‘Mixed-ish’ To Recast A Lead As Anders Holm Exits ‘Black-ish’ Spinoff

EXCLUSIVE: ABC’s newly picked-up comedy series Mixed-ish will recast its male lead as Workaholics co-creator/star Anders Holm is leaving the project.

Written by Peter Saji and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, in Mixed-ish, Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) 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.

Bow’s parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white.

Holm played Paul Johnson, Bow’s father. Arica Himmel stars as young Bow Johnson; Tika Sumpter as her mom, Alicia Johnson; Christina Anthony as Denise; Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson; and Ethan Childress as Johan Johnson.

Mixed-ish originated as planted spinoff, which was intended to air as a “Becoming Bow” episode of Black-ish this week. In light of the Mixed-ish series order, that episode will now be held for next season and will air with the new actor as Paul.

Re-castings after the pilot are not unusual and is one of the reasons networks do pilots, so they can see how a cast meshes together. So far this upfront season, the newly picked up CW drama Nancy Drew has recast the role of Nancy’s father with Scott Wolf (it was played by Freddie Prinze Jr. in the pilot).

Saji and Barris executive produce Mixed-ish with Ross, Randall Winston, Artists First (Brian Dobbins), Cinema Gypsy (Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland) and Anthony Anderson. This series is produced by ABC Studios.