A TV series is a complicated and often exhausting process that can sometimes take years to complete. Or, in the case of most Netflix shows, two seasons.

Sorry, I am still bitter about Locke and Co.

With such a long production cycle, changes are bound to happen. Directors get hired, then fired. Writers come and go. Crew members shift constantly. All of them are pretty expendable if we are being honest. The one thing that usually remains the same throughout production is the cast. Once an actor is introduced as a character, that image tends to stick. Viewers get used to a certain face playing a certain role. You can’t just swap them out like set pieces.

Sometimes a network picks up a show and decides to make changes without telling anyone. Here are examples of well-known TV roles that were recast without most of us even realising.

Carol from Friends

Have you ever made a decision you instantly regretted? Looked back and wished so badly you could undo it? Well, at least you are not the actor who turned down a recurring role on one of the most popular TV shows of all time.

Friends is a global juggernaut. Even decades after its finale, it remains one of the most streamed shows ever.

The show’s main characters are loved by millions, but even the supporting cast made an impact. Carol and Susan, the couple raising Ross’ son Ben, were pioneers for LGBTQ representation on television. But what many people do not realise is that Carol was first played by a different actress.

In Season 1, Episode 2, Carol shows up at Ross’ museum to tell him she is pregnant and in that episode, she is played by Anita Barone. But the next time Carol appears, she is played by Jane Sibbett, the actress we now associate with the role.

So what happened? Was it studio interference? Poor chemistry? Actually, Barone turned down the part. She originally auditioned for one of the lead female roles but was instead offered the part of Carol. It was only supposed to be a three-episode deal, so she passed, hoping for something bigger.

Jane Sibbett later explained that the decision to expand Carol’s role came later. Executive producer Marta Kauffman liked what she was seeing and decided to make Carol a recurring character. Had Barone known this from the start, she might have made a very different decision.

Daario Naharis from Game of Thrones

Speaking of global hits, you can’t talk about television without mentioning Game of Thrones. Dragons, ice zombies, palace intrigue, and yes, a lot of nudity. Hey, it works..

Over its eight-season run, the show kept most of its massive cast intact. But there were a few recasts that flew under the radar.

One of the more noticeable ones was Daario Naharis. He is the charming and deadly sellsword who joins Daenerys Targaryen in her quest to conquer Westeros. In Season 3, he was played by Ed Skrein but in Season 4, Daario was suddenly played by Michiel Huisman.

The official explanation was scheduling conflicts. Skrein was cast as the lead in the Transporter reboot, and the studio claimed that was the reason for the switch. But in a later interview, Skrein hinted otherwise. He said that “politics led us to part ways” and left it at that. No one from the show ever gave a clearer explanation.

It is not hard to connect the dots. A high-profile movie role likely increased Skrein’s asking price. If the studio was not willing to renegotiate, that would explain the sudden change.

Harriet Winslow from Family Matters

Family Matters was actually a spin-off. It came from the show Perfect Strangers, the one where Larry and Balki do the Dance of Joy. The character that connected the two shows was Harriet Winslow.

In Perfect Strangers, Harriet worked as an elevator operator. That small role grew into a full series focused on her family. Family Matters became a massive success, and JoMarie Payton played Harriet for most of its run.

But if you watched closely during the ninth and final season, you might have noticed something strange. Harriet looked different. That is because she had been recast.

Payton later explained that she stepped away from the role because she felt creatively exhausted. She had played the character for nearly a decade. But rumours have persisted that behind-the-scenes tensions, especially with co-star Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel, played a part in her departure.

Nothing was ever officially confirmed, but where there is smoke, there is often fire.