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 and recurring characters and their big ensembles. It's how shows like "The Simpsons" and "Parks and Recreation" feel so lived-in because the many side characters that populate their worlds help immerse audiences into the story. This was also true in the case of "Bones," the hugely popular police procedural about a forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent teaming up to investigate murder mysteries through archeology and forensic anthropology. The show 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 stars who were in the show before they broke big and became superheroes (and villains). Indeed, "Bones" had a revolving cast where new characters came and went all the time, especially if they were interns, as that role changed in nearly every episode. With such a big cast, the show also saw characters leave permanently, whether because the actor departed to pursue other career options and their characters got killed, or simply because the story turned your character into the protege of a cannibalistic serial killer.
Other times, however, a character would remain on "Bones," but they would get recast — as was the case with Parker Booth.
Who played 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 as a little boy in the show, whose plots were mostly side stories showing Booth's role as a parent, as well as Parker getting closer to Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), slowly building their eventual family dynamic as the two leads fell in love. Panitz played the role for most of "Bones," until the character was recast in season 10 with zero explanation.
What's more, many fans would not even have noticed that the character was recast and Panitz replaced with Gavin MacIntosh, as Parker suddenly aged up in the story, becoming a college student pursuing writing at Oxford. By the time MacIntosh took over as Parker, his role was severely diminished, appearing only in three episodes, occasionally seeing his family but adding even less to the main story than he did as a kid.
Unfortunately, unlike most of the rest of the cast of "Bones" who continued their careers after the show's end, neither Panitz nor MacIntosh kept acting after their time on "Bones."