Why ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Recast Greg For Final Season

Greg will finally return to West Covina, but “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” fans might have a hard time recognizing him. The CW musical comedy has recast Santino Fontana.

Skyler Astin (“Pitch Perfect”) will now play the role of Greg, but the writers won’t leave his recasting unaddressed. They decided to replace Fontana in part to convey the idea that people aren’t always how you remember them.

Rachel Bloom, star and executive producer, revealed this news at the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday in Beverly Hills, California. “With an actor leaving suddenly, it left this exciting gap. His character’s almost become like lore in the show,” Bloom explained (via Variety). “We have this opportunity to bring back this mythic figure and look at him in a new way.”

Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) has changed so much since Greg initially left, and it makes sense that their relationship probably wasn’t exactly the way she remembers it.

The recasting storyline is “not only a big leap and feels experimental and playful for our show,” Bloom added, “but as you see when the show airs it will be kind of a great statement on how our perception of people changes. … Greg is a barometer of [that] because Rebecca has not seen him for two years.”

Fontana left “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in Season 2 after Greg moved to Georgia to get his law degree at Emory University. Fontana revealed at the time that he only signed a one-year contract and wanted to be closer to his family in New York. (“Crazy” films in Los Angeles.)

Co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna told reporters that the writers knew Fontana was too busy in New York to take the role. However, he is aware that his character was recast. “In thinking about bringing him back, we reached out to let him know we were doing that,” she said (per the Hollywood Reporter).

The Television Critics Association panel also revealed that Patton Oswalt’s returning security guard character will get a song in the new episodes. In addition, Bloom also announced that she wrote the premiere episode, and she’ll make her directorial debut in the penultimate episode. McKenna will direct the series finale.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Season 4, the final season, premieres Friday, Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. EDT on The CW.