‘The Young and the Restless’: 3 of the Worst Recasts
Like many soap operas, The Young and the Restless has had to recast roles. Adam Newman and Phyllis Summers are a few characters who’ve had multiple portrayers. While some recasts are great, others had fans criticizing the show’s casting decisions. Here’s a look at a few of the worst recasts.
‘The Young and the Restless’ fans still haven’t accepted Melissa Ordway as the Abby Newman recast
As a The Young and the Restless legacy character, Abby Newman has been recast several times. General Hospital actors Hayley Erin and Emme Rylan are two of the actors to portray the blonde heiress. Rylan’s performance as Abby is considered the best so far.
Rylan brought out Abby’s quirky side with The Naked Heiress gimmick. But she also showed the character’s vulnerable side during the fallout of Abby running over Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John). After three years in the role, Rylan was replaced by Hollywood Heights star Melissa Ordway in April 2013.
Although Ordway’s been with the show for nearly a decade, some fans haven’t accepted her as Abby. Whether it’s the character’s bland personality or lack of creative storylines, Ordway’s had a tough time winning over viewers. On a Reddit thread, users discussed the actor’s performance as Abby.
“It doesn’t help that (while I like her) Melissa Ordway is one of the least talented actors in the cast,” wrote a commenter.
“She made the role of Abby her own after Emme Rylan left, but she’s simply not as good as some of the others,” wrote another viewer.
Despite the criticisms, Ordway remains a prominent player on the show. In May 2022, she was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actress Daytime Emmy.
‘Family Matters’ star Darius McCrary wasn’t believable as Malcolm Winters
Malcolm Winters is a beloved member of the Winters family. From 1994 to 2005, Shemar Moore played the Daytime Emmy-winning role of Neil Winters’ (Kristoff St. John) brother. After 11 years, Moore left the soap opera to star in the primetime thriller Criminal Minds.
When The Young and the Restless producers were looking to recast, they needed a big name to fill Moore’s shoes. They found their guy with former Family Matters star Darius McCrary. While the soap opera role reunited McCrary with his former co-star Bryton James, the actor wasn’t reliable as Malcolm. After nearly two years, McCrary was fired from the show in September 2011.
Moore would take time out of his busy schedule to reprise his role as Malcolm for a few episodes. His final appearance as Malcolm came in April 2019, when he returned for Neil’s funeral.
Maura West wasn’t a good fit as the Diane Jenkins recast on ‘The Young and the Restless’
Diane Jenkins is one of Genoa City’s famous vixens and was previously played by Alex Donnelley and Susan Walters. In 2010, The Young and the Restless recast the role with Daytime Emmy winner Maura West. West made her debut in October of that year, a month after the cancellation of As the World Turns.
A powerhouse actor like West would’ve done wonders as Diane. But after seven months, she was fired, and Diane was “killed” in a murder mystery storyline. West later admitted she jumped too quickly at accepting the job and had concerns about the role. “It was very clear to me, even by week two, this was not a character anyone was particularly invested in,” the actor revealed to Michael Fairman TV.
While things didn’t work out in Genoa City, West found success at General Hospital as Ava Jerome. Meanwhile, Walters reprised her role as Diane in March 2022 when The Young and the Restless decided to bring the character back from the dead.
