Inner Circle Update - 2nd July 2025
Added 2025-07-02 13:35:17 +0000 UTCExpanding more on Danni's departure and what comes next.
Comments
I'm showing my age here. But back in the 1980's. the TV show DALLAS had to recast a major character for the 84-85 Season. Actress Barbara Bel Geddes had some health issues and missed the tail end of the 83-84 Season. So the producers recast the role of Miss Ellie Ewing ( JR Ewing's Mother ) with Donna Reed. They never made any reference to the recast on the show. They played it as though Miss Ellie was the same person. Now, Barbara Bel Geddes did return to the role ( how Donna Reed was let go is a whole other story ) for the 1986 season until the show's end in 1991. Let's also not forget that Chris Pine took over the role of James T. Kirk in Star Trek 2009. Playing a younger version of Kirk, but yet still managed to give you some nuances to William Shatner's version of Captain Kirk. I'm not try to downplay Danni's importance to TFD, or be disrespectful to her. I hope she finds happiness and much success in her future. Danni will always be Emily. I'm just saying that a recast can be done without having to make any references to it. That is unless you guys want to add something to Emily to acknowledge any visual or audio differences between the new actress and Danni. This is just my .2 cents. As someone who is not involved in the "entertainment industry". Just a listener/viewer.
JT Kirk
2025-07-02 21:56:01 +0000 UTCI can only imagine how both stressful and emotional this process has been, and will continue to be going forward. I echo several of your sentiments that you expressed here. For one, I think any thoughts or conversations about shifting the series away from Emily should be a non-starter. Just my opinion as a random Patreon subscriber, but you touched on the fact that the entire web of TfD that we have explored thus far revolves around Emily. We've gotten deeply invested in Emily over time. While Danni was a major part of that, I have all the faith in the world that the part can be recast with an actress who brings a similar level of talent and passion to the role. Secondly, I think trying to create this grand narrative reason for the change is both unnecessary, and is just another headache on a pile of worries that is already high enough. Especially considering your stated preference to cast someone with a similar profile to Danni in the first place. You acknowledge the casting change, and we move forward. Lastly, I would also like to give my initial support to Elle taking over the character going forward. I personally wouldn't be too hung up on the accent differences, if it's clearly acknowledged that there's a casting change, but I know others may feel differently. Regardless, I have full faith in the entire TfD team to navigate these uncertain times deftly, and you all have my continued full support!
Revenant
2025-07-02 20:55:45 +0000 UTCAs for updating the character, maybe have Emily go through a kind of regeneration in which she becomes more of a balance between her and her wolf persona.
Dane Beninger
2025-07-02 14:36:32 +0000 UTCWhile I am heartbroken that Danni is leaving, I am very happy for her on this new journey in her life and wish her nothing but the very best for the future to come.
Dane Beninger
2025-07-02 14:32:21 +0000 UTCIf it were purely voice only I'd absolutely be an easier sell, but as we're pushing the visuals more and more, it changes the ball game somewhat. Thanks for the vote of confidence Alec!
Team Tales from Davidstown
2025-07-02 13:55:30 +0000 UTCIn as far as the accent in concerned, we'd need to stay with the region (West Yorkshire) for constancy of character. I'd say Elle would be a good candidate for the role if she can pull it off - she stay with her native Scottish when we shot the demo's just purely because she'd had no time to prep in anything else and we agreed that the performance was more important for what we were doing at that time.
Team Tales from Davidstown
2025-07-02 13:52:58 +0000 UTCShows change characters all the time, as long as the voice is close enough I don't know if much will matter, it'll be confusing at first for people who are uninitiated in the history of TfD that join in later down the road, but really it's a simple thing to catch on, there wasn't a scandal or anything, so there's no drama involved in the recast, so it's probably not going to be that big of a sticking point in hindsight. You got this Cal (and Julia).
AlecWhitacreVO
2025-07-02 13:48:31 +0000 UTCThis feels like my old band breaking up all over again. Am I correct to assume you’re not going to consider Elle for the role of Emily because of her Scottish accent? Can she do a northern English accent?
howlingfan
2025-07-02 13:47:52 +0000 UTC
