And Jaclyn Smith as Victoria Winters

[Accomplice_To_Cass]

I heard that Jaclyn Smith was one of the actresses who auditioned to replace Alexandra Moltke for the role of Victoria Winters. If she got the part would you like Victoria more, less, at all? Thanks.

[VictoriaWintersRox]

I think she would've fit into the role. Much better then Betsy Durkin and maybe Carolyn Groves, IMO.

[Cassandra Blair]

Yeah, baby! I've had this conversation before with a friend of mine who is a fellow DS fan. We've always thought Jaclyn Smith would have been a worthy replacement for Alexandra Moltke. Was she actually considered? I've always wondered if this was true.

Have also sort of wondered if when they cast Kate Jackson, were trying to make her (as Daphne) the new Victoria Winters character?

Can you imagine what DS would have been like with two of Charlie's future angels? The mind boggles.

[The Ghost of Sarah Collins]

I heard that Jaclyn Smith was one of the actresses who auditioned to replace Alexandra Moltke for the role of Victoria Winters. If she got the part would you like Victoria more, less, at all? Thanks.

Jaclyn is and was a very beautiful lady, although I have always felt there could be no one who can utter those immortal words "I don't' understand" the same way that Alexandra could... of course had Jaclyn replaced Vickie she would have been the better choice, I believe I would have liked her just as well.

[dom]

I'm one of those people who thinks that AM was irreplaceable as Viki. BUT I do think that J. Smith would have been able to take over the role without much audience protest. It would be great to see a picture of JS during that time frame to see what she looked like. It would help to get a visual image of JS as VW.

You know, a few weeks ago when they did the Sabrina meets the werewolf flashback, I played with the thought that Lisa Richards might have made a good AM ( as Victoria Winters) replacement. She had all that hair & sweetness going on.

Dom

PS - I do think Kate Jackson could have taken over the role as well, in fact I have no doubt that she could have pulled it off better than either B. Durkin or C. groves.

PPS - Can you imagine poor JS having to play opposite her hubby R. Davis? Being mauled 24/7? Maybe she purposely blew the audition!

[Dr. Eric Lang]

We've always thought Jaclyn Smith would have been a worthy replacement for Alexandra Moltke. Was she actually considered? I've always wondered if this was true.

From what I've read, Jaclyn Smith (who at the time was still using the name "Ellen") was dating Roger Davis at the time, and was asked if she would be interested in the role. She said "No."

Have also sort of wondered if when they cast Kate Jackson, were trying to make her (as Daphne) the new Victoria Winters character?

It would seem so, given that she was cast as the new governess. On the other hand, she could just as easily have been filling in for Maggie Evans, who had also just left the show. Curtis "discovered" Jackson while she was still in acting school in 1970, so she wouldn't have been around yet at the time Moltke left the series. Jackson does have a passing resemblance to Moltke - it seems like Curtis liked this "type" (ingenue, long dark hair.)

[Maria_Merriweather]

I am neither a Jaclyn Smith  nor a Kate Jackson fan (sorry). Maybe it's because they were both on that insipid "Charlie's Angels". I don't think either of them are impressive actresses.  I liked Alexandra Moltke--I believe she gets short shrift from some. She may not have been in the same league as, say, Grayson Hall or Nancy Barrett who had great range, but she had a certain understated quality and class. Better writing for her character might have improved the perception of her as an actress. However, Jacklyn Smith would have been a better replacement than Betsy Durkin.

[Connie]

Hmm...
I can't see Jaclyn Smith as Victoria at all.  I can see Kate Jackson though -- quite well.  (How about Farrah Fawcett?  LOL)  Nah...not the type.  Great hair though!
Actually, I can't remember what kind of actress Jaclyn Smith is.  I was always too busy just staring at her beautiful face.  I always thought she was a flawless beauty.  Even MORE beautiful without make-up.
I like Kate as Daphne though.  I'm a sucker for Daphne.  Always thought she was very beautiful as well.  Very sweet.

[Accomplice_To_Cass]

Thanks for all your replies. Who else do you guys think would make a good Victoria Winters?

[Maria_Merriweather]

From the same time period (sixties)? I think Mia Farrow could have played Vicky--she played an ingenue on "Peyton Place."  I could imagine Geraldine Chaplin in the part--don't think she would have done a soap though.

[Cassandra]

Connie Wrote:

I can see Kate Jackson though -- quite well.

Me too, I think Kate Jackson would have made a very good replacement for Vicky on the show.
She sort of had the same disposition and demeanor as the original Vicky did. Plus she got along well with the kids which is a big plus and the fact that she had long dark hair didn't hurt either.  

[VictoriaWintersRox]

Hmmm maybe if they had come back from 1841PT they could've had Kate Jackson play Victoria, since her character of Daphne would no longer be able to be in 1971 (I think)? She could return from the 1700s or raised from the dead or something.

[Stuart]

Apparently Jaclyn did read for the role of Victoria, but still had a very strong Texan accent that ruled her out.

Carolyn Groves was a very worthy replacement, I think.  She really nails the best qualities of the character in her few episodes and beats out AM by actually saying "I don't understand" with conviction

I'm certain that had she been cast initially, rather than Betsy Durkin, that the character of Victoria would have continued long-term without any problems.

[ROBINV]

I think Kate Jackson would have been a highly successful replacement for AM as Vicki.  Betsy Durkin was awful, IMHO, and while Carolyn Groves was much better, I believe the fans had already decided if AM couldn't play Vicki, no one else should attempt to.  

As for Jaclyn Smith, she was undoubtedly stunning, but if she did have a heavy Southern accent, I understand why she wouldn't have worked out as Vicki.  

Speaking of CHARLIE'S ANGELS, I sometimes watch that show in reruns now and can't believe I ever liked it.  The acting was awful, the plots big enough to drive a Mack truck through, and the way the actresses deliberately dressed sexily seemed more the point of the show than solving the crime of the week.  Yuck!

Love, Robin

[dom]

Is it known why Bestsy Durkin was replaced by Carolyn Groves? The only thing (IMHO) that kept C. Groves from being a perfect replacement was the tone of her voice - too much "street" and not enough "orphanage".

Dom

PS - I love Maria_Merriweather's suggestion of Mia Farrow, as a contemporary of A.M., being capable of playing Victoria Winters.