Summary
- Party of Five is a beloved show that aired from 1994 to 2000 and can still be streamed today, focusing on the Salinger siblings who face real-life challenges.
- James Marsden was initially cast as Griffin Holbrook, but was replaced by Jeremy London for season 2, as Marsden took on a bigger role in another show called Second Noah.
- Despite a small role in season 1, Griffin becomes a major character in Party of Five through his relationship with Julia, eventually marrying her and remaining a fixture in the series until the end.
Party of Five originally started with James Marsden cast as Griffin Holbrook, but he was recast with Jeremy London for season 2. First airing in 1994, Party of Five followed the five Salinger siblings as they are forced to live on their own and look after each other after their parents died in a car crash. Running for six seasons until 2000, Party of Five is still a beloved show that can be streamed today. Although focused on the Salinger siblings, Party of Five boasted some high-profile guest stars over the years and became an award-winning series.
Party of Five focuses on teenagers and young adults but the tragedy that becomes the Salinger family meant it dealt with very real issues. The cast of Party of Five is made up of Matthew Fox (Charlie), Scott Wolf (Bailey), Neve Campbell (Julia), Lacey Chabert (Claudia), and Jacob Smith (Owen). The Salinger siblings faced challenges such as alcoholism, domestic violence, cancer diagnoses, the struggle of parental loss, and raising a family. Alongside these, they dealt with the day-to-day lives of being teenagers.
James Marsden Left Party Of Five Before Season 2 For Another Role
James Marsden originally played the role of Griffin Holbrook, Julia’s troubled boyfriend. Marsden only appears in one episode as Griffin, in the season 1 finale, “The Ides of March.” At this point, Griffin is only Jill Holbrook’s brother and is not yet an important character in the show. Julia spends part of the episode trying to become friends with him, but his moody demeanor makes it difficult. Griffin has a small role at this point and there is no indication of the importance of his story with Julia.
James Marsden was offered a different role on Second Noah, a show about an author and his zookeeper wife who adopt eight children and several animals. Marsden was cast as Ricky Beckett, the oldest of the Beckett children. At the time Marsden was cast, it was uncertain whether Party of Five was going to get a second season and Ricky was a much bigger role than what Griffin had so far been in Party of Five. Marsden was replaced by Jeremy London, who went on to play Griffin for all five remaining seasons of Party of Five.
How Griffin Became A Major Role In Party Of Five
Despite their initial interaction in season 1, Griffin became a major role in Party of Five due to his relationship with Julia. They slowly start to build a relationship, albeit not without its issues, as Griffin is under the pressure of a poor family life and has continual financial issues throughout its run. However, Griffin and Julia start to date and eventually marry, with Griffin becoming a main character in Party of Five and a big part of the Salingers’ lives. Unfortunately, they divorce in season 5 and go on to see other people.
Griffin and Julia’s divorce is not the end of Griffin’s role in Party of Five or his relationship with the family. Griffin was the one who tried to talk to Julia to make her understand the dangers of her relationship with Ned, who is abusive towards her. Although his intervention does not help, Griffin played a big role throughout Julia’s life and remained a fixture of the series up until its final episode.
