10 Best Actor Replacements On TV Shows

8. Jonathan Banks Replaced Chevy Chase - Community

Parks and Recreation Chris Ben
NBC

Chevy Chase was fired from cult sitcom Community during production of its fourth season after allegedly using a racial slur on set.

This led to Chase's character, Pierce Hawthorne, being revealed to have died early on in season five in a bizarre dehydration incident.

In an attempt to compensate for his conspicuous absence, another old white guy was drafted in, with Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks brought aboard to portray surly criminology professor Buzz Hickey.

And while Chase's contributions to the show can't be denied, Banks was an extremely capable and entertaining replacement, shaking up the established dynamic with his take-no-prisoners demeanour. However, his gruff exterior nevertheless belied a deep humanity percolating underneath.

Banks' stint on the show lasted only a single season - before he was replaced himself by Keith David - but given the massive chasm that Chase's departure left, he filled it with laudable ease.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.