Fall TV: New NCIS and Other Shows Recast Lead Roles
Reiko Aylesworth, Louise Lombard and Julia Ormond
New shows that looked good enough for a fall pick-up are fine-tuning their casts before going into production.
For starters, CSI alum Louise Lombard will not be making the trek to NCIS: Los Angeles, despite having appeared in the two NCIS episodes that served as a backdoor pilot. The spin-off instead will recast its female lead.
Similarly, says the Hollywood Reporter, CBS' Three Rivers is on the hunt for a new head of transplant surgery, now that the decision has been made to replace Julia Ormond. Any ladies out there want to work with Alex O'Loughlin...?
[Stampede]
Recent Lostie Reiko Aylesworth can forget about being part of The Forgotten, as the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced ABC drama is recasting not just her amateur detective but also the lead character played by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones.
The Good Wife, starring Julianna Margulies as a lawyer forced back to work when her hubby (Chris Noth) is imprisoned, has to divorce itself from Gillian Jacobs. Jacobs was recurring on the CBS drama, but has a series regular gig on the new NBC comedy Community.
And speaking of comedies, NBC's 100 Questions will be replacing Amir Talai (The Ex List), who in the pilot played the dating service rep who works with Sophie Winkleman's Charlotte. Well-placed sources tell me Louise Lombard is available.
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