Netflix's Sweet Magnolias Originally Cast A Parenthood Star As Maddie Townsend

It's hard to imagine Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias" without JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend, the head Magnolia in charge at The Corner Spa in Serenity, South Carolina. But, believe it or not, casting directors originally had a different person in mind for the role. In May 2019, Deadline announced that "Parenthood" star Monica Potter would lead Serenity's trio of best friends, which also includes Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan and Heather Headley as Helen Decatur. On the day production began, however, Deadline reported that Swisher would replace Potter as Maddie. No reason was given for the switch, beyond saying that Potter had been "originally tapped" for the role.

Potter played Kristina Braverman for six seasons on NBC's hit family drama "Parenthood" from 2010 to 2015. Kristina married into the Braverman family, who lived and sometimes worked together in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Even though she was a Braverman by marriage, she was the matriarch of the family, and a fierce advocate who founded a school for her autistic son when his needs weren't being met. With that performance in mind, it's a bit difficult to imagine Potter as Maddie, a Southern belle with a sweet disposition. Both women have a fire inside of them and fight for their families, albeit in very different ways. It was announced via the show's official Instagram account in September that "Sweet Magnolias" was canceled at Netflix after five seasons.

Before starting her next chapter, JoAnna Garcia Swisher said goodbye to "Sweet Magnolias" in a touching Instagram post. She might not have been the original lead, but she shared that the series "became so much more than a job."" Swisher explained that both of her parents died in the early seasons, and when she was having trouble amid her grief, "Serenity gave me somewhere to go. These people gave me somewhere to belong." 

But she won't have much time off. According to Deadline, she's set to executive produce and in talks for a role in Netflix's "Ladies of the House," a family drama about three women learning to run a winery and navigate grief when the winery owner and family patriarch dies. Per Deadline, Netflix canceled "Sweet Magnolias" to greenlight "Ladies of the House." "Sweet Magnolias" showrunner and executive producer Sheryl J. Anderson will switching to wine, too, as she'll be executive producing the series. 

Swisher announced her involvement on Instagram, celebrating another story centered on women. She said that she and her business partner Kate Gordon created their production company Rolling Clover to bring more heartfelt stories about women to the world. "Three women. One family. So much heart. And this is only the beginning," she concluded the post.