Why keep reusing actors?

[RedDragon86]

On 9/6/2023 at 2:03 PM, Detective_Crockett said:

I think the most silliest re-use/recycle of an actor was John Leguizamo as a random gangster in Season 5 - Victim Of Circumstance. Did they really think we wouldn’t notice Orlando Calderone? That in my opinion was just pure laziness or just daft, even by the late 80’s standard, it’s silly. The man played a Calderone, the biggest bad name in the entire franchise. At least when they reused Miguel Pinero as Esteban Revilla in Prodigal Son (yeah, I know.. same first name as Calderone) at least I didn’t recognise him at first until it was pointed out to me that it was him. I would love to know what they were thinking casting John again and truly thinking people wouldn’t notice 

I agree, seeing John Leguizamo again in 5 was a mistake. 

Ned Eisenberg return as Charlie Glide was a great call and so was recasting Miguel Pinero as Esteban Revilla because like you said he was unrecognizable, the first time a watched "The Prodigal Son" I didn't notice that it was him, maybe even 2 times watching it.

Miguel deserved another episode for writing "Smugglers Blues" 

Edited September 7, 2023 by RedDragon86

[apocalypse]

Has anyone counted how many times this actor was used as a bad guy? I bet many times.

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by apocalypse

[Tom]

vor 7 Stunden schrieb apocalypse:

Has anyone counted how many times this actor was used as a bad guy? I bet many times.

 

That’s Joe Hess, an ex-cop and quite well known martial arts trainer eg for law enforcement agencies and part time actor. 
 

https://www.usadojo.com/joe-hess/

[Noggie]

The only one that jarred me at the time was Bill Smitrovich showing up in “Prodigal Son”.  I started watching Vice near the middle of season one so I didn’t see the pilot until it ran over the summer. It was a Sunday night.   I was hyped up for the season 2 premiere, I sit down to watch, and there’s the dirty cop from the pilot. I waited to see how he redeemed himself & then realized he was a diffeeent character. That was just an odd choice. 
 

Miguel Pinero I had no clue about until much later. He was good!! 

[Ferrariman]

Back in the day I don't think they ever thought that anybody would be watching these episodes 100 times and analysing ever little detail.  So " let's just use this guy again, he was good to work with"  Probably cheaper too! 

[Robbie C.]

It still happens today, honestly. They just shuffle them from one franchise show to another. Both the NCIS shows and anything Dick Wolf does frequently reuse minor actors in different roles. Sometimes they even turn into larger gigs. Both the actors who ended up playing ADA Barba and Caresi played minor roles prior to landing their jobs. It's very, very common.

[pahonu]

I would also add that the concept of a TV series or even a series of films having a “universe” wasn’t widespread.  I think this concept may lead younger fans to be surprised that, in the past, producers had no qualms about reusing actors or having less than logical backstories.  There were three different James Bonds from 1962 to 1973 and different Bloefelds, plus two different Darren’s and Mrs. Kravitz on Bewitched. 

Even after the blockbuster original Star Wars trilogy ended in 1983, the concept of a “Star Wars universe” wasn’t a concept among fans.  Perhaps Trekkies were the first to become so obsessed with all the minutiae of a TV series, and William Shatner, no less poked fun at them on SNL.  Today, the idea of a “franchise” having a “universe” is widespread, but it just wasn’t in the past.