Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty
Ok, so here we are people: the first of many, many Wednesdays moving forward where we won’t be seeing another new episode of the hit FX series Snowfall, brought to us back in 2017 ever-so-graciously by the late great John Singleton.
The final episode aired last week (April 19), with a stellar series finale that has both critics and fans alike screaming praises to everyone involved. Who would’ve thought just six years ago that our lives would change for the better as TV aficionados, but many of you might now be aware that the series was in production for years prior to when we finally saw the first episode air on July 5, 2017.
For a little context into how far the show’s production history goes back, Singleton originally had the pilot over at Showtime in April 2014. As Deadline wrote at the time, “Told through the eyes of a young black kid from Compton, a Mexican wrestler and a CIA agent charged with running money to the Contras, ‘Snowfall’ will examine the beginnings of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles. Allegedly fueled by CIA involvement stemming from the Iran-Contra affair, the drug started flowing to the U.S. in 1984, with Los Angeles as the first city to get hit hard.” However, after a year in limbo of getting picked up, the series got the attention of FX in May 2015. A revised plot that Deadline later got ahold of described it as “focuses on a trio of main characters – ambitious dealer Franklin Saint, ex-Mexican wrestler and now gangster Gustavo Zapata and prodigal son Logan Miller.” You might be thinking — spoiler alert! — wasn’t Logan Miller that CIA agent that the now-infamous Teddy originally replaced? The one that, you know, dies of an overdose within the first 15 minutes?
Tony-nominated actor Billy Magnussen was one of the original lead stars of series, which at the time we expect was billed as a combination of an original version of Teddy and an early version of Rob Volpe. The original script had been rewritten a handful of times, including one leaked from June 2015 and a report from the ever-on it Deadline in April 2016 that stated reshoots, rewrites and cast change-ups were all in the works.
By September 2016, FX had officially announced it to series for a 10-episode first season run. Even just a month before the aforementioned series premiere, a cast lineup was sent to outlets like BlackFilm.com. Based on the preview seen below, some names made the cut and others were revised or removed altogether:
Damson Idris as Franklin Saint
Isaiah John as Leon Simmons
Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Gustavo Zapata
Carter Hudson as Teddy McDonald
Emily Rios as Luica Villanueva
Filipe Valle Costa as Pedro Nava
Billy Magnussen as Logan Miller
Amin Joseph as Jerome Saint
Andrew Howard as Avi Drexler
Juan Javier Cardenas as Alejandro Usteves
Michael Hyatt as Cissy Saint
Angela Lewis as Aunt Louie
Malcolm Mays as Kevin
Alon Aboutboul as Avi
RELATED: The Fall Of Franklin: ‘Snowfall’ Finale Told Its Best Life Lesson With Lead Star’s Demise
The curiosity of who else might’ve been originally casted in Snowfall got us digging, and man did we discover some fun facts! Looking back now, could you imagine if R&B icon Jill Scott had played Franklin’s mother, Cissy? How about beloved actress Lauren London portraying tough-as-nails Aunt Louie? All facts!
Keep scrolling to check out a few surprises on a handful of actors who were originally casted in Snowfall:
- ‘Snowfall’ Cast Remembers Late Producer At Season 3 Premiere
- Director John Singleton Is Headed Back To The Small Screen With ‘Snowfall’
- Boston Sets Modern Snowfall Record
1. Jill Scott – Sharon “Cissy” Saint
Replaced by Michael Hyatt
2. Lauren London – Louanne ‘Aunt Louie’ Jones-Saint
Replaced by Angela Lewis
3. DeRay Davis – Uncle Jerome Saint
Replaced by Amin Joseph; Davis recasted as Peaches.
4. Billy Magnussen – Logan Miller
Source:Getty
Character minimized and replaced by Eric Mitro
5. Kofi Siriboe – Kevin Hamilton
Replaced by Malcolm Mays.
6. Malcolm Mays – Leon Simmons
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Replaced by Isaiah John; Mays recasted as Kevin Hamilton
7. Andrew Howard – Avi Drexler
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Replaced by Alon Aboutboul
8. Camila Banus – Lucia Villanuevo
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Replaced by Emily Rios
9. Andrea Bogart – Mrs. Volpe
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Replaced by Becky O’Donohue
10. Tim Matheson – George Miller
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Character removed
11. Jessica Tuck – Jeanette Miller
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Character removed
12. Mark Rolston – Max
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Character removed
13. Parker McKenna Posey – Melody Wright
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Replaced by Reign Edwards
14. Darius McCrary – Andre Wright
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Replaced by Marcus Henderson