130 replies to this topic

[King Harren]

Always have them as North African - mostly because of the skintone, the desert and the headscarves.

[Drogo's beard]

Don't hang me for this, but I always picture Kim Kardashian as Arianne when I'm reading.  I think she's a terrible actress but looks wise I think she would be perfect.

[Anaik of Rhoyne]

Kayvan Novak (aka the Fonejacker) would also make a nice Red Viper, he's got that look about him (especially with longer hair) I know it makes not sense but this picture of him sitting with Richard Madden, for me at least, validates my suggestion hehe
http://s3.amazonaws....Z3bsfhni0bwQ%3D

Edited by Anaik of Rhoyne, 07 October 2011 - 04:01 AM.

[lady_winterborn]

For me it's like:
Salty Dornishmen = mediterranean/Middle Eastern look, slightly almond shaped eyes, olive skin
Sandy Dornishmen = kind of Touareg/Bedouin style
Stony Dornishmen = Well, people from Middle Europe, with tanned skin

As someone mentioned before, Spain kind of includes all three populations.

[Durb]

Quote

For me it's like:
Salty Dornishmen = mediterranean/Middle Eastern look, slightly almond shaped eyes, olive skin
Sandy Dornishmen = kind of Touareg/Bedouin style
Stony Dornishmen = Well, people from Middle Europe, with tanned skin

As someone mentioned before, Spain kind of includes all three populations.

WAT.

No, seriously... what?

The stony Dornishmen are sort of central /northern euro types, pales with freckles are usually light hair...And you will have a hard time finding Bedouin like people (dark brown skin) in Spain or anywhere in southern europe, by the way, unless they´re roma gypsies or have foreign ancestry.

As for the cast, I´d say they will go exclusively with the most ethnic looking mediterranian peoples, to emphasize the differences with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. We know how this works, and we already have a black Salladhor Saan and Xaro Xhoan Daxos (and I´m personally fine with it).

[As high as honor]

Every time I watch Spartacus the actor by the name of Nick Tarabay (Asher on the show) makes me think of Dorne.

[Wenda the White Fawn]

As long as they cast actual people of color, I'll be happy.

[Wedonotsow]

For Prince Doran, I keep picturing this guy http://marvel-movies...ki/Mina_E._Mina.  He was one of the gangsters in Eastern Promises (cool flick if you've never seen it).  I think he has the right look and is about the right age.  Also, he would probably fit as a brother for Naveen Andrews if they can get him for the Red Viper.

[Linda]

Since they already picked up Charles Dance from The Jewel in the Crown, perhaps they should look to another actor that was in it for Doran: Art Malik.

That said, I am really dubious we'll see much of the Dornish. Oberyn, I suppose...but the Sand Snakes will probably be reduced to one, at most. So it seems incredibly unlikely that they won't simplify and just cast everyone as salty/sandy Dornish, even though the stony Dornish should look nothing like them.

And, really, if we look at the four oldest Sand Snakes, its probably just Sarella/Alleras that couldn't pass for being from Westeros in general given that Oberyn's odd genetics appear to result in his daughters largely looking like their mothers -- all probably non-Dornish for the oldest four, unless Tyene's blonde hair and blue eyes is from a stony Dornishwoman -- save for their eyes.

[Carl Drogo]

It seems like people are imagining the Dornish to have anything from Southern European to Indian features. For the actual show they made several people black, wo weren't described that way in the books, Salladhor Saan and Xaro Xoan Dhaxos. I guess one can imagine that some diversity considerations went into this, but I like the idea and the two actual casting choices.

Would it be a good idea to go one step further and cast blacks for the Dornish? I guess I got the idea from thinking that a young Pam Grier would have been the perfect choice for Obara Sand.

[Sound_of_winter]

I always imagined the Dornish as Persian, i really hope to see nazanin boniadi as Arienne, and Dominic Cooper as Oberyn. Yes i am rooting for a persian actress, i am persian myself

[Great Dayne]

I imagined Dorne as Italy.  It is seperated from the rest of the continent by mountains (Italy has the Alps).  Italians have a wide range of coloring, blond hair and light eyes in the North and darker in the South.  Dorne has the Salty, Sandy and Stone Dornishman.

Italian food can be spicy and there is both European and Arabic influence.

[Archmaester Marwin]

The King of Ashes, on 26 July 2011 - 09:58 PM, said:

Dornish isn't really a thing. There seems to be many different racial types in Dorne besides the Rhoynar. I mean, Gerris Drinkwater is said to be fair skinned and sandy haired. Also, Oberyn's daughter Tyene is said to be blonde and blue eyed.

There are three types of Dornish, according to ASOS
Sandy Dornish - in the deserts, dark skin, dark hair - descendants of the Rhoynar
Salty Dornish - mostly coastal areas olive skin, dark hair - descendants of the Rohynar
Stoney Dornish - mostly in the mountains, fair skin, fair hair - descendants of the First Men

Tyrion observes that Oberyn is definitely a salty Dornishman. I say therefore, mediterranean is the route to choose for casting. Middle Eastern/Persian actors are better suited to Mereen.

Edited by Archmaester Marwin, 05 April 2012 - 09:47 AM.

[Archmaester Marwin]

Carl Drogo, on 04 April 2012 - 11:59 AM, said:

It seems like people are imagining the Dornish to have anything from Southern European to Indian features. For the actual show they made several people black, wo weren't described that way in the books, Salladhor Saan and Xaro Xoan Dhaxos. I guess one can imagine that some diversity considerations went into this, but I like the idea and the two actual casting choices.

Would it be a good idea to go one step further and cast blacks for the Dornish? I guess I got the idea from thinking that a young Pam Grier would have been the perfect choice for Obara Sand.

I think this is a bad idea, as there is Dornish blood in Aegon VI, and many other Targs.

I think the casting of Salladhor Saan and Xaro Xoan Dhaxos was deliberate re-ethinicizing them as Summer Islanders. Salladhor Saan's comment in S02E02 about  a womans privates being godly is definitely a Summer Islands belief more than one of the Lyseni (who are described as blonde hair blue eyed Valyrian blood having people)

[Archmaester Marwin]

Linda, on 01 April 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

Since they already picked up Charles Dance from The Jewel in the Crown, perhaps they should look to another actor that was in it for Doran: Art Malik.

That said, I am really dubious we'll see much of the Dornish. Oberyn, I suppose...but the Sand Snakes will probably be reduced to one, at most. So it seems incredibly unlikely that they won't simplify and just cast everyone as salty/sandy Dornish, even though the stony Dornish should look nothing like them.

And, really, if we look at the four oldest Sand Snakes, its probably just Sarella/Alleras that couldn't pass for being from Westeros in general given that Oberyn's odd genetics appear to result in his daughters largely looking like their mothers -- all probably non-Dornish for the oldest four, unless Tyene's blonde hair and blue eyes is from a stony Dornishwoman -- save for their eyes.

I don't know if you've read ADWD, but I think Art Malik would make a PERFECT shavepate, and a much less than ideal Doran

[Linda]

Archmaester Marwin, on 05 April 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

I think this is a bad idea, as there is Dornish blood in Aegon VI, and many other Targs.

I think the casting of Salladhor Saan and Xaro Xoan Dhaxos was deliberate re-ethinicizing them as Summer Islanders. Salladhor Saan's comment in S02E02 about  a womans privates being godly is definitely a Summer Islands belief more than one of the Lyseni (who are described as blonde hair blue eyed Valyrian blood having people)

Yes, agreed, it would be an extremely bad idea to change the ethnic makeup and the background of Dorne by making the Dornish characters black. As you say, they are (thankfully, it wasn't clear from the start) explaining both Salladhor and Xaro as immigrants to Lys and Qarth from the Summer Isles, which means that they don't rewrite the world-building of those places. Qarth remains the home of the pale Milk Men and Lys remains the home of the blond and blue-eyed Valyrian descendants. To change the Dornish to black would rewrite the world-building for Dorne, which I think would be an enormous stupidity.

Plus, the idea that you can take one ethnicity and just replace it with another doesn't strike me as very appropriate. It would feel a bit like "Oh, they're not white, so doesn't matter what other ethnicity we make them".

[Linda]

Archmaester Marwin, on 05 April 2012 - 09:54 AM, said:

I don't know if you've read ADWD, but I think Art Malik would make a PERFECT shavepate, and a much less than ideal Doran

Hmm, I think he could have the necessary gravitas for Doran, actually.

[NewJeffCT]

the Scorpion Knight, on 29 September 2011 - 03:37 PM, said:

Antonio Banderas
as oberyn martell
(hand down who doesn't want it)

I think it's a possibility, since he only has a few important scenes.  They could probably bring him in and film all of his scenes over a week or two... What does he have 3 or 4 scenes in A Storm of Swords?  If the show keeps getting the critical acclaim, it might be a place where a "name" actor makes an appearance just to get Game of Thrones on his or her resume.  (Modern Family & The Simpsons have had high profile cameos in them over the years...)

[A Shadow]

I've seen Ayshwarya Rai suggested for Elia. In the series it would be only for flashbacks and it was not how I imagined her at all, but I liked this suggestion so much, that I would accept anything like her type for all the Dornish people.

@Wedonotsow, great suggestion for Doran!

[Selyse's Moustache Rides]

Everyone in Westeros would all be descendants of Andals or First Men, right? So they would look like them. I would expect them to look like a southern European.