I just re-watched the early Willie episodes, when Mr. Loomis was the just the worst, most rotten creep around.
Now with most of the early re-casts on the show, such as with Sam Evans and Matthew Morgan, I could really appreciate both actors' takes on their respective characters. Mark Allen and David Mitchell were both good actors and were interesting to watch. The transitions to the new actors, David Ford and Thayer David, were good too because they reinterpreted the characters in their own great ways as well. While I was watching Mitchell and Allen I enjoyed their versions of the characters and their few performances in the show compared favorably to their successors in those roles.
However, with James Hall and John Karlen it's a different story. It's amazing how the character of Willie Loomis just comes to life once Karlen takes over. He infuses the character with these amazing nuances and gives Willie a really disturbed quality which I feel Hall just wasn't pulling off. Hall's Willie was an annoying, mumbling young thug who tripped over his own words, whereas Karlen seemed very dangerous, vicious and off his rocker - yet with this immature quality about him at the same time. Apologies to any possible fans of Mr. Hall's performance, but as I was watching his take on the character, I couldn't help but wish we had been able to see Karlen play the heel version of Willie in those episodes as well.
I always felt John Karlen was a great actor, but when you compare him back to back with the earlier actor, this fact becomes vividly and strikingly apparent.
Good thing the recast happened, as I simply can't imagine Hall as the humbled, terrified servant of Barnabas.
~Penny~