In the pilot, Face was portrayed by Tim Dunigan, who was later replaced by Dirk Benedict, because Dunigan was "too tall and too young."[12] According to Dunigan: "I look even younger on camera than I am. So it was difficult to accept me as a veteran of the Vietnam War, which ended when I was a sophomore in high school."[13]
Carrere was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,[11] providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to General Hospital, which prevented her from joining The A-Team. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.
According to Mr. T's account in Bring Back... The A-Team in 2006, the role of B.A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Stephen J. Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.[5]
James Coburn, who co-starred in The Magnificent Seven, was considered for the role of Hannibal in The A-Team, while George Peppard (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by Steve McQueen instead) in The Magnificent Seven.[14]
[edit] Notable guest appearances
Main article: List of guest stars on The A-Team
Notable guest stars included:
Dean Stockwell as Police Officer Collins - SWAT in "A Small & Deadly War".