One Bones Actor Was Recast And Fans Totally Missed It

One of the joys of long-running TV shows is their long list of guest stars, recurring characters, and ever-growing ensembles. It's why series like "The Simpsons" and "Parks and Recreation" feel so lived-in; the many side characters that populate their worlds help immerse audiences in the story. This was also true in the case of "Bones," the hugely popular crime procedural about a forensics expert from the Jeffersonian Institute Medico-Legal Lab and a special FBI agent teaming up to investigate murder mysteries using the tools of forensic anthropology. The series was popular with critics and audiences alike, lasting for 12 seasons and earning two Emmy nominations.

Like most shows that last that long, what made "Bones" appealing and popular was its cast — from the core ensemble of characters that fans fell in love with to the even larger list of guest stars, one-off characters, and even actors who appeared on the show before they broke out and played Marvel superheroes (and villains). Indeed, "Bones" had a revolving cast where new characters came and went all the time, especially if they were interns at the Jeffersonian (aka "squinterns"), as those roles could change nearly every episode. This helped the "Bones" universe feel lived-in, as if the show's world moved and carried on off-screen rather than having everything remain static until the next episode.

With such a big cast, the series also saw characters leave permanently, whether because the actor departed to pursue other career options (and their character got killed) or simply because the story saw a former fan-favorite "Bones" hero transform into the protege of a cannibalistic serial killer. Other times, however, a character would remain on "Bones," but they would get recast. Recasting is common in Hollywood, and shows both big and small eventually have to change their casts, ideally without the audience noticing. Sometimes that fails, though, like with the many characters recast in the Arrowverse. Then again, on the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes the change is barely noticeable until you look at the credits or someone points it at you, as was the case with Parker Booth in "Bones."

As originally played by Ty Panitz, Parker Booth is the son of lead character Seeley Joseph Booth (David Boreanaz) and recurring character Rebecca Stinson (Jessica Capshaw). He started out as a little boy on the show and his storylines were mostly subplots that served to demonstrate Booth's abilities as a parent and reveal how Parker was growing closer to Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), slowly building their eventual family dynamic as Booth and Brennan leads fell in love. Panitz played the role for most of "Bones," too, right up until the character was recast in season 10 with zero explanation.

What's more, many fans wouldn't have even noticed that the character was recast and Panitz had been replaced with Gavin MacIntosh, as Parker was suddenly aged up on the series, becoming a college student pursuing writing at Oxford. When it comes to recasting, replacing kid actors is arguably the easiest since, more often than not, they're usually not a huge part of the story, so many viewers wouldn't catch on. Not to mention, recasting a kid actor before they hit puberty helps create the illusion that they simply changed as they grew up, rather than being replaced by a whole other human being. This is how series like "The Boys" got away with having not one, but two replacements for Ryan Butcher.

Unfortunately, the recasting of Parker also came with a big downside for the character. By the time MacIntosh took over as Parker, the character's screentime had been severely diminished. He appeared in only three episodes after that, occasionally seeing his family but adding even less to the main story than he did as a kid. And unlike much of the rest of the cast of "Bones," who continued their careers after the show's end, neither Panitz nor MacIntosh have done much (if any) acting since their time on the series.

"Bones" is currently streaming in its entirety on Hulu.