Willie Loomis

I've been catching up with the 'early episodes' and didn't realize there was a different actor who played Willie. How come this actor left?

Random thoughts on Willie: what a totally nasty bugger he was! Was he supposed to be the 'leader' of the blackmail stuff? I always thought that was Jason.

Did anyone think he sounded like he was speaking in a southern accent at first? Some of the lines really sounded like it to me.

Wasn't he supposed to be the nephew of Mrs. Johnson? When we first meet him, he was a stranger to her.

Well, that's it. I was just surprised at those few discoveries 

Hello, katrina

I've heard different reasons at the Fests for why James Hall (the first Willie) left the show; apparently, he was either an alcoholic, or he just wasn't right for the part.  Personally, I'm not sure the other cast members really remember.

Willie Loomis is no relation to Mrs. Johnson in this series. I believe he was the housekeeper's nephew in the 1991 series.

ProfStokes

yes because the jason mcquire plot was completely removed from the 1991 series they needed to find a way to bring the willie character into collinwood and they achieved that by making him a nephew of mrs.johnson.

in that version he seems to function as something of a composit character of the original series' matthew morgan,harry johnson and willie loomis.

Guess I confused the Willie past with the Willie present. That makes sense, now. But, can you imagine if the past Mrs. Johnson was his aunt? Imagine the wonderful dialogue they'd have together 

can you imagine if the past Mrs. Johnson was his aunt?

Yikes, that'd make Harry Johnson & Willie Loomis COUSINS.  A recipe for trouble if there ever was.

Been working my way through the pre-Barnabas era and am now in the first of the Barnabas episodes.

The difference between James Hall and John Karlen is huge.  I don't think that James Hall ever captured the menacing quality that the role required.  I never believed that his Willie was a true threat to anyone.  (Not to mention Hall's tendency to pronounce 'Loomis' as "Loh-miss"...)

When John Karlen stepped into the role, Willie immediately became a three-dimensional character.  I wish he had been in the role from day one because I think he would have been terrifying in those early encounters with the various characters.  Just as impressive is JK's ability to find all sorts of shadings in Willie...and then to switch gears and play Carl Collins so effectively!

It's rather amazing, really, when you think of all the truly unique actors who found their way to DS.

I've never seen the first Willie, and I was stunned a couple years ago when I heard on this board that there was a Willie before JK....  I'm surprised to see someone say that Willie One was less than threatening compared to Two, since I'd heard that #1 was nastier.   I certainly know Karlen's version to be a sympathetic character.

Well I think Karlan's Willie may have ended up being sympathetic but watching these first episodes I'd say he was just plain nasty. He played the role as a real bully with a HUGE chip on his shoulder.

I think he may have eaten humble pie after Barnabas got to him 

after viewing HODS again after many many many years, i see that the movie version of what john karlen did with willie was PERFECT -- all aspects of the character came out.   and in the movie in beginning he was nasty as could  be.   willie was one of the better characters in the show.   

although fyfe did a good job as willie within that realm, he just didn't have what willie was all about.    baranabas has broken this man who no human could break.   fyfe's character seemed almost cartoonish.

I'm surprised to see someone say that Willie One was less than threatening compared to Two, since I'd heard that #1 was nastier.

What I meant was that I don't feel that James Hall conveyed the nastier elements of Willie's personality very well, and that with him in the role, the scenes in which he menaces other characters don't have quite the impact that they most likely would have had if John Karlen had been in them.

To me, Willie 1 was sleazier, more like an "Uncle Creepy," as opposed to Willie 2 who came off nastier. 

Gerard

I found the original Willie very creepy and possibly a psychopath.  Karlen's characterization was much more complex.

Alright, I'm more confused than ever now....!

Never mind, Magnus. James Hall's Willie is painful to watch in an excruciating kind of way.

i alway thought that hall's willie was sort of dirty-sexy to karlen's sad-eyed puppydog cute.