Of course, fans everywhere noticed right away that there was a new actor playing the role of Samantha’s husband, Darrin. Ratings began to fall drastically over the next three years, and the show ended up ending its run after 8 seasons. The show ended with actor Dick Sargent playing the role of Darrin, which Dick York originated. Who knows if the show would have gone on for longer if Dick York ended up staying.
Fans did not want to accept the change and embrace a new actor playing a role that they already were invested in. And rightfully so, especially because it was never mentioned or spoken of… So weird!
Another One Bites the Dust
Another “Bewitched” actor gone too soon was actor Bernard Fox. He played the character of Dr. Bombay on both “Bewitched” and the spin-off TV series, “Tabitha.” Before his passing in 2016, he had a very full and promising career. He was also on the hit TV show, “The Andy Griffith Show” as well as a role in the film “Titanic.”
He died at the age of 89 (which was considerably older for a “Bewitched” cast member) and died from heart failure at his home in California.
Elizabeth Montgomery Almost Didn’t Make The Cut
The creator of “Bewitched,” Sol Saks, had his heart set on casting the lead role in his series. He was hoping to give the role to Tammy Grimes who was an actress. He wanted to cast her in the main role of the witch, Cassandra. At the time the name of the character was not yet Samantha. Tammy, Sol had said, had an elf-like appearance which he was very fond of.
Ultimately, the creator Sol, along with Bill Asher decided to cast Elizabeth Montgomery in the role of the witch for the show “Bewitched,” it was also then that they changed the name from Cassandra to Samantha.
Elizabeth Montgomery Never Actually Wiggled Her Nose
Just like Samantha's magic in the show, “Bewitched” was actually just the handiwork of stagehands and camera tricks, Samantha’s famous nose wiggle was also nothing more than a little trick.
According to Erin who played Samantha’s daughter Tabitha on “Bewitched,” it was said that Samantha's nose wiggle was nothing more than a simple camera trick. If you really pay attention to the movement, you will see that Elizabeth Montgomery never moves her nose. The illusion is that her upper lip is moving which makes it look like her nose is moving. Fans of the show also claim that it is Samantha's mouth moving, which makes the nose look like it is moving too.
After the Show
At the end of season 5 of filming, Elizabeth Montgomery wanted out. She was feeling like the role was getting stale. The producers offered her so much money that she could not turn it down. She stayed with the show until the series ended in season 8.
Once she was free, Elizabeth looked for roles that would get her away from the good girl image she was typecast in with the role of Samantha she had portrayed for so many years. She took on a very controversial role as a victim of sexual assault in “A Case of Rape.” She also played a murderer, Lizzie Borden in the film The Legend of Lizzie Borden.