ALEX7000.net - Bionic Woman Fan Forum

Paul117 · Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:57 pm Jaime's Sister recast?

I've just read a rumour that Mae Whitman's character is being recast, apparently the character is no longer deaf, and is 15 years old. As far as i'm aware this is just a rumour, not seen anything official about this, but this could make sense, because on the NBC site over the past week the messages have been clogged up with complaints about casting a hearing person for a deaf character. Perhaps rather than alienating another community NBC have decided to avoid any controvesy and recast the part. Any thoughts ?

Judd · Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:57 pm

It's possible. NBC does pay attention to the message boards. They might either recast the part with a deaf actress or change Becca's character and keep Mae. Either way some parts of the pilot will have to be reshot which isn't unusual.

I've seen actors with sight play blind characters and no one was offended. NBC might have read some of the concerns expressed with a hearing actress playing a deaf character and decided to change the character.

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:59 am

Where did you here this rumor? If this is true it could explain the reports that production was pushed back to July 2 to July 24.

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:23 am

Somebody posted the story at IMDB. Ther is now an extended trailer at NBC.com's Fall Preview page with extended scenes and nor Becca Sommers. Becca's scenes from the pilot will have to be reshot. Is this a bad sign, that NBC is worried about BW's chances come fall? recasting this late could end up giving BW and NBC itself bad publicity.

moxx of balhoom · Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:04 am

Well that's an interesting twist.

I know there was some concern over at IMDB concerning Mae whitman's casting, and I can emphasise with those who feel it was a slight against genuine deaf actresses, but as Judd says seeing actors get cast as blind people all the time (Alicia Masters in the Fantastic 4 Movies is an example that springs to mind).

There's a whole debate here about positive descrimination vs casting the best actor for the role but that's far too complex for this hour of the morning

Robin · Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:07 pm

Hi Folks, I am new here but have been lurking for a while. I am very psyched for the show to start. I wouldn't be too worried about the recasting. Here in the states we have a show called Brothers and Sisters, which I love. Another actress who played the mother of the family had shot the pilot and was replaced with Sally Field last summer. Well, the show is a hit. So I wouldn't take this as a bad sign. Things like this happen a lot after pilots are shot.

moxx of balhoom · Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:37 pm

Welcome aboard Robin, :D

You're right of course, it's not unheard of for pilots to be recast (remember William Shatner replacing Jeffrey Hunter on Star Trek? :lol: ) that's why they make the pilot after all to determine what works and what doesn't.

I think our concern is more to do with how public and how last minute this decision seems to be, these things are usually determined behind closed doors before casting announcements are made. This is a relatively late turnaround and added to the furore that surrounded Ms Whitman's casting in the first place it's another potential weapon for the Eick-haters to try and use against us. :evil:

Still we will see what we will see. We just have to trust the producers to do the right thing.

Robin · Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:07 pm

I hear ya. I try and be optimistic about these things. I remember last year with the Brothers and Sisters scenario: not only did they replace a key cast member, but there were behind the scenes issues with the writers and showrunners, which made a lot of press. It kind of aimed to be a bad sign but the show turned out great. I am hoping NBC has patience because it takes a while for a show to find itself.

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:08 pm

The old trailer NBC.com's Falll preview page has been replaced with a new one that's twice as long with extended scenes and dialogue. Michelle speaks a lot more. There's no Mae Whitman at all. I think it's not a rumor that she's being recast. At the end of the trailer it says 9.26.07.

moxx of balhoom · Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:19 pm

Must watch that new trailer when time permits.

Am i right in saying that Mae whitman's picture has been removed from the publicity as well?

I thought at first that the recasting was due to them deciding to go with a genuine deaf actress, but the story on the imdb boards (which of course could be mere idle speculation) is that they've ditched the deaf angle too. Suggests therefore that things were not working out with Mae

Given that most of her scenes would presumably be with Michelle, perhaps there was a lack of chemistry between the two?

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:00 pm

The new, still under construction site www.bionicwebsite.com is reporting this also. There is link to it at cool scifi forums.

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:10 pm

Didn't sombody at IMDb say another reason Mae is being replaced is because is Eick in comapnt or people at NBC Televison Studios( now remaned Universail Media Studios, I think? thought Mae was not attractive enough for the role? Are they planning, if BW is a hit to spin Becca off into her own series, Bionic Girl?
Look how fast the created a spin off for Heroes with Heroes: Origins. Are they hoping for the same with BW? It's rumored the the new Kara Zo-Rel who's joing the cast of Smallville this fall might be spun off into her own series.

Robin · Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:23 pm

There was starting to be a big backlash on the NBC site about a non-hearing impaired actress playing a deaf person. Maybe the network just thought it would be more trouble than it was worth. Or maybe they looked down the road at the series and that storyline just wasn't going to work out. It's funny, I haven't seen this on any other news outlets but it has to be true when viewing the new clips.

alex · Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:39 pm

I guess I need to throw my two cents in the ring and say I am disapointed if Mae is out of the show, as I really liked what i saw of her in the initial trailers/clips. Yes, as an actress she had full hearing, and you could maybe pick fault with her signing [?], but like I read on the NBC site... it's a only a TV show and yes, she is an actress.

There has been speculation she would have got her hearing back once the show got underway, which would justified casting her in the first place. If NBc have made their decision solely based on the feedback on the NBC site, this is kind of worrying. The Pilot has even aired yet and we're already pandering to a small minority [no offense to anyone, here] of posters. What IF the Pilot has aired and she'd got rave reviews and a big fan folowing amoungst teenage girls?

I understand about re-cast roles during Pilots and before shows air [look at STAR TREK:VOYAGER, that worked out great with the re-casting of Captain Janeway], but to have previews of the Pilot AND post clips online and THEN re-cast? There may be more to this than we have heard, if that's the case and their were issues with Mae on-set, fine, but if it has come about on the back of the NBC posts, surely the producers should be dictating who plays the role, not the network??? Or is that naive of me?

Andy · Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:45 pm

Alex, the main production body for BW 2007 is not David Eick Productions, it's NBC TeleVision Studios( now renamed Universal Media Studios, I think). They had final say over who was cast as Jamie, not Eick. There seems to a awful lot of pressure at NBC to duplicate the success of Heores with BW. The decison to replace Mae most lilley came from someone like Katherine Pope, who was an early backer of BW and was promoted to head of NBC TV studios. NBC is very fearful of BW failing and does not want to rock the boat, you could say. NBC, as a network is in very, very bad shape right now. They need a big hit come this fall and have chosen to make BW that hit, by any means posible.