Soap Opera Actors Who Simply Cannot Be Recast

Published on August 30, 2022.

Just because a soap opera character is legendary doesn’t mean the actor behind the role is just as important. Take a look at The Bold and the Beautiful’s (B&B) Ridge Forrester, General Hospital’s (GH) Drew Cain, The Young and the Restless’ (Y&R) Billy Abbott and Days Of Our Lives’ (DOOL) EJ DiMera; they’re all fan-favorites, yet they’ve also survived being recasted in recent years! So let’s look at a special group of soap opera performers who are so entwined with their characters, they simply cannot be recast!

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12. John McCook as Eric Forrester (B&B)

John McCook is a flagship performer in every sense of the term; he’s part of the fabric of B&B, in no small part because he has portrayed Eric Forrester since the soap’s very first episode! Over the decades, Eric Forrester has explored just about every storyline possible – including a unique 2021 narrative whereby he allowed his wife to have an affair because he was unable to perform in the bedroom. John McCook took home a Daytime Emmy award for that performance, 35 years after his debut in the role. Good luck recasting that!

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11. Jon Lindstrom As Kevin Collins / Ryan Chamberlain (GH)

GH viewers are spoiled for choice with Jon Lindstrom. The actor frequently appears on the ABC soap as Kevin Collins, an astute and charismatic doctor, and less frequently as identical twin (and serial killer) Ryan Chamberlain. Both characters are a treat to watch, although the latter role naturally gets the juicier scenes. Lindstrom has created so much depth in both characters that the torment between twins feels genuinely tragic, and it would be impossible to recast this performer with two actors, let alone one!

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10. Bryton James As Devon Hamilton (Y&R)

Bryton James has been acting since he was two years old, and debuted on Y&R when he was eighteen. Fans can attribute James’ screen presence to a lifetime of performing, but it doesn’t hurt that longtime viewers have literally watched him grow up! He isn’t just the only actor to portray Devon Hamilton, he’s the only actor who ever can – thanks to the tutelage he received from working alongside his on-screen adoptive dad, Kristoff St. John, for so many years. With his casual but powerful performances, James would be an impossible performer to replace.

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9. John Aniston As Victor Kiriakis (DOOL)

Salem wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the devious Victor Kiriakis, and Victor wouldn’t exist without John Aniston. Both character and actor originate from Greece, although that’s thankfully where the biography parallels end! Aniston has never been a mobster or business tycoon, but he portrays one with a gravitas which has become legendary. Victor will always be a dominating force in Salem; that is, until Aniston retires.

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8. Kin Shriner as Scott Baldwin (GH)

Scott Baldwin is Port Charles’ loveable, slime-ball lawyer. He’s quirky and scatter-brained and 100% irreplaceable, which should come as no surprise, since actor Kin Shriner has been perfecting his portrayal over the past 45 years! However, when the actor recently tweeted that he felt as though GH had mistreated him, fans rushed to support him. Scotty might one day leave Port Charles, but he’ll never be recast. Fans would riot!

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7. Joshua Morrow As Nick Newman (Y&R)

Fans have been following Nicholas Newman’s highs and lows ever since Joshua Morrow debuted in the role back in 1994. He, alongside Eric Braeden, Melody Thomas Scott and ex-Victoria Heather Tom, formed the backbone of the Newman family. And even though Tom moved on to B&B many years ago, scenes between Nick and his parents are very special occasions — they are truly family. Adding to his timeless appeal, the actor has crazy chemistry with several leading ladies.

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6. Drake Hogestyn As John Black (DOOL)

Viewers who grew up watching DOOL in the 1980s and 1990s often identify Drake Hogestyn as the star of the soap, not necessarily because he was the main draw but because his character was the flashiest. John Black – a man who doesn’t even know who he is – became the poster boy for DOOL, while his thriller storylines made him a rare action hero in a daytime drama. The mystery around Black is so convoluted at this point that viewers may never learn his true identity, but it hardly matters. Black is Hogestyn, now and forever.

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5. Don Diamont As Bill Spencer (B&B)

CBS has already acknowledged that there’s just no recasting any Don Diamont character. That’s why they chose to drown Brad Carlton on Y&R, despite the ridiculousness around that demise — because nobody else could play Brad Carlton. Diamont was quickly welcomed over to sister-soap B&B, where he has been relishing in a role of Bill Spencer ever since. Describing Spencer as “the role of a lifetime”, Diamont knows that nobody else can perform his tightrope act of the righteous bad guy — because the character was literally designed for him!

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4. Steve Burton As Jason Morgan (GH)

Steve Burton IS Jason Morgan. If there was ever any doubt on this matter, it was settled the last time GH tried to recast the role. Billy Miller is a sensational actor and won himself a lot of fans, but it was a telling course-correction when GH revealed that ‘never mind, this guy isn’t Jason – he’s Drew’. Burton made his thrilling return to the role in 2017 but was fired in 2021 over his refusal to comply with ABC’s health mandate. With Burton’s sudden exit, Jason Morgan was presumed deceased in a rubble on Cassadine Island. Will he ever return? Only if Burton does!

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3. Peter Bergman As Jack Abbott (Y&R)

It’s hard to believe that anyone played Jack Abbott prior to Peter Bergman. The Cuban-born actor has been a pillar on the CBS soap since the early 90s, clashing with other heavy hitters like Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Brad Carlton (Don Diamont). His classic style, commanding voice and dashing blue eyes have also made him a popular leading man opposite actresses like Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki). Recently, Bergman inked a five-year deal with Y&R – which is almost unheard of in daytime television – which will assure viewers that Jack isn’t going anywhere!

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2. Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos (GH) 

Sonny Corinthos is such a rare and complicated character because he’s been instilled with certain attributes of portrayer Maurice Benard. Both the character and actor suffer from bipolar disorder and have struggled to keep their lives in order as a result. More recently, Sonny’s father passed away from Alzheimers, a tragedy which also happened in Benard’s family. Sonny and Maurice are fused at this point, and GH fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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1. Eric Braeden As Victor Newman (Y&R)

Eric Braeden entered Y&R on a brief three-month contract and quickly changed the game. As Victor Newman’s fandom grew, Braeden demanded more complexity to his character. As a result, Victor’s orphan past was introduced to underpin his misdeeds with some tortured psychology. Now that Braeden has given over 40 years of his life to playing the character, there’s really nothing the Moustache hasn’t done in his wild life – except be recast, which is obviously out of the question!