Why The First Actor Who Played Claire On ‘My Wife & Kids’ Was Replaced
On My Wife and Kids, Claire joined the ranks as one of the best sitcom kids on television. Along with her siblings Michael Jr. and Kady, she butted heads with her parents Michael and Janet for five memorable seasons.
Claire, as played by Jennifer Freeman, was beloved for her ditziness but didn’t start out that way. The Wayans family sitcom began with Claire having not only a different personality than viewers grew to love but she was also played by a totally different actor.
Why was Jazz Raycole replaced as Claire Kyle in ‘My Wife and Kids?’
For My Wife and Kids Season 1, actor Jazz Raycole played middle child Claire Kyle. She was spunky, talented and a central part of the show. But when the second season aired, Raycole was noticeably absent and a different actor, Jennifer Freeman, had taken over her role.
Additionally, the personalities of the characters were vastly different. When Raycole starred as Claire, she was filled with sass and talent. Freeman’s version of Claire was ditzy to say the least. The change was hard for fans of the show to adjust to.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Raycole revealed that producers ultimately decided they wanted someone older in the role of Claire. The actor was only 12 years old when she booked the gig. Aging up the character allowed the My Wife and Kids writers to create a wider range of storylines for future seasons.
‘My Wife and Kids’ aired for 5 seasons
My Wife and Kids starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an upper-middle-class African-American family who rules his household with pranks instead of a belt. He outsmarts his three children time and time again with wit and humorous wisdom.
The show was co-created and co-produced by Wayans and veteran television writer and producer Don Reo.
For five seasons, the show had good to favorable ratings among households. It won a variety of awards, including NAACP Image Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and BET Comedy Awards.
Tisha Campbell-Martin played Michael’s wife and partner-in-crime, Jay. The Kyle’s three children were played by unknown child actors at the time. George O. Gore played the eldest Junior, Jennifer Freeman starred as Claire and Parker McKenna Posey played their youngest daughter, Kady.
What are the Claire actors from ‘My Wife and Kids’ doing now?
Despite losing her role as Claire on My Wife and Kids, Jazz Raycole continued to act in the following years. She has made guest appearances on series such as Everybody Hates Chris, The Office, and New Girl. Raycole currently plays Izzy Letts on the Netflix drama The Lincoln Lawyer.
Jennifer Freeman has also found consistent acting work following her turn as Claire on My Wife and Kids. She has appeared in the TV series The O.C., Tales, and Pumped. Freeman can also be seen in TV movies such as A Royal Surprise, Infamously in Love, and Aisle Be Home for Christmas.
