It's not odd. How I see it is that the actors channel their characters, but aren't their characters. Gale Harold could do anything, and it wouldn't affect how I feel about Brian, because they're completely separate from each other.

I think that's easier to see in pre-television days, when it was common for their to be roles that more than one actor would play. I mean, who is Hamlet, or Othello? No one confounds the actors who played them with the characters.

Of course, there are hugely iconic roles that are so closely associated with the actor that it's almost impossible for anyone else to play them -- Clark Gable as Rhett Butler comes to mind. But with TV shows, we see the same actor interpreting a role, and in many series, even somewhat developing the role, and it does become harder to separate the actor from the role.

Maybe because I've been writing fiction with these characters, and there are no actors involved, they've just literally ceased to exist for me. I wish everyone who was involved in the production of QAF well and I'm grateful that so many wonderful people came together to bring this show to life, but I never think about the actors. I know it's easier to write fanfiction this way, but I also think it makes the show itself more enjoyable, and kind of helps with that problem you mention, of the actors diminishing the characters for us.

I mean, if I thought Hal Sparks was Michael, I couldn't love Michael the way I do. Same with Gale Harold and pretty much everyone, I guess. Does that make sense?