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Would you recast any character?


Ingelheim

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It's tough to say who should be recast. With some actors, it just bugs me a bit that they stray too much from how I imagined the characters in the books. Sansa is an oft-mentioned example, and I always thought of Davos as younger and leaner. This is entirely superficial, however, and both these actors actually do a great job of capturing the personality of their characters. On the other hand some actors stick out like a sore thumb because they don't feel like their book counterparts at all, but in these cases the writing is often at least equally at fault. Take Mance Rayder for example. He's totally missing his signature charm and cleverness, but even with a different actor there just weren't any scenes where he could express those traits. The writers made the decision to diminish this character, turning him into a rather thankless role. Which is a shame, because book Mance was just the type of character to shine and win over audiences with even just a couple of scenes, so I really don't get why they made him so dull.



The one character I would absolutely recast is Shae. Yes, the writing for her storyline was atrocious too, probably the worst bit of an excellent series. But here I feel that another actress might have delivered even those flawed scenes more credibly, and would have been more authentic as the woman Tyrion falls head over heels for. In general, though, I think this series has thoroughly excellent casting and with a few exceptions, has been quite adept at making the characters even look like they just leapt off the page. This is all criticism on the highest level as far as I'm concerned.


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Loras: with someone whose body looks like its been training all his life or at least has some muscles, and looks like could go toe to toe with Jaime/Brienne/Sandor/Gregor

Renly: with someone tall and strong who looks like would inspire loyalty.

Robert Baratheon: Mark Addy does look like a man who can't control his vices (booze, women) but he does not look like someone who was a soldier, let alone the strongest man in Westeros at one point.

Daenerys: was great in season 1, but has become increasingly annoying, the way she talks and looks... she does not look like a Queen.

Brienne: was perfect at first, but now she's making jokes and being all confident in season 4, that's not Brienne.

Jon Snow: He's been great for the most part, I wish somebody would tell him when he is doing a especially stupid face.

Everybody else is just perfect I must admit. They didn't make that many mistakes.

That's more the script's fault. Gwen is doing aces job, though she is obviously far too beautiful for the part

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Yall are crazy. Can't picture Natalie as Cersei at all. Lena has been awesome imo even if the writing for her character hasn't

Natalie doesn't have the looks to play either part to be honest (she is attractive but not Marg/Cersei attractive) and she feels way too young to play Cersei. Lena has been wonderful in the show so far, though I wish they gave it a rest with all the attempts to humanize her - few was fine, but all that 'Cersei is worried for her kids' bit was just repeated over and over again

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Natalie doesn't have the looks to play either part to be honest (she is attractive but not Marg/Cersei attractive) and she feels way too young to play Cersei. Lena has been wonderful in the show so far, though I wish they gave it a rest with all the attempts to humanize her - few was fine, but all that 'Cersei is worried for her kids' bit was just repeated over and over again

Agreed on all accounts
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I can't understand the hate for Sophie Turner. She is supposed to be tall. Her acting is absolutely fantastic and fits the role perfectly in my opinion. Same goes to Maisie.

I would have wanted Jon Snow to be replaced earlier because of his below average acting in the first seasons. He stepped up in season 4 and there's no need to do it now.

Aidan Gillen is an amazing Littlefinger, but his voice is getting quite annoying. I don't know whose idea was it to change his voice like that, but too much is too much. Littlefinger in season 2 and 3 was top notch.

Emilia Clarke looks the part, but her acting has been quite horrendous in the last 2 seasons. She needs to improve.

Neither of the Daario's were good enough. The first mountain was the best mountain.

:agree: with all of these. I can't understand criticism of Sophie's looks, she's one of the characters on TV who fits almost perfectly with the book description (well, apart from her hair being dyed a shade lighter than auburn). If she were still as old as she was in season 1, she'd fit the AFFC Sansa (13 going on 14) perfectly.

I really liked Emilia in season 1, but yes, her acting has been disappointing since season 1, though the writing is to be blamed a lot a well. I think that the problem may be that Emilia is excellent whenever Dany is supposed to be vulnerable (as in most of season 1 and in scenes such as locking up the dragons) but when Dany is supposed to be commanding and determined, she often comes across as petulant instead.

Kit Harington is an OK actor but not a great one. He's fine enough when the script is really good, but, unlike some other actors (like Sophie or Michelle Fairley), he can't save a poor script. The problem with Jon Snow is that he's an introverted character and so much of his characterization is lost without the inner monologue, especially with the often crappy writing of the show, and Kit didn't always do enough to portray Jon's inner conflict. I'm OK with Kit now, and I'm waiting to see how he does in season 5, but sometimes I do wonder what if would be like if Jon were played by a more talented actor who could give him more presence, complexity and inner turmoil. I've seen a video manipulation where someone "recast" Jon with Aneurin Barnard, and since then I can't help imagining how great that would have been. (ETA: And he even looks like Maisie Williams! They could have totally done the whole Lyanna resemblance thing.)

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I don't have a lot of characters i would recast, but I do have some characters I would restyle.



Sansa being the most major one. They always grease up her hair so it looks strangely shiny and heavy. It doesn't look medieval, it just looks strange. Plus they dress her in really heavy, mostly formless clothes that seem to drag her down. Yes her outfits are exquisitely made, but most of them aren't super flattering. Especially compared to dresses made for other characters (like Cersei, some of Marge's outfits that aren't totally bizarre, and even Shae). Sophie's pretty enough to pull most of them off, but if the clothes worked with her instead of against her...wow! Sansa's supposed to be one of the most beautiful characters in the series and I think Sophie could be perfect. But give her soft, touchable, beautiful hair and soft, elegant, youthful (and weather appropriate) dresses. Just stop drowning her in heavy, drab dresses that over-pad her waist and chest, please!


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Retroactively, I'd make Helen Mirren Olenna, because she just expressed a desire to be on the show.

I thought of that before season 3 , and the show was a hit by then, but not enough to probably win over an A lister at that time.

I was surprised and very happy that Diana Rigg took the role , she is a peer of Mirren, Dench and Maggie Smith ... one of GB finest stage actresses , to she has had good success in TV alas her film career never took off.

I thought of Mirren for Green Grace but that's one of those characters-too-far for the show.

I hope there are no more new characters George has enough!

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I would recast Arya too.

She acts well but does not match the stark looks the books describe. She looks tully.

Wouldnt blame D&D since they cast her as a child.

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTkwNDQ3MjY1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjQzMzEzOQ@@._V1_SY1200_CR152,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

After all this time we still have this 'how an actor looks' deal , perceptions of what book characters look like differ widely. I know a lot of the art that existed before GOT ever aired did not square with my perception of book character. I don't think George does a super job on detailed physical characteristics.

GRRM was not even consistent in describing starting out describing her is Pug-Ugly and evolving that Homely later.

Anyway it is the craft of the actor you cast for first and appearance second.

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