Deadline has recently reported, that ABC’s newly picked-up Black-ish spinoff, Mixed-ish, will now be in the process of recasting its male lead. Originally Champions actor, Anders Holm, was cast at Paul (Rainbow’s father) in the original pilot, but has since been confirmed to be leaving the project.
The comedian is known as one of the three stars and creators of Comedy Central’s Workaholics, and has also created a sketch group known as Mail Order Comedy with his co-stars (Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, and Kyle Newacheck).
Mixed-ish is written by Peter Saji and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, and follows “Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) as she recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ‘80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves.”
The children’s parents Paul and Alicia (Tika Sumpter) decide to make the move to suburban life, in an attempt to secure better financial support for their family. As they struggle with the challenges brought on by their new surroundings, Bow and her siblings navigate public school, where they find themselves not fitting in with either of the black and white crowds.
Although originating as a one off episode (“Becoming Bow”) from the original series — which was set to air later this week — Mixed-ish has been given a straight to series order, leaving the airing of the episode to be held off until next season when a new actor is cast as Paul.
Re-castings such as these are standard after pilot testings, and are not unusual once test audiences give feedback on prospective series’ and their casts’ chemistry. Another similar decision being made for the CW’s Nancy Drew adaptation, which just recently recast the role of Nancy’s father with Scott Wolf — replacing Freddie Prinze Jr. in the series’ pilot.
Newcomer Arica Himmel will star as young Bow Johnson, with Christina Anthony as Denise, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson; and Ethan Childress as Johan Johnson. Saji and Barris will executive produce Mixed-ish with Ross, Randall Winston, and actor Laurence Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy in partnership with ABC Studios.