She has the face and the hair .... also she's petite like Susan Tully is. Julia Russell's features are too angular and she's too tall.
Bonnie Langford should have played the new Michelle
She was not tall and heavy round the waist like the new Michelle. Langford could easily have frumped out for the role.
Maybe they wanted a decent actor. As for the hair, Michelle was not a redhead and she probably had a perm in the 80s, as did most of the females.
I must admit from an intense dislike of Bonnie Langford in the role of Carmel at the first, she has grown on me a bit.
Having said that, she could NEVER have carried off the role of Michelle.... she would have been totally wrong for that part.
Having said that, she could NEVER have carried off the role of Michelle.... she would have been totally wrong for that part.
I'm a big fan of Bonnie Langford but I don't think she has what it takes as an actress to take over an iconic tv role and make it her own. Develop a new character that may possibly become iconic in time, yes, but taking over an established role... I think that needed an actress of the calibre of Jenna Russell to take on Michelle.
(And, yes, I know Bonnie has played many characters on stage, some of them iconic, but the difference is that stage roles are played by many actors, all putting their own take on them, and audiences expect stage actors to do that. Michelle, on the other hand, had only previously been played by one actress, and most people who recall the character have a fondness for her, so stepping into that role was a far harder and more difficult prospect.)
I wonder what Sue Tully thinks of the recast? It would be nice if she were to speak up in support of it.
(And, yes, I know Bonnie has played many characters on stage, some of them iconic, but the difference is that stage roles are played by many actors, all putting their own take on them, and audiences expect stage actors to do that. Michelle, on the other hand, had only previously been played by one actress, and most people who recall the character have a fondness for her, so stepping into that role was a far harder and more difficult prospect.)
I wonder what Sue Tully thinks of the recast? It would be nice if she were to speak up in support of it.
Originally Posted by memmh:
“I wonder what Sue Tully thinks of the recast? It would be nice if she were to speak up in support of it.”
“I wonder what Sue Tully thinks of the recast? It would be nice if she were to speak up in support of it.”
Sean O'Connor mentioned in his interview on Metro.co.uk that the show consulted her during the process but he didn't really go into what was said.
As for Bonnie, she would be totally wrong in the role of Michelle. Far too chirpy. I like her as Carmel.
Originally Posted by LHolmes:
“Sean O'Connor mentioned in his interview on Metro.co.uk that the show consulted her during the process but he didn't really go into what was said.
As for Bonnie, she would be totally wrong in the role of Michelle. Far too chirpy. I like her as Carmel.”
“Sean O'Connor mentioned in his interview on Metro.co.uk that the show consulted her during the process but he didn't really go into what was said.
As for Bonnie, she would be totally wrong in the role of Michelle. Far too chirpy. I like her as Carmel.”
From the way it was worded in the article I took it to mean that the decision to recast Michelle (and to give the role to Jenna) was taken before they consulted Sue Tully. Not that any of it really matters considering Sue Tully had turned down numerous offers to return and had clearly moved on from EE some time ago. But I suppose it is nice to know that the new actress has her blessing.
Originally Posted by Zarla:
“Is Michelle supposed to be pregnant because the new actress is wearing those kind of clothes.”
“Is Michelle supposed to be pregnant because the new actress is wearing those kind of clothes.”
The actress is 49 we already have Denises pregnancy.
It would have made a lot more sense for Linda Henry to take over the role of Michelle in 2006. She is like pauline in her last couple years, I could see her with Kevin, and the Carters could either be friends from USA or Danny Dyer could have taken on the role of Mark who'd found a cure.
Jenna Russell will be just fine as Michelle.
Bonnie is fine as Carmel to me, she could never be Michelle.
Bonnie is fine as Carmel to me, she could never be Michelle.
No one should have been the new Michelle some characters should never be recast, if the originals won't come back just forget it.
I love Bonnie as Carmel.
I'm gonna give it a few months and people will have accepted Jenna as the new Michelle.
The same type of questions always arise when a popular character has been recast.
I'm gonna give it a few months and people will have accepted Jenna as the new Michelle.
The same type of questions always arise when a popular character has been recast.
Originally Posted by Sick Bullet:
“No one should have been the new Michelle some characters should never be recast, if the originals won't come back just forget it.”
“No one should have been the new Michelle some characters should never be recast, if the originals won't come back just forget it.”
It's been 20 years, more than enough time for viewers to build a bridge and get over it.
Originally Posted by davejc64:
“They have got the frumpy look about right because something that Michelle always was frumpy.”
“They have got the frumpy look about right because something that Michelle always was frumpy.”
Agree. She was always frumpy as a teen and young woman so it fits that she's now a rather ordinary middle aged woman.
I saw the cardie as an homage to Pauline tbh
Originally Posted by Sick Bullet:
“No one should have been the new Michelle some characters should never be recast, if the originals won't come back just forget it.”
“No one should have been the new Michelle some characters should never be recast, if the originals won't come back just forget it.”
If they can recast James Bond they can recast a soap actor who hasn't been seen for 20 years.
Originally Posted by vald:
“If they can recast James Bond they can recast a soap actor who hasn't been seen for 20 years.”
“If they can recast James Bond they can recast a soap actor who hasn't been seen for 20 years.”
Maybe for the younger viewers, it just has a bad taste for me.
Originally Posted by Sick Bullet:
“Maybe for the younger viewers, it just has a bad taste for me.”
“Maybe for the younger viewers, it just has a bad taste for me.”
Sorry you feel like that. I'm a very old viewer, in fact Michelle was the same age as my daughter when the show started, and I have no problem with it. Why should the show be deprived of key characters due to misplaced sentimentality. She should have been back years ago.
And lots of goosebumps
