Casting Couch: Hupp In, Parker Out at FOX

Eleventh hour pilot recastings aren't so rare (see the cases of Action News--a.k.a. Back to You--or Company Man for details), but it's rather sad when the reason behind recasting has nothing to do with your performance.

Jana Marie Hupp (Ed) has been cast in FOX's currently untitled Victor Fresco comedy pilot (formerly known as Deeply Irresponsible), about a 10-year-old overachiever who can't cope with life in his stressed-out, dog-eat-dog family but whose life is turned around when his eccentric, womanizing grandfather (Tom Conti) comes to live with them.

Hupp will play the boy's mother, Susan, who repeatedly finds herself crying in her sleep. She replaces Andrea Parker (Less Than Perfect, The Pretender) who was originally cast in the role (the first casting lock for the pilot, in fact) but who has had to drop out of the project, due to laryngitis.

Ouch.

Personally, I love Victor Fresco (Andy Richter Controls the Universe) and thought that this was a fun take on the familiar tropes of family sitcoms and, if it works, could be the successor to FOX's Malcolm in the Middle. Let's hope it breaks Fresco's streak of bad luck at the network...