The hit ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids is back in the conversation after appearing on Netflix, leaving fans wondering why series mainstay Claire was recast all over again.
My Wife and Kids aired on ABC from 2001 to 2004, running for five seasons and bringing 123 episodes to the screen.
While the series is known for its leading stars Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin (who played a mother and father with three kids), much of the attention within the show's cast gets put on Claire Kyle, the middle daughter of the Kyle family who was recast early on.
Why Did My Wife and Kids Change Claire?
For years, one of the biggest talking points when it came to My Wife and Kids has been the replacement of Claire Kyle between Season 1 and 2 of the series.
The Kyle family's middle child was initially brought to life by Jazz Raycole, who played the self-centered daughter of Damon Wayans' Michael Richard Kyle Sr. and Tisha Campbell-Martin's Jay Kyle for 12 episodes of the show (all of Season 1 and one pre-recorded episode of Season 2).
Then, heading into Season 2, Raycole was recast in the role with Jennifer Freeman taking over for the remaining 109 episodes of the beloved sitcom.
The change was even acknowledged in the series, with Wayans' leading man remarking, "Whatever it is, you look like a whole different person" during the Season 2 opener (via Distractify).
Aside from the tongue-in-cheek reference during Season 2, no reasoning for the recast was given by the series producers.
According to former Claire actress Jazz Raycole, she was responsible for the decision to leave.
In a July 2012 interview with The Christian Post, Raycole revealed, "I was 12 years old when I got that job" and the producers were angling for "someone older" as the series went on:
"I was 12 years old when I got that job. The producers wanted a different thing, they wanted someone a little bit older. I wasn't ready for that."
She added, "I ended up going to New York to dance," and leaving the show allowed the actress to "grow and travel:"
"I ended up going to New York to dance, which was my first passion. I really thank God for that because I got to grow and travel."
This reportedly came about because of Raycole's mother, who objected to a storyline that would have seen one of Claire's friends get pregnant in Season 2 (via The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Show).
What Has Jazz Raycole Been Up to Since My Wife and Kids?
Just because Jazz Raycole decided to walk away from My Wife and Kids, that did not mean her acting career was over.
The actress has been vocal that acting is her calling. She has cited major names like The Lord of the Rings as one of the reasons she knew on-camera work was for her (per PSLOVECHARLI):
"It was a combination of that and a combination of 'Lord of the Rings.' When it first came out, my brother had me watching it, and I’m like, 'I don’t want to watch all of these goblins and stuff!' [laughter] And I remember this one scene with Elijah Wood, and I liked the way that I felt when that scene happened. I was like I want to make people feel that, feel my art, my work."
Since leaving the ABC comedy, she has continued to act fairly regularly.
Raycole has 45 total credits to her name with most of them coming after the My Wife and Kids recast.
Most recently, she appeared as Izzy Letts in the hit Netflix Michael Conelley adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer (see the full Lincoln Lawyer cast breakdown here).
Her other prominent roles include appearances on The CW's iZombie, Jericho, and The Quad.
All five seasons of My Wife and Kids are now streaming on Netflix.
