10 TV Characters You Forgot Were Recast
3. Kaitlin Cooper - The O.C
When you think of Kaitlin Cooper from The O.C, you probably picture the rebellious teenager that smoked pot and wore far too much eyeliner, played expertly by Willa Holland. You probably don't associate that name with the portray of Kaitlin as the adorable, horse riding, rich girl; played by Shailene Woodley.
Woodley was arguably quite forgettable in the role, turning up only a few times, and usually just to do the same old thing over and over again. The character was then promptly sent off to boarding school in season 2, and then when she came back she was all grown up and completely different.
It may seem, that the actresses were swapped first and then the storylines were created to better suit Holland. When really, the writers developed the character into a "bad girl" that had "grown up" a lot while away, and then the decision was made to bring in an actress more suitable for that description.
And although Woodley was only a few months younger that Holland, Woodley said "they needed a girl with a body" and that she "was a late bloomer". Which is genuinely gross when you think about it, considering the girls were only 14 at the time.