10 TV Characters They Couldn't Stop Recasting
9. Tora Ziyal - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Tora Ziyal may have only appeared in nine episodes throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but the daughter of Gul Dukat and Tora Naprem was still relatively memorable as minor supporting characters go.
Yet due to the half-Cardassian, half-Bajoran character being conceived with extensive makeup, even die-hard fans might've failed to notice that Tora was actually played by three separate actresses.
In her first two appearances in season four, she was played by Cyia Batten, before Tracy Middendorf took over for a single episode later in the season.
For her remaining six episodes throughout the fifth and sixth seasons, however, Tora was played by Melanie Smith.
According to showrunner Ira Steven Behr, the decision to recast Tora twice was inspired by the regular recasting of Felix Leiter in the James Bond franchise.
Behr wanted to "play with the audience's minds," and added that he initially wanted to recast Tora with a different actress in every subsequent appearance.
As it stands Smith is certainly the fan favourite Tora, though she also possesses a huge advantage over her peers by having played the character for two-thirds of her total episodes.