The West Wing was conceived as a show about the White House's staff, with the president only showing up every now and then. But after shooting the pilot, executive producers Aaron Sorkin and John Wells THE WEST WING went, Nope, this guy needs a bigger part. — Source

18

CRACKED.COM Phil Coulson was called only Agent at first. Clark Gregg was initially reluctant to take such a small, nameless role for Iron Man. The character was progressively beefed up, though-up to the point of becoming the factor MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE that unites the Avengers. — Source

17

Harley Quinn was created to wheel in a cake. For an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, writer Paul Dini needed someone to bring a big cake for Joker to burst out of-so he gave him a female henchman, in the style of 1960s villains. She wasn't given a BATMAN backstory until some time later. CRACKED.COM — Source

16

CRACKED.COM Kim Wexler was more or less disposable. Kim was created as a broadly defined tempering influence for Jimmy McGill, with the creators open to the possibility that she might become less important with time. She became an increasingly complex character instead, with her own arc being BETTER CALL SAUL one of the show's driving forces. — Source

15

Bucky Barnes Sidekick - START CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER Villain MARVEL CAPTAIN AMERICA THE WINTER SOLD Hero AVENGERS MARVEL STUDIO INDINITY WAL CRACKED COM — Source

14

STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE Season 1 illiterate juvenile delinquent NOG Season 7 Starfleet Officer, War Hero CRACKED.COM — Source

13

CRACKED.COM Kitty Forman That 70s Show In the beginning By the end Someone She's quirky, she laughs a make her lot, and a drink. is hilarious She's an when she alchoholic! breaks from her sweetness Hahahahaha to be sassy. HILARIOUS! — Source

12

GILMORE GIRLS: RORY GILMORE Season 1 The Perfect Daughter Obedient Studious Family-Oriented Go-Getter The Drop-Out Season 8 Yacht-Stealer Yale Dropout Rejects well-off boyfriend's marriage proposal The Nowhere Girl Reboot Unemployed In an affair with her engaged ex (the same one who proposed to her) Pregnant GRAGKED.COM — Source

11

BROOKLYN CRACKED.COM NINE-NINE JAKE PERALTA SEASON 1 SEASON 6 - Stubborn - Team Player - Manchild - Mature - Thinks He's - Good Friend and Always Right Better Husband — Source

10

HOMER SIMPSON tHe SIMPSONS SEASON 1: BY SEASON 30: GOOD-HEARTED UNFEELING DIMWIT CLOWN CRACKED.COM — Source

9

GRAGKED.COM KING THE FOR HILL OVERCONFIDENT, NARCISSIST BUTLEN WHO WELL-MEANING BUTCHERS THE VOICE OF REASON. SPANISH LANGUAGE. SEASON SEASON 1 13 PEGGY — Source

8

GAME OF THRONES Sansa Stark Season 1 Daydreaming for the perfect fantasy, fooled by everyone. Season 8 Working for a better reality, making fools of everyone. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

F.R.I.E.N.D.S ROSS GELLER A shy, sweet, and likeable divorcee getting over his pregnant lesbian ex-wife, while playing the role of big brother to his friends and winning over his childhood sweetheart. SEASON 1 A neurotic, loud, and annoying 3-time divorcee whose list of romances now includes his best-friends' exes, his ex-wife's sister, his under-aged student, and his cousin.. and in the end still pines for his childhood sweetheart. SEASON 10 CRACKED.COM — Source

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CRACKED.COM Br eaking 35 جمهر 100.00 Ba d DE 24-99-1 HANK SCHRADER SEASON 1 SEASON 5 The typical macho A complex, smart, cop you've seen in obsessive, vulnerable yet many shows who cracks lame jokes. heroic character. — Source

5

GRACKED.COM FAMILY GUY Stewie Griffin Season 1: A pint-sized SUZUVE PARTS collection of 515 مص FREE ZING Races supervillain tropes مومر - STOR - played for humorous effect. Season 17: The specific supervillain trope of queer- coding, beaten to death past the point of humor. — Source

4

Kenneth Parcell 30ROCK KENNI IN EN AIR SEASON 1: SEASON 7: A LOVABLE A GROTESQUE HICK IMMORTAL CRACKED.COM — Source

3

Michael Scott of the office Season 1: An inconsiderate imbecile with a bit of a mean streak. Season 7: Just a big lovable goofball who can't get it right. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

CRACKED COM Harry Potter Severus Snape THE Quintessential PHILOSOPHER'S Slytherin and STONE the embodiment of all its values, who's bullying Harry Potter. THE DEATHLY Quintessential HALLOWS Gryffindor and PART 2 the embodiment of all its values, who's protecting Harry Potter. — Source

1

DIANE NGUYEN Then: The voice of reason. 3 Now: and Female Bojack. GRACKED.COM — Source

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