Summary

• Parker Booth from Bones was originally played by Ty Panitz but later replaced by Gavin MacIntosh. No reason was given for the recasting.
• Panitz had a larger role as Parker and was involved in various storylines, while MacIntosh's role was smaller and he appeared in only three episodes.
• Both actors did a great job in their portrayals, fitting into the Bones story and deepening the familial relationships of the main characters.

In Bones, Parker Booth was originally played by Ty Panitz, but the young actor was later replaced by Gavin MacIntosh. Bones is a police procedural comedy-drama series that depicts an office of the FBI that is primarily interested in investigating murder mysteries through forensic anthropology and archeology. Popular with audiences and reviewd favorably by critics with two Emmy nominations over its run, Bones lasted for 12 seasons before it ended in March 2017. Led by Emily Deschanel as Temperance "Bones" Brennan and David Boreanaz as Seeley Booth, the cast of Bones is filled with fascinating characters.

One such character is Parker Booth, played by Ty Panitz in seasons 1-7 and 9 and by Gavin MacIntosh in seasons 10-11. Parker is the son of Seeley and Rebecca Stinson (Jessica Capshaw), a couple who was far from perfect in Bones. Starting the series as a little boy and ending as a young man attending college, Parker's growth is seen through the eyes of his father and eventual stepmother, Bones. Charismatic and outgoing, Parker is an important part of Seeley and Bones' lives, and though he grows throughout the show, he changes even more dramatically in season 11.

No Reason Was Given For Gavin MacIntosh Replacing Ty Panitz On Bones

Parker Booth did not appear in Bones season 10, but when he reappeared in season 10, episode 1, "The Conspiracy in the Corpse", he looked different. Prior to that, Parker was played by Ty Panitz but suddenly, the actor was gone, replaced by Gavin MacIntosh. This is not entirely unusual, as characters are frequently recast on TV shows, but what's strange is that there has never been a real reason given for why. Parker certainly became less relevant to the plot as he aged, which may have discouraged Panitz from participating more.

Panitz did not continue acting after Bones and perhaps after nine years working in network television, the young actor simply decided that the career was not for him. His only other acting roles came in a few one-off episodes, but he primarily worked as a voice actor in straight-to-video movies and animated TV shows. Panitz had plenty of opportunities to discover if acting was right for him, and it seems that Bones was just the end of the line.

How The Two Parker Actors Compare In Bones

Panitz has a much larger role as Parker in Bones and is featured in a handful of storylines. For the most part, his plots are side stories that are only tangentially related to the main conflict and just serve to show how he is growing closer to Bones, which helps when she and his dad begin dating and eventually marry. In season 7, episode 10, "The Warrior in the Wuss", Parker appears to be frustrated by his new baby step-sister and begins acting standoffish and even lies to Bones and Seeley.

However, they discover that he has been secretly creating a mobile for Christine made from pictures and items that he took from Bones and his father. Panitz's performance is perfect for a precocious young boy, and it's satisfying to see him so accepting of his dad's relationships rather than present a frustrating conflict for the show to deal with. Meanwhile, MacIntosh's role is much smaller. His Parker is older, and already pursuing writing at Oxford. While he's happy to see his family occasionally, he doesn't bring too much to the story plotwise and only appears in three episodes.

Both actors do a strong job of holding their own in their scenes. They seem right at home in the Bones story and deepen the familial relationships of the main characters.

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