10 TV Shows That Recast Major Characters (For The Better)

In Arrested Development, Ann Veal was the hilariously bland girlfriend of George Michael (Michael Cera), serving as the constant butt of jokes revolving around her being a completely beige and forgettable character.

And while Ann was largely played by the brilliant Mae Whitman - who has gone on to enjoy quite the career since - the character was actually originated by another actress, Alessandra Torresani.

Torresani played Ann for a brief scene in the first season's finale "Let 'Em Eat Cake," and despite the appropriately flat monotone of her voice, she was ultimately just a little too cute for the supposedly "plain" young woman who Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) would constantly forget even existed.

Whitman meanwhile leaned into Ann's homeliness and totally ran with it in her earlier appearances, before eventually becoming a more fleshed-out character with something resembling an actual sense of style later on.

Hilariously, the original plan was reportedly to have Ann played by countless actresses throughout the series, underlining her absolute anonymity among the ensemble, but it ultimately didn't pan out.