The Beauty Star Reacts To Their Shocking Mid-Season Recast

Okay, so I’m totally hooked on Ryan Murphy’s new show, The Beauty, but things are already getting wild! I just finished the first few episodes, and wow – they actually recast one of the main characters mid-season! It’s a pretty bold move. The show follows these FBI agents, Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett, as they try to figure out this mysterious treatment called ‘the Beauty.’ Apparently, it makes people super attractive, but there’s a seriously dark side to it, and it’s way more than just cosmetic. I’m already on the edge of my seat!

Though Jordan and another character are the main focus of the show, in episode 2, Jordan has a brief encounter with someone new and unknowingly contracts the illness at the heart of the story. By the end of the first three episodes, she starts transforming into a different person, which means the actress who plays Jordan won’t be returning to the role in future episodes.

In a recent interview with TVLine, director Hall discussed how they filmed Jordan’s transformation in The Beauty. She explained that she collaborated with a contortionist actor to create the scene. Hall also expressed her enthusiasm for the twist, noting that it fit well with the show’s overall themes. You can read her full comments below.

We had a stunt double on set who handled the really dangerous parts, but watching the footage, I was surprised at how much of the physical work I actually did myself! It was a lot of fun – I was happy to go for it and trust the team to keep me safe, and they definitely did.

I thought it was interesting and exciting and fun, like, why not?

As a total cinema devotee, I’m completely hooked on this unfolding story! It’s becoming increasingly clear that the core of this whole situation isn’t about beauty at all – it’s about ruthless corporate greed. We’re finding out that billionaire Byron Frost, played by Ashton Kutcher, is scheming to exploit this STD and turn it into some kind of profitable beauty treatment. And his enforcer, the Assassin (Anthony Ramos), is making sure anyone infected stays quiet. I’m really on the edge of my seat wondering how Jordan’s infection is going to fit into Frost’s larger, and frankly terrifying, plans.

Early reviews of The Beauty are quite mixed. Some critics appreciate its bold and unusual storyline, while others feel it doesn’t fully explore its ideas and relies too heavily on sex and violence for shock value. Currently, the series has a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.1/10 score from viewers on IMDb.

Despite this, the change in Hall’s character highlights how the series will handle the FBI’s investigation of the ‘Beauty’ phenomenon. The use of new actors to portray infected individuals is reminiscent of the film The Substance, but more importantly, it shows that anyone can become infected, and we’ll see that reflected in the changing cast.

As a film fan, I’m really intrigued by what happens with Jordan’s change. It could actually give the FBI some valuable insights into how this infection works. But it also throws Cooper into a desperate situation – he’s got to figure out how to save his partner before things get really bad, and the clock is definitely ticking. It’s a real race against time for him, and it adds a ton of tension to the story.

New episodes of The Beauty air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu.

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2026-01-22 17:11