Casting - Who would YOU have cast if different from the show?

[Deviations]

There has been a lot of conversation about the casting and I'm not trying to debate the actual casting again.  I'm wondering how each of you sees these characters?  Who did you have in your mind when you read the book?  If you didn't read it, are there characters you think could be played more effectively by someone else?  For the sake of the thread, you can pick from different eras (as Jordan did with his list) but more points if they are all actors available now.

 

Rand

A young Brendan Fraser

Mat

Timothee Chalomet 

Perrin

A younger Chris Hemsworth 

Nynave

Odette Annabel

Egwene

Hailee Steinfeld

Moraine- 

Rosamunde Pike was a pretty darn good pick.

Thom Merrilin

Bradly Cooper - Maybe Harry Connick Jr

Loial

A young Forest Witaker

Lan

Henry Cavill

 

Sorry not in this season but I've always pictured and heard this...

Lanfear

Catherine Zeta Jones

 

 

[Gothic Flame]

Jordan had his own "fantasy list" of actors that he pulled from different eras;

[Deviations]

I'd seen Jordan's choices in writing but these photos help.  I don't like Nicole Kidman as Aviendha but I really like the young James Garner as Mat.

 

Who would you cast???

[AdamA]

I'm supremely weirded out by (I believe) Brian Cox as Thom looking like Patrick Stewart with hair.

[TheSmurf]

Val Kilmer as Perrin is mighty weird to me ?

[ForsakenPotato]

Excuse me is that Tyra Banks as Semirhage? Can't wait for the next season of Pit of Doom's Next Top Model.

[Gothic Flame]

I always had a thing for Audrey Hepburn...

[Deviations]

2 hours ago, TheSmurf said:

Val Kilmer as Perrin is mighty weird to me ?

I can't get that one either!?!?

[Deviations]

56 minutes ago, Gothic Flame said:

I always had a thing for Audrey Hepburn...

That casting would be dead on.

[fra85uk]

Casting (particularly for the main characters) is probably one of the strongest points of the show.

Honestly, I would have changed a lot of the writing and also the scenes/editing but all the actors are doing a very good job with what they have been given and I imagined that they would have been able to do even better with higher-quality material.

 

I can just express the hope that they get the Forsakens right, because they are not easy to cast.

Edited December 8, 2021 by fra85uk

[ForsakenPotato]

For some reason in my mind I always imagined Kate Winslet as Morgase and Olivia Coleman as Verin. I think Jean Smart would be amazing as one of the Aiel wise ones. I'm really glad that we have relatively unknown actors for the younger characters though, and realistically with Rosamund Pike I doubt there will be a ton of other really famous people.

 

I think it's also helpful to avoid actors who have been in other fantasy adaptions if there's other equally good fits for the part. Even with Tam who is obviously a good dude, I associated the actor so much with Roose Bolton I had a nagging feeling the whole first episode he was about to do something shady. Maggie Smith could be amazing in a number of roles in the kin or tower or Linni but she was already an iconic Professor McGonagall so I would spend every scene waiting for her to deduct points from the houses of the EF5.

[Lan the Man]

Rand , Moiraine, and Lan are fine in My book.

Nynaeve grew on me before I gave up on the TV show, although there was no need to change her race. 

I would have had  Alexender Ludwig from Vikings as Perrin and just died his hair black. 

Someone like a younger Ryan Reynolds would be perfect for Matt

Lily James as Egwene

Adam Baldwin from Chuck and Firely as Tam Al Thor

Angela Bassett as Suian

A younger Amandha Righetti as Avienda

Kelly Reilly as Morgase

Natalie Alyn Lind as Elayne

Matt Bomer as Galad 

Alexandra Daddaroio as Lanfear

 

That's all that pop right into my head

 

[Daenelia]

I would like to fit Idris Elba in there somewhere and all I can think of is Lan.

 

Because everything is better with Idris.

[DaddyFinn]

2 hours ago, Daenelia said:

I would like to fit Idris Elba in there somewhere and all I can think of is Lan.

 

Because everything is better with Idris.

Weiramon

[TheDreadReader]

3 hours ago, Daenelia said:

I would like to fit Idris Elba in there somewhere and all I can think of is Lan.

 

Because everything is better with Idris.

 

100% he should be Moridin. 

 

 

[Deviations]

10 hours ago, Lan the Man said:

Rand , Moiraine, and Lan are fine in My book.

Nynaeve grew on me before I gave up on the TV show, although there was no need to change her race. 

I would have had  Alexender Ludwig from Vikings as Perrin and just died his hair black. 

Someone like a younger Ryan Reynolds would be perfect for Matt

Lily James as Egwene - YES!

Adam Baldwin from Chuck and Firely as Tam Al Thor

Angela Bassett as Suian

A younger Amandha Righetti as Avienda - Outstanding!

Kelly Reilly as Morgase

Natalie Alyn Lind as Elayne - I can get there!

Matt Bomer as Galad  - Yes!

Alexandra Daddaroio as Lanfear - She's too much of a 'white hat' in my mind.  Gal Gadot or a young Susan Lucci

10 hours ago, Lan the Man said:

 

That's all that pop right into my head

 

 

[flinn]

 Val Kilmer is crazy. Love the actor, but Perrin?

 

 Michelle Pfeifer as Morgase is great.

 

 I would have loved a young Jason Patric as Mat. Lost Boys years. He was older in Alamo, but the smirk and glare he gave the idiot nobleman who was in charge was perfect.

[SinisterDeath]

1 hour ago, flinn said:

 Val Kilmer is crazy. Love the actor, but Perrin?

 

 Michelle Pfeifer as Morgase is great.

 

 I would have loved a young Jason Patric as Mat. Lost Boys years. He was older in Alamo, but the smirk and glare he gave the idiot nobleman who was in charge was perfect.

The way I understood RJ's casting choices were;
A) Actors he liked/loved and just wanted them in a movie based on his books.
B) Some actors had faces similar to how he imagined the characters, even though they had other characteristics that were not right. (Wrong color eyes, skin, hair, height, etc)
C) Some actors simply had a style that matched certain characters, but nothing else.

 

 

Here's one fan casting I came up with today.

Olver = Tom Holland
Yeah, I know. Totally wrong age. Not Ugly enough.... but really I just want him there so he can spoil the show for us.

[JaimAybara]

Perrin -The personality, physique, and the beard of Wes Chatham who plays Amos in the Expanse was my head canon Perrin. I like his vibe, strong acting, solid beard, got that crazy look nailed down from time to time. 

 

Rand- Sam Heughan has been my Rand for quite a while but I like who they cast, he’s doing a good job. 
 

Mat - Timothee Chalamet, Ezra Miller,  or Anton Yelchin (RIP). I need to keep thinking on this one, Mat is the hardest one for me. There are a lot of close ones. 

 

 

[Sabio]

You can't have a show without the Rock, you need the Rock as Rand.  CAAAAAAAAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE DRAGON IS COOKING.  Call Ishy a Jabroni,

 

[Deviations]

On 12/11/2021 at 2:27 AM, JaimAybara said:

Perrin -The personality, physique, and the beard of Wes Chatham who plays Amos in the Expanse was my head canon Perrin. I like his vibe, strong acting, solid beard, got that crazy look nailed down from time to time. 

Good pick.  This fits my mental image as well.  

[Deviations]

I love Tim Curry.  What about as 

[RhienneAgain]

On 12/13/2021 at 2:40 AM, Sabio said:

You can't have a show without the Rock, you need the Rock as Rand.  CAAAAAAAAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE DRAGON IS COOKING.  Call Ishy a Jabroni,

 

I want the Rock as Lini.

[Deviations]

If we even get Lini, I'll do cartwheels.  I love the idea of the Rock giving Elayne some much needed, folksy advice that includes "Do you smell what I have cooking"!

[Gothic Flame]

Been thinking Eleanor Tomlinson for Avienda.