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May 26, 2012

Dungey out, McDonald in on Private Practice

by Joel Keller, posted Jul 2nd 2007 8:01AM

Audra McDonaldHere's one of the big problems with airing your "pilot" episode as part of the run of the series from which it spins off: if you decide to make any cast changes, those changes will be pretty obvious.

Case in point: The millions of people who watched the Private Practice spin-off episode of Grey's Anatomy saw Merrin Dungey playing Dr. Naomi Bennett, the friend and fertility expert that Addison Montgomery visited in L.A. because she was looking to have a baby. However, come fall, Dr. Bennett will be played by noted Broadway actress Audra McDonald (pictured), according to the Show Tracker blog on the LA Times' web site. There was no word on why the role was recast.

As far as I was concerned, Dungey was one of the better parts of the mediocre spin-off portion of that episode. For some reason, Show Tracker cited ABC President Steve McPherson's assertion at the upfronts that the pilot did more character introduction than was needed, but that doesn't seem to be a good reason to let Dungey go. Anyway, it's not like McDonald is chopped liver -- she's won four Tonys and was nominated for an Emmy six years ago -- so maybe it was just a matter of bringing in a more versatile actress.

[Thanks to Danyal for the tip.]

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lisa

I can't believe they dumped dungey for mcdonald! dungey was soooo much better!!!! way hotter and better actress, more likeable. mcdonald is so bland and ordinary

September 27 2007 at 4:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Televinita

Okay...NOW I'm not watching the new series. She was the best part of it after Addison herself; taking out something that good when there's so much crap left behind suddenly makes it sound not worth the effort.

July 02 2007 at 1:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
George

So let me get this straight -- they replaced Merrin Dungey but they're keeping Amy Brenneman? That's like fixing a broken window by putting up new wallpaper.

July 02 2007 at 12:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David

I hate when they do this, I'm looking at you Stargate SG-1 "writers".

July 02 2007 at 11:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ac

Her and Bradley Cooper should have never been written off Alias in the 1st place. There were a very noticeable absense after season 2.

July 02 2007 at 9:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tim

Merrin Dungey seems to have gotten dumped from every show she's been on since her stint as the evil Francie on Alias which was concurrent with her role as Kitty Kenarban on Malcolm in the Middle and some stupid soap opera. She must have spectacularly bad luck. At least she got several episodes in on Private Practice, perhaps she'll land something else.

Unless she's been difficult to work with and thats why she keeps getting her gigs cut short...

July 02 2007 at 9:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Josh

Wow, Mel. Way to be an ass. Does that pay as much as TVSquad?

July 02 2007 at 8:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mel

Wow.

This was one of the bigger television news pieces in the last week and it took some time to get to TVSQUAD, didn't it?

Way to earn the big bucks.

July 02 2007 at 8:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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