Who would you cast in a movie?

[young lan]

Nah! The Rock should play Rhuarc!

 

Or Gaul! :lol:

 

hahahahah, you're right Rhuarac! What was I thinking?

[Red States Rule!]

There isn't a character aside of Rand himself who has the ego to match the most ELECTRIFYING MAN IN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT... the PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.. THE GREAT ONE...

 

FINALLY... the ROCK has come BACK to DRAGONMOUNT!!!!

 

IF YOU SMEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING!

[firheruwen]

Rand: James McAvoy

Heh. James McAvoy is awesome, I could see him as Mat, but did you know he is 5 feet 7 inches tall?? Pulling him off as Rand would be a miracle of forced perspective ^^

 

Here is my partial list, mostly stolen from other people:

Alviarin: Jeri Ryan

Aviendha: Uma Thurman

Egwene: Emmy Rossum

Galad: Orlando Bloom

Lan: The Rock

Lanfear: Angelina Jolie

Logain: Andrew Wilkes-Krier (OK he is a musician not an actor, but he SHOULD be)

Mat: Colin Farrell

Moiraine: Christina Ricci

Nynaeve: Morena Baccarin

Thom: Patrick Stewart

[Guest TigerToe]

I think Thom is a tough pick, i picture someone kind of like Sir Ian though he might have to be a little younger, i like pat stewart because he has that stage/classical ability(like a bard)

 

i still think Timothy Dalton is Lan(not particularly good looking and definately COLD)

 

and Tom Welling is Rand or possibly Gawyn but he wouldnt take a smaller role :D , i do not see perrin at all..

[Kadere]

I want Sam Elliot to play Thom. His mustache is perfect, The Big Lebowski shows he can be rather funny, and NO ONE would mess with that gleeman.

[gaishain]

It took me so long to come up with all these... its all based on opinions but here are my choices. Enjoy.

 

Rand: James McAvoy or Jude Law

Mat: Ewan Mcgreggor

Perrin: Sean Austin

Egwene: Ginnifer Goodwin

Nynaeve: Shannon Doherty (not sure why maybe because they both are kinda b*tchy)OR a dark haired Nicole Kidman

Elayne: Christian Dunst (the way she looks in Interview with a vampire only more mature of course)

Aviendha: Milla Jovovich

Min: Natlie Portman or Mila Kunis

Lan: Hugh Jackman

Moraine: Sophie Marceau

Tom Merllin: Ian McKellen

Suian Sanche: Cate Blanchett

I do not picture the actors/actresses in my head when I read the books... these are just as close as I can get. Aviendha and Suian however I picture those very actors to a tee.

 

So what do you think?

[algspkr]

The female side is very difficult, as everyone is described as pretty next to Lanfear's beautiful. Personally I would go with Kate Beckinsale as Lanfear, everyone else would have to measure short. Some of the other suggestions for her came off as either unsuitable or not attractive enough. Or the director could simply avoid showing Lanfear's face.

 

I am not getting deeper into a discussion for a project that is unlikely at best to be done.

[Taymist]

Have to agree that this just isn't gonna happen. It'd have to be film not a mini series and look how long things like Star Wars and LoTR have taken. I really don't believe you could convey the complexity of the story on screen.

Having said that, I agree it would take British/Irish actors to carry off the language (no offense to Americans but some cursing they just can't carry effectively.

Not sure on which roles I'd give them but I'd like to see Jeremy Irons (excellent bad guy), Ewan McGregor (probably Mat), Daniel Day Lewis (look at Last of the Mohicans), Maggie Smith, Miriam Margolyes (sp?) (one of the Kin), Patrick Stewart, Alan Rickman (essential), Emma Thompson (defo Moiraine), Kenneth Branagh, Paul Betthany (Da Vinci Code), Robbie Coltrane (make a fantastic Ogier, look at Harry Potter 1). Rand is almost impossible to cast. Oh and David thingy that plays the new Doctor Who.

[ryan707]

You guys have to remember that Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Aviendha, & Elayne are all near 20 years old, give or take a few years. I think you have to pick some young actors for that reason.

 

I never thought of the Rock for Rhuarc but that would be great. Elisha Cuthbert was my 2nd choice for Elayne Trakand but I went with Katherine Heigl because she looks like she could be a daughter of Melora Hardin.

 

Adrien Paul as Lan? Sounds good too.

[Jonn]

I'm posting this before I read the rest of the thread so that I won't be accused of stealing anyone's idea, so here it goes.

 

Elisha Cuthbert is my number one pick for Elayne. She can still play young and she is a stunner. A bit too vulnerable, but I guess she could work on her regal bearing. She's an actress after all.

 

For Egwene, I'm going for Keisha Castle-Hughes , who was the lead in the movie Whale Rider. She's not unbelievably gorgeous, but neither is Egwene. She's an Oscar nominated actress so she defintately has the chops to play a characters as complex as Egwene.

 

Nynaeve, I'll go with Keira Knightly. She can be commanding, demanding and still be brave, and very beautiful. She seems a little older as well, but still is very youthful. Her work in Pride and Prejudice convinced me.

 

For Min I pick Eva Green. She was Queen Sibylla in Kingdom of Heaven. Again, a bit older, but she is sultry and has a mysterious, very feminine way about her. It would fit perfectly for Min's ability to see auras.

 

Moiraine. I originally thought that maybe she should be played by Winona Ryder because she has a very petite figure and has a bit of an ageless quality to her. I ended up though picking Zhang Ziyi from Crouching Tiger fame and more recently Memoirs of a Geisha. I always thought that Moiraine would be suited well to be played by an Asian woman. She is described as more than pretty, regal and delicate seeming. Very graceful. she must be Aes Sedai though.

After seeing Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs, I was convinced she could do the job wonderfully.

 

Tilda Swinton for Elaida. Cold, calculating and flawed, yet regal. Her recent work in Chronicles of Narnia and even Constantine show her ability to be a baddie, yet remain compelling and original.

 

Rebecca Romijn (formerly Stamos) as Queen Morgase.

[Kadere]

Keisha Castle-Hughes is like 12!

[Jonn]

Rand is very very tough to cast. It's mostly because of his height. Rand is described as rather tall. Fortunately in Hollywood, most actors are shorter, so the comparison to a fairly tall actor could make anyone over 6'1" seem tall enough. With camera angles and other techniques, the size difference can be enhanced. So the forst problem is thinking of actors who are over 6'1". I'm told about 188cm is what it translates to for those of you who are metric.

 

Here's a few actors who seem viable height-wise:

 

Ashton Kutcher- 6'3" or 190.5 cm

Heath Ledger- 6'2" or 188cm (roughly)

Josh Jackson- 6'2"

 

I think the best bet is a relatively unknown by the name of Austin Nichols. He was in the movie Wimbledon as Paul Bettany's nemesis, Jake Hammond. In that movie you could see he was easily as tall as Paul Bettany and Paul Bettany is a tall actor. As an actor, I don't know how well he could do with a character as complex and frankly, tortured as Rand eventually becomes. Looks wise he works well enough. As an actor I'd go with Heath Ledger if he weren't so old. He's 27 now and that's about 5 years older that I'd like him to be to pull of an 18 year old Rand. So instead I'll go with him playing someone like Gawyn or even Gaul. I'll say Gawyn for now though.

 

Rand- Austin Nichols

 

Perrin is even harder to cast for me. He has to be young and likeable, but sorta big. I really can't think of any actors that fit the description.

I'll have to get back to this one.

 

Mat- Adrian Grenier from HBO's Entourage.

 

Lan- I'll go with the popular Daniel Day Lewis choice although I am leaning back towards Ken Watanabe, who was in The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha. He'd look cool in armor and he has sword skills.

 

 

Bayle Domon- James Gandolfini

 

Padan Fain- Ben Kingsley

 

Elyas Machera- Mathew MacFayden, who played Mr. Darcy in the recent Pride and Prejudice.

 

Ralph Fiennes as Ishamael.

[Jonn]

Keisha Castle-Hughes is like 12!

 

She's 16 actually, which makes her perfect for Egwene. Considering that if this film ever happens, it'll be at least a couple of years before shooting, she's even more appropriate.

[Inara]

Kadere wrote:

Keisha Castle-Hughes is like 12!

 

 

She's 16 actually, which makes her perfect for Egwene. Considering that if this film ever happens, it'll be at least a couple of years before shooting, she's even more appropriate.

 

shes a kiwi, with a maori heratage....hardly ANYTHING like the 'brittish' look of the two rivers.

and john, i dont think i have EVER imagined cairheinin noble women to look remotely asian.

 

this is why animation is an infinatly better way to do this, RJ has the first and last word, no arguments, if you dont like it, stiff bickies

[Jonn]

Kadere wrote:

Keisha Castle-Hughes is like 12!

 

 

She's 16 actually' date=' which makes her perfect for Egwene. Considering that if this film ever happens, it'll be at least a couple of years before shooting, she's even more appropriate.[/quote']

 

shes a kiwi, with a maori heratage....hardly ANYTHING like the 'brittish' look of the two rivers.

and john, i dont think i have EVER imagined cairheinin noble women to look remotely asian.

 

this is why animation is an infinatly better way to do this, RJ has the first and last word, no arguments, if you dont like it, stiff bickies

 

That is your opinion of course.

 

Actually, the Two rivers folk are described as being dark of eye and hair generally speaking, so there really isn't much wrong with Keisha Hughes' coloring. If you have an issue with her racial and cultural heritage than that's completely YOUR limitation as it is with thinking that Cairhienin cannot appear Asian even though their features are pretty Asian in many ways including their cultural characteristics. Moiraine and most of the Cairhienin are described as smaller in stature, mainly dark-haired with pale skin. Their mannerisms are reserved and almost enigmatically stoic even though almost every gesture is scrutinzed as meaning something. I've read that their culture is a mix of French and Asian. Sounds a lot like the Vietnamese high-castes during the Indochine era. So all indications are that an Asian actress playing Moiraine is not such a shocking thought.

If you personally have never imagined that possibility, perhaps maybe you could start toying with the idea instead of trying to shoot it down before giving it a chance.

It's a problem I've always had with the cinema. It's always more comfortable for productions to cast caucasians in major roles and throw a bone or two to the non-caucasians in the supporting roles or second billings. This is a vast Fantasy epic. There are no limitations to what race or color you can cast in these roles so why imply that you must have a particular standard as such in the casting? Unless it specifically says that Moiriane has completely caucasian features as do all the Two-Rivers folk as well, why make it a big deal?

I can think of a few countries that have mixed colorings of peoples and that is never THE distinguishing factor. Tairens have been described as both light and dark skinned. Sea Folk are described as dark-skinned, but these features are not what define them as characters. They're either noble or common, merchants or soldiers, bandits or laborers. Their skin-coloring or so-called racial features have nothing to do with their class or caste.

In the beginning of the series, you hear all the time how Rand's coloring and features were not typical in the Two Rivers, yet most of the Two Rivers folk simply didn't care that he looked different. He was the way he was, but he was one of them and that's what counted. In fact, he was probably the only character referenced by other characters as seeming like a particular race because of his features. You never heard anyone call antother character out like that. You never hear an Altaran remark about how this or that person looks more like an Illianer than a Domani because of their physical coloring. The clothing and the mannerisms are what are always pointed out alongside the physical features.

The Seanchan, for all of their racial descrimination against channelers, come in all shapes and shades and all are accepted in the make-up of their empire. All can reach the higher stations through their merits and through luck even.

Big point is, don't limit the casting to an all Caucasian cast. This isn't Lord of the Rings where the setting is in an ancient European land. I believe RJ has taken great pains to cast his book as multi-colored and multi-cultural as possible and that's what makes him one of my favorite writers, in fact, my favorite writer.

It's really close minded to think that every principle actor has to be white.

[Ravenkiller]

I dont know about the rest of you but if they did make a movie I would never go watch it and would ban it from my house.

 

It would ruin the story for me and there is no way they could possibly keep the story unmolested. They would just have to butcher and rape so many of the important details. It might work as a mini series but it would have to be a really long mini series. And even then it would just get ripped apart.

 

But it is fun to compare them to actors so here's mine;

 

Min - Natalie Portman I think would be the best

Elayne - I think I'm gonna get flamed for this but Hilary Duff is the closest I can think of

Falie - Here's where I think Kristen Dunst would work but Portman would also work here

Berlain - I think Kiera Knightly would work well here

[Guest TigerToe]

 

 

LAN

[Jonn]

I've picked a Perrin.

 

Stanislav Ianevski- He played Victor Krum in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

[bloodandashes]

If they were going to make a movie out of TEOTW, I'd like to see Andy Serkis, the guy who played Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings, as Padan Fain. Think about it.

 

I'd also like to see me as Rand al'Thor :D I'd need to dye my hair, but we're similar height and build. Plus I could use the money. -Plus- I wouldn't mind having a couple of dragons up my forearms when it came time to shoot The Shadow Rising. And if the actress cast as Elayne is as hot as the novels make her out to be...I'd be the new Hayden Christensen. Come out of nowhere, star in a hit film, make a name for myself, get my freak on with a hot chick...I'd sign up as a Darkfriend right now if Shai'tan could promise me that

[dalic]

Whatever else happens Tuon must be played by Jada Pinkett Smith. She's small, black, and looks like a porcelin doll. Plus she's athletic.

[Jonn]

Whatever else happens Tuon must be played by Jada Pinkett Smith. She's small' date=' black, and looks like a porcelin doll. Plus she's athletic.[/quote']

 

Nice pick, except she'd have to look a deal younger. Yeah I know Jada Pinkett Smith doesn't exactly look old, but teh books describe her as almost looking like a young girl.

[Inara]

John

firslty, i take exception to your thinly veiled accusation of racism, i do not, and never will judge others based on their cultural heratage or race. EVER.

 

each character is described as belonging to a country/race in the books. andorans are pale and strawberry blonde, cairheinin are short and dark with pale skin, saldeans have roman noses...they are characteristics based on their origin.

i suggest you read the chracter descriptions a little more carfully before you defend your choices too. the cairheinin are described as small, dark hair/eyed yes. and their culture has been refered to as similar to pre-revolution france mixed with shogun japan,that doesnt mean they LOOK half french half japonese.think about it logically, elaynes has a cairhenin father, who is related to moiraine, she has no asian characteristcs whatsoever.

and about the two rivers, RJ has specifically said that the two rivers is based totally on country england....

 

even though there doesnt seem to be any racially based discrimination in randland, there is absolutlely no evidence of any assimilation between nations.

rand is a good example, he is aiel, and everyone assumes he is aiel, despite his accent and his clothing. nationality is based on race here, and why should it not be.

its a good thing your not in the casting buisness

[Jonn]

John

firslty' date=' i take exception to your thinly veiled accusation of racism, i do not, and never will judge others based on their cultural heratage or race. EVER.

 

each character is described as belonging to a country/race in the books. andorans are pale and strawberry blonde, cairheinin are short and dark with pale skin, saldeans have roman noses...they are characteristics based on their origin.

i suggest you read the chracter descriptions a little more carfully before you defend your choices too. the cairheinin are described as small, dark hair/eyed yes. and their culture has been refered to as similar to pre-revolution france mixed with shogun japan,that doesnt mean they LOOK half french half japonese.think about it logically, elaynes has a cairhenin father, [i']who is related to moiraine[/i], she has no asian characteristcs whatsoever.

and about the two rivers, RJ has specifically said that the two rivers is based totally on country england....

 

Dark of hair and dark of eye...and small. That doesn't sound at all like a classical Asian.

 

You contradict yourself with your insistence that just because the influences are from a certain culture, the racial features don't have to match. RJ says that the Two Rivers is based on countryside England, but you yourself said that such influences don't necessarily determine their racial features. What does determine their physical details is the text of course. RJ says that the Two Rivers folk are generally sturdy, not particularly tall, with dark hair and eyes, quite unlike the rest of the Andorans to the east, who tend to have more diversity in hair and eye color.

 

You supported the theory that Keisha Hughes couldn't play Egwene because she is of Maori heritage and a New Zealander. I insist that she is fine to play the role because she is dark of hair and eye, just like the books describe Egwene. Her skin tone isn't really much of an issue as Keisha Hughes is rather fair in complexion. Her facial features aren't so off-putting that I would say that she couldn't possibly play an Emonds Fielder.

 

Again, I never said that all Emonds Fielders must be Maori. I never suggested that all Cairhienin should have Asian features. I never even said that my casting choices were spectacular. I simply said who I would like to see in those roles, and I didn't constrain myself by race. I used the descriptions given in the book of these characters and went from there. Dark of hair and dark of eye means exactly what it says. RJ never specified that they are Maori or Japanese or English, in any racial context. He simply describes the people and from there we can come up with a composite.

 

I have known for the longest time that Hollywood is historically closed-minded when it comes to casting people of non white lineage in major roles. If they can skimp by with casting tokens here and there, they will. It's almost a policy. Otherwise, usually the only reason they would cast a non-white in the lead is if the majority of the cast is non-white. That is the sad truth, and if you feel that I'm calling you a racist, that's up to you to look into. I really don't know if you are or aren't. I don't know you. What I do know is that you seem to support the status quo when it comes to casting. You can't seem to get out of the box Hollywood has trapped everyone in. An all white world where every other race is one dimensional in character depth and appropriateness in roles. The exceptions are few and far between.

 

I think it is absolutely ridiculous to apply such standards in an epic fantasy especially when the author tries so hard to be inclusive of all races in his descriptions within the narrative.

 

even though there doesnt seem to be any racially based discrimination in randland' date=' there is absolutlely no evidence of any assimilation between nations.

rand is a good example, he is aiel, and everyone assumes he is aiel, despite his accent and his clothing. nationality is based on race here, and why should it not be.

its a good thing your not in the casting buisness[/quote']

 

You miss the point.

If you share a border with a country that has particular racial features, chances are there will be some mixing and certain features will be exchanged along those lines. You can take the Russians and the Chinese for an example. Along their borders there are some Chinese who have Caucasian features and some Russians who have some Asian features. It doesn't make them not Russian or Chinese because of their physical features.

 

Of course some regions in our world are so distinctive that it's hard to mistake what region they are from, but then again, how many people mistake Persians for Arabs, and Arabs for Turks, Turks for Greeks? How many mistake Nepalese with Indians, Chinese for Japanese, French for Belgians. How much different looking is an Inuit living in Canada from a Tibetan residing in northeastern India? They're thousands of miles apart geographically, yet they share similar features, as do we all really. I've seen white Irish Caucasians with dark hair and eyes, get mistaken for a Hispanic. I've seen black people who seem like they could be from the Caribbean, start speaking tagalog because they are natives of Luzon in the Philippines..

 

RJ mentions distinctive physical features of people from certain regions in his world. Then again he takes considerable pains to blur the lines and mention how these people come in all shapes and shades and can be mistaken for other nationalities.

 

Limitations are realistic sometimes of course, like a white supremacist has to be cast as a white person. Nelson Mandela has to be cast as black. Then again, in Hollywood's past that wasn't necessarily true. Black face, white people with tape on their cheeks to simulate Asian eyes, fake accents galore...Even to this day, it still happens.

 

Why, for goodness sakes, would we draw up such limitations in a fantasy epic, so dedicated to promoting the idea that diversity is normal?

 

You say it's a good thing that I'm not into casting. Is it really such a good thing, given the ideas that I am trying to bring across? I think it's a sad thing that even the idea of having a diverse cast in a story like this, gets shot down by fans of the story. Fans like yourself, Inara.

 

Take a hard look at what you think is good once in a while.

[Inara]

we are definitly on different wavelengths here.

my whole point was that i support appropriate casting, black actors should be cast as characters who are described as black or dark skinned, like tuon, or the sea folk (who i have always pitured a polynesian in apearance...tatoos) there is plenty of room for multicultural casting in the narrative, all i ask is that it is consistent with the descriptions provided for us.

 

this is one of my strongest reasons for an animated version, with RJ at the helm, that way people are portrayed as he imagined them.

 

your sarcasm is not appreciated, i would prefer an ernest argument to snide remarks.

[Jonn]

we are definitly on different wavelengths here.

my whole point was that i support appropriate casting' date=' black actors should be cast as characters who are described as black or dark skinned, like tuon, or the sea folk (who i have always pitured a polynesian in apearance...tatoos) there is plenty of room for multicultural casting in the narrative, all i ask is that it is consistent with the descriptions provided for us.

 

this is one of my strongest reasons for an animated version, with RJ at the helm, that way people are portrayed as he imagined them.

 

your sarcasm is not appreciated, i would prefer an ernest argument to snide remarks.[/quote']

 

I assure you, I am very earnest about my choices here.

 

Your point about animation being better is moot as this thread is about who people would cast in a movie, meaning a live action movie.

 

As for descriptions, RJ says that Egwene has dark hair and eyes. He writes that most of the Two Rivers folk are like that. They're not especially pale or dark of skin. They tend to be of middling height. He describes people with large noses, lantern jaws, slim figured, tall, short, wide, big eared, fat, small eyed, big-eyed...all shapes you can think of, he's described it in the Two Rivers folk.

 

What's wrong with Keisha Hughes? You said that it's inappropriate to cast her because she's Maori. Look at a picture of her, and erase the knowledge of what her heritage is. Tell me her how her look is inappropriate.

 

The Cairhienin are described as pale, short and mostly dark of hair and eye. The soldiers wear standards strapped to their backs on square frames. The fashion is to shave the front of the head and powdering it reminiscent of ancient Chinese society. To the north lies Shienar where men wear their hair in a topknot as the Japanese did in the feudal era. CAirhien lies in the Eastern regions of the Continent before the Waste. How is it not implied that Asian features aren't contained in this populace?

 

Ultimately, your vision of what people look like is simply your vision. Mine is mine. Who is right?

 

I take exception when you say I am wrong based on the racial lines of people I picked to play the roles.

 

What's your pick? Animation? That's no answer. Unless it's done in extreme manga style where everyone looks like a mild nightmare version of real human beings, the animated characters will also have particular racial influences and features. That choice is still made. Besides, look at the title of the thread. What's the point in petitioning for animated characters when the topic is what actors should be cast as certain characters.

 

You call me snide? How bout hopping onto a thread and criticizing someone's choices on criteria as obnoxious as race, and then turning around and saying that basically everyone here is stupid because the movie should be cast as a bunch of drawings and paintings...Snide you call me? Get real.