Which character has most improved in your mind through great casting?

[Blackfyre Gateau]

I'm doing a re-read of the entire series at the moment, and one of the things that strikes me is how some characters I wasn't particularly keen on first time around have improved either because A) you now have a deeper insight, with the benefit of hindsight, into why they act or think the way they do and where they're going arc wise or B just as importantly your perception has been transformed because casting has made a book character all that more 3 dimensional and compelling to you.

In my case I'd have to say Liam Cunningham's turn as Davos really knocked it out of the park for me in terms of changing my perception and interest in a character.

I'd also have to point out some of the other obvious ones:

Margarey;

Osha;

Oberyn Martell; (I really didn't have any particular 'feel' for the Red Viper - he came in and electrified the show);

Roose Bolton (could never picture him reading the books, I think they got a fantastic actor and that devillish glance and smile at Catelyn at RW was chilling).

Jorah Mormont - My view of Jorah in the books was 'Ok'. Iain Glen works wonders on screen. He makes the Dany scenes from season 2 onwards bearable ;)

[The Onion Sleight]

I don't know why, but John Bradley really made me love Sam. I mean, I always wanted Sam to survive the series and liked him in the books and everything, but John plays for me an even more lovelier and also funnier Sam, he makes the character in his own way charismatic and was for me somehow the Star of the Episode in "The Watchers on The Wall". I think, I care now much more about Book!Sam, too.

Also definitely Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont, I couldn't agree more! I agree, he's not exactly Book!Jorah, but I definitely like Show!Jorah much more, and he made me more interested in the character.

The show generally casts villains pretty perfect, David Bradley as Walder Frey, Michael McElhatton as Roose, Iwan Rheon as Ramsay (although, yes, he's different than Book!Ramsay), Jack Gleeson as Joffrey, and -of course- Charles Dance as Tywin; more than excellent cast and they often improved the characters for me.

We haven't seen much of Show!Hizdahr so far, but I already love this guy, while Book!Hizdahr... is Book!Hizdahr, lol.

I always loved Theon and he was always in my Top 10 of my favourite characters, but after watching Alfie Allen playing him, and especially his scenes in S2 (and some rereads), he became my favourite character #3 or #4. I think, he's my favourite cast overall!

ETA: And how could I forget Kerry Ingram as Shireen?! I love that she's much more of a character on the show, and how she's incredible cute and also smart and Baratheon-typical stubborn, wonderful little girl!

And I actually never liked Sandor in the books, but Rory McCann played him so wonderfully, that I can't NOT like Show!Sandor.

And I agree of course with everybody who says Osha/Natalia Tena, Thorne/Owen Teale, Bronn/Jerome Flynn and Oberyn/Pedro Pascal!

And SO freaking much Harry Lloyd as Viserys!

[RooseIsLoose]

Oberyn by far, in the books he's just a prince with ideas for revenge, in the show he's the ultimate badass.

And Margaery simply because she gets so much more development and is so much more cunning.

[Pod The Impaler]

This is hard to say, with all the aging-up of characters, the various amalgamations and other changes.

I think Osha would be one - well, clearly Natalia Tena has a magnetic personality, so to have her featured more in the show is a good thing.

Alliser Thorne - Owen Teale is playing him a bit different than in the books, but last season's battles showed he's not just a bag of hot air - he can hate Jon and be a badass fighter also.

Tywin Lannister may to look like Charles Dance in the books, but I think he really had that part down - some of his conversations with Tyrion are so emotionally brutal it makes you want to go hide in a corner.

Jerome Flynn has made a very good Bronn. Probably more interesting than his book counterpart, even with less bloody deeds portrayed.

And Varys being on screen is always a highlight thanks to Conleth Hill.

[Janicia]

ETA: And how could I forget Kerry Ingram as Shireen?! I love that she's much more of a character on the show, and how she's incredible cute and also smart and Baratheon-typical stubborn, wonderful little girl!

I totally agree with this. Book Shireen is creepy and sad, but show Shireen is a full person and I'm rooting for her to survive. Watching her talk to Melissandre, it hit me that Shireen is similar to a young Tyrion in a lot of ways. I want to see her grow up!

I really like show Margery as well. When Cersei went to make peace before Tyrion's trial, I liked that Margery couldn't resist throwing in the jab about becoming her daughter. And I liked that we were there with Margery when she learned that her family was willing to poison a teenager and frame two innocents, though that scene was kind of clumsy.

Grey Worm and Missandei are also really brought to life in the show. I like that they are starting to voice opinions, and I'm looking forward to when they start disagreeing with Dany on policy. And how they react to her season 5 arc.

I'm also looking forward to Tommen and Myrcella having opinions in season 5. I was proud of Tommen when he did a good job with his big speech at the start of Tyrion's trial.

[The Onion Sleight]

I totally agree with this. Book Shireen is creepy and sad, but show Shireen is a full person and I'm rooting for her to survive. Watching her talk to Melissandre, it hit me that Shireen is similar to a young Tyrion in a lot of ways. I want to see her grow up!

I also love how she's really her father's daughter. Selyse called her "stubborn, sinful and sullen", Davos says about her "You're your father's daughter, no mistake. Bloody relentless, the both of you.", how she mistrusts and questions Mel, and how she is sometimes so simply pragmatical ("Why is there a G in "night"? "I don't know, there just is."). She's such a lovable girl (and sometimes really Stannis junior) ^_^

[Lutfitasiwi]

Mine would be

Theon :When i read the book, I'm not that into this character but when i saw Alfie's performance, he's become my top favorite character (someone, give this man an Emmy nomination already)
Shireen : Kerry Ingram is so cute!

Margaery : I'm just gay for Natalie Dormer.

[stannisismyking]

Shireen definitely. I absolutely adore her in the books but she's more of a background character and it feels like on the show she'll actually be a force to be reckoned with. In RL Kerry has been hanging with the actor who plays Olly when they're not shooting so hopefully she'll have scenes with him. The Wall is particularly miserable as GoT settings go, so it would be nice two have two kids around causing mischief. It's sad that she doesn't have Devan like in the books but Show!Shireen seems so hopeful and full of life, but with a bit of bite as well when required. I liked that she questioned Mel on her religion and the methods involved, and the fact that she's not won over.

Sometimes I remember those dark days when we thought Shireen wasn't going to be in the show at all and I shudder.

Jerome Flynn is brilliant as Bronn and it's nice that they recognised his worth early on and built on the role.

And even though he's a very minor character, I mentioned yesterday that Salladhor Saan's casting is great and he's improved on the book version so much.

ETA: this will be an unpopular one because I know how beloved his in the books, but Oberyn didn't really do anything for me apart from in the fight scene. Pedro on the other hand :bowdown:

[Ser Lucious Left-Foot]

Personnally, I had always found Robb Stark prety dull in the books, but Richard Madden gave a sensitive and epic side to him that I liked, and that made me even madder about the Red Wedding.

[boojam]

I will repeat myself.

I think many of the actors , like Peter and Charles , bring their own personal craft to the characters and add dimension to them that was not in the books, I think that is a good thing.

Almost everybody has been good, tho I still can't understand Sibel Kekilli , who had language problems , passing the audition, she was adequate , and good in a few scenes , but mostly not.

A couple of obscure ones:

Conan Stevens was 100 per cent better than Ian Whyte and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane. That one still puzzles me. If they had of left the Mountain out of season 2, Stevens could have picked up the part a little in season 3 and was needed in season 4. They really dropped the ball on Stevens.

Francis Magee as Yoren aced a minor role, I wanted to see more of him!

Patrick Malahide as Balon came out of nowhere, never heard of the actor before.

I have always like Clive Russell's work, but does George even have a story for the Blackfish going forward?

Richard Dormer and Paul Kaye were great in their roles, but will we see them again?

[tyrions@]

Harry Lloyd as viserys was really great. He seemed to capture the pettiness of the book character while actually adding some sort of empathy to him.

[Ser-Hodor]

Harry Lloyd was the perfect Beggar King

Natalie Dormer owns Marg

Pedro Pascal owned every scene he was in without being overbearing

John Bradley really humanizes Sam

When reading the books I always pictured Roose looking like Severus Snape, so it was hard to view him otherwise despite the strong acting

Last but not least, the actor playing Maester Aemon really brought a warm humour to the character, enriching his book self

EDIT

I forgot the actor playing Hodor. That look on his face after snapping the neck while warged at Craster's was epic

[boojam]

Nat dormer makes an excellent Margarey

I am glad they have , I hope they keep it up, changed Margarey from the books.

I really lost interest in KL after everybody of interest leaves , I got where I skimmed over the Cersei chapters , having a sort of 'medium' Marg in conflict with Cersei was boring to me.

If they want to jazz things up, as they have hinted, a Machiavellian cat-fight between Marg and Cersei would be excellent.

Tho I hope they now spend as little time in KL as possible, all the interesting stories are else where.

[K-26dp]

The casting on the show overall has been great.

But I will echo Natalie Dormer's Margaery Tyrell and John Bradley's Sam Tarley as the prime examples of acting that really elevate the charater from the book, IMO. I'll also throw in Conleth Hill's Varys. But there has been many examples.

[sati]

Catelyn, Robb, Shireen, Varys...the casting is for the most part just brilliant.

[Blackfyre Gateau]

Personnally, I had always found Robb Stark prety dull in the books, but Richard Madden gave a sensitive and epic side to him that I liked, and that made me even madder about the Red Wedding.

This!

[The Onion Sleight]

Harry Lloyd as viserys was really great. He seemed to capture the pettiness of the book character while actually adding some sort of empathy to him.

God, how could I forget him?!

Definitely YES, Harry Lloyd as Viserys = :bowdown: !

[Batbob45]

Saan

Book Saan was forgetible

Show Saan is funny and more entertaining

[lakin1013]

I am going to go with Sam as well. Frankly, when I read the books, Sam became Samwise Gamgee, boy assistant to Frodo. Sam/Samwise was the character who always had Jon/Frodo's back. I wished him well but I cannot say I cared much about him. Yet, when I watched the show, Sam came alive for me, and I found myself liking him outright for who he was, and not who he was in Jon's reflection. John Bradley is doing a wonderful job

[Annara Snow]

I am going to ignore all the (mostly minor) characters who were improved not just by having an actor play them but by being more fleshed out through writing (like Shireen, Alliser Thorne, Margaery). I take this to mean that it's just the actor and nothing else that made the character come alive for you.

1. Jaqen H'ghar - he is 100% written the same, but having Tom Wlaschiha play him just made him come alive in the way he didn't when I was just imagining him. I though his weird way of talking was creepy and sort of annoying, but in the show, it is another thing that makes him strangely charismatic and sexy (... in a creepy way).

2. Varys - kind of similar, just replace the 'sexy' with 'strangely likable, even when you know you shouldn't trust him'.

3. Thoros of Myr - Paul Kaye is wonderfully funny and has a great presence, he made Thoros really memorable.

4. Oberyn - I did like him in the books, but I wasn't one of his biggest fans. But Pedro really made him come alive for me. Although I did like some writing choices, too (like moving his speech to Tyrion from his introduction to the cell scene, or his scenes with Tywin and Cersei).

5. Bronn - the character is no different except he gets more good one-liners, too, but he gets many of them in the books as well, and I think the main reason why he gets them (and more screentime) in the show because the actor is so charismatic.

6. Salladhor Saan - see Bronn

7. Gilly - I don't get why people don't like Hannah Murray, for me she made Gilly seem like a real person the way I didn't quite feel in the books, where she felt more like something Sam was trying to protect, maybe because we mostly see her from his POV

There are many other actors who are great in their roles and perfectly fit their characters, but I can't say they "improved" the characters, since I already loved the characters on the page just as much (e.g. the above mentioned Samwell or Maester Aemon).

Jorah Mormont - My view of Jorah in the books was 'Ok'. Iain Glen works wonders on screen. He makes the Dany scenes from season 2 onwards bearable ;)

Jorah has not been "improved" by casting (and writing), he's been turned into a very different character. A more likable character, yes. But that's not an improvement, IMO, just like whitewashing Tyrion isn't "improving" the character. Personally, I think that the physically unattractive, stubborn, gruff, flawed Jorah is far more interesting than the handsome guy with a nice demeanour and constantly serious/sad expression we get in the show.