The Best Casting and Worst Casting (in your opinion).

[BrojenReed]

I'll echo everyone else in saying that I think the casting has generally been great.

I like Kit and think his performance in S401 was particularly killer; but I still picture Jon differently, both in looks and temperament. Same thing with Ciaran Hinds. Like him as an actor, but he just isn't Mance.

You know who I think was a brilliant casting choice? James Cosmo as LC Jeor Mormont. I loved his character in the books and Cosmo absolutely nailed it. I really like Emilia as Daenerys.. and it doesn't hurt that she's absolutely beautiful.

[Red Tiger]

Dominic West should have been Mance Rayder.

[Queen of Whores]

Dominic West should have been Mance Rayder.

That would have been so perfect. Him or James Purefoy.

[Ser Tahu]

Viggo Mortensen would have been the perfect Mance Rayder. It is known.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

That is just silly and naive on several points.

First, book and tv media are nowhere near the same. People of power in tv fantasy are generall tall, otherwise it is generally used for comedy. Look at Rick Moranis in spaceballs or Dolores Umbridge in the Potter series. It's comical on screen. That's why people love Yoda - it's comical that someone that short of stature has so much power. Book and tv media are totally different beasts when it comes to description vs casting for tv series . That's why King Bob wasn't cast as someone 7ft tall. The inverse would also be comical on screen when comparing to other actors.

Harry Potter is short. Also is Daniel Radcliffe. He looks short next to Bonnie and Emma. It shows vulnerability, yet, strength and overcoming being the underdog.

[The Dragon King]

That is just silly and naive on several points.

First, book and tv media are nowhere near the same. People of power in tv fantasy are generall tall, otherwise it is generally used for comedy. Look at Rick Moranis in spaceballs or Dolores Umbridge in the Potter series. It's comical on screen. That's why people love Yoda - it's comical that someone that short of stature has so much power. Book and tv media are totally different beasts when it comes to description vs casting for tv series . That's why King Bob wasn't cast as someone 7ft tall. The inverse would also be comical on screen when comparing to other actors.

I think casting Robert Barathron had more to do with finding the right actor to play him, he's supposed to be 6'6 but there aren't many actors out there even close to that height. If one was available I don't think they would have turned him down for being tall, look at how imposing the actors were who played Hound is (6'6), and the Mountain (7ft), and Khal Drogo (6'4).

Regarding Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, I'm not a big fan but it's got nothing to do with her height but more her acting, I think Imogen Poots would have crushed it in that role. As for height, look at the actor that played Richie Aprile in the Sopranos, the actor was small in comparison to Tony Soprano but he carried a TON of attitude to the point where you could believe much bigger people would still follow him. Finally, take a look at Judy Dench portraying Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love, Dench is 5'1 but she didnt seem small on the screen.

[WTF's a Lommy]

Best: Jeor Mormont, Davos, Jaime, Aemon.

Worst: Jorah Mormont pictured him as more of a big harry brute, Renly... just swing and a miss.

[Annara Snow]

That is just silly and naive on several points.

First, book and tv media are nowhere near the same. People of power in tv fantasy are generall tall, otherwise it is generally used for comedy. Look at Rick Moranis in spaceballs or Dolores Umbridge in the Potter series. It's comical on screen. That's why people love Yoda - it's comical that someone that short of stature has so much power. Book and tv media are totally different beasts when it comes to description vs casting for tv series . That's why King Bob wasn't cast as someone 7ft tall. The inverse would also be comical on screen when comparing to other actors.

Buffy says "hi".

Oh, and if you're using a Star Wars parody as example... Star Wars: the most powerful man in the universe. Ian McDiarmid is just 173 cm tall (5'8"), surely, by your logic, someone 6'6" should have played the Emperor? How could that shrivelled little old man have such power over a huge dude like Vader?

If you think Rick Moranis was funny just because he was short... really?

And King Bob wasn't cast with someone 7 ft tall because 1) it's hard to find actors that are that tall, 2) why the heck would they want a 7' tall man as Bob? He's supposed to be 6'6" in the book, and 3) he's not 6'6" because it's also hard to find actors that tall and good for a role.

Second, look at US history and presidential height. There are many studies correlating height and elected officials. There was one president that could be considered short for the average height of his time period, and was not even that short for his time. James Madison was 5'4", but was born in the 1700's when average height was about 5'6" for males. ALL other presidents have been average height, most above average for their time period. There absolutely is a correlation between height and elected officials. That's beside the point of height being comical on screen.

Dany is not an elected official, so how is that relevant?

Furthermore, FYI, USA is not the only country in the world. As for elected officials being always tall, Silvio Berlusconi, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarcozy, Angela Merkel, Francois Mitterand, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Margaret Thatcher and the late Hugo Chavez, among others, would like to say "hi".

Further down into history, people both elected or not elected but definitely in power, Napoleon Bonaparte,Vladimir Lenin, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Nikita Kruschchev would also like to say "hi".

And to top it off, so to speak, Israeli first Prime Minister and founder of Israel, David Ben Gurion (152 cm - 5'), and 19th century Mexican five-time president Benito Juarez (137 cm - 4'6").

I think casting Robert Barathron had more to do with finding the right actor to play him, he's supposed to be 6'6 but there aren't many actors out there even close to that height. If one was available I don't think they would have turned him down for being tall, look at how imposing the actors were who played Hound is (6'6), and the Mountain (7ft), and Khal Drogo (6'4).

Regarding Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, I'm not a big fan but it's got nothing to do with her height but more her acting, I think Imogen Poots would have crushed it in that role. As for height, look at the actor that played Richie Aprile in the Sopranos, the actor was small in comparison to Tony Soprano but he carried a TON of attitude to the point where you could believe much bigger people would still follow him. Finally, take a look at Judy Dench portraying Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love, Dench is 5'1 but she didnt seem small on the screen.

Or how about Al Pacino?

Robert Downey Jr.?

Among women, Gillian Anderson? Sarah Michelle Gellar (watch Buffy)? Kristen Bell (watch Veronica Mars)? Madonna?

And we have in-universe GRRM writing Lady Rohanne, the Red Widow, one of his most charismatic and commanding female characters, as a tiny woman of about 5', next to the 7' Dunk. Arya is also tiny, and I'm sorry, WhiteWalder, but Dany is not supposed to be particularly tall, so there's no way in hell that even as a woman or average or slightly above average height she would be equal in height to Jorah (who is supposed to be a tall, big dude in the book).

[Colonel Green]

Buffy says "hi".

Which was a fairly deliberate subversion of normal expectations.

[Annara Snow]

Which was a fairly deliberate subversion of normal expectations.

Whereas GRRM's characters are all supposed to be conforming to every possible stereotype with no subversion of any expectation ever?

And actually, the main deliberate subversion was Buffy being a girl, and a "girly" Californian girl at that. The height only came with the casting - lots of different actresses tried for the role in the show, including tall Charisma Carpenter, and the first actress who played Buffy, in the atrocious 1992 movie, was Kristy Swanson, who wasn't short, either.

Likewise, women having power is a fairly deliberate subversion of normal expectations in both Buffy and ASOAIF. So if you want to talk about going against normal expectations, start there. And that's even without the fact that women are generally shorter and less muscular than men, so going by "people who have power have to be tall and strong" logic, few women could ever have power. Only Brienne would qualify in ASOAIF.

[CreptorStatus]

Best? Too many to name. Tyrion, Tywin, Varys, Ned, Robert, Jaime, Cersei, Joffery.

Worst Castings Ever:

Beric Dondarrion - Everything about him sucked in the show. Too cheery, too old, not enough build up, no good lines. Sad times because Thoros is awesome.

2nd version Mountain - just horrible.

Both versions of Daario.

New Tommen.

[Sleeve of Wizard]

Kristian Nairn - HODOR! :commie: :commie: :commie: :commie: :commie:

[Ziriath]

Best: Osha, Jeor Mormont, Samwell Tarly, Cersei Lannister (I hate the elegant monster the same as when I read the book)

I like very much Jorah (and his voice!!) , though he does not look like the book one. Maybe they have casted an actor with lighter colouring to be distinguishable from the Dothraki? The Dothraki in series is a mixture of dark people (local ones from the places they were filming?) , and if they casted for Jorah a dark haired guy with black eyes and gave him the dothraki clothes, show watchers would say, who the hell is this Dothraki, why is he so civilised and why does he call himself a knight?

Worst: Both Daarios. They can recast him 1000 times, but if he does not have blue hair, its not Daario.

Beric Dondarrion. Come oon, he is not that old, he should be 22.

[CaulShivers]

Best casting: Varys, Viserys Targaryen, Barristan Selmy, Sansa Stark, Balon Greyjoy, Ilyn Payne, Ygritte, Jaqen H'ghar.

Worst casting: Jon Snow, Shae, Tormund, Missandei, season 2 Gregor Clegane, season 4 Tommen Baratheon, Asha Greyjoy, Renly Baratheon.

Best actors: Peter Dinklage, Sean Bean, Charles Dance, Jack Gleeson, Michelle Fairley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Alfie Allen.

[Annara Snow]

Worst: Both Daarios. They can recast him 1000 times, but if he does not have blue hair, its not Daario.

Beric Dondarrion. Come oon, he is not that old, he should be 22.

Well, to put things into perspective, Tyrion should be 23, Sandor should be 27, Littlefinger should be 31, Ned should be 35, Cat should be 34, Loras should be 16, Robb, Jon, Margaery and Dany should be 14, etc....

[Angmar]

Only the old Daario. I didn't buy his semi-surfer dude with braids outlook. He was kinda bland.

Missandei is okay but I still don't get why they aged her up of all the characters-

[King in the North Carolina]

Missandei is okay but I still don't get why they aged her up of all the characters-

I assume(and pray) it's so she and Dany can enjoy each other's bodies.

[Rhaegar I Targaryen]

I really didn't mind new Daario in that last episode.

[Queenswood Sisterhood]

Best casting: Charles Dance as Tywin, with Conleth Hill as Varys and Harry Lloyd as Viserys.

Worst casting: Kit Harington as Jon Snow, epic miscast.

Completely agree with both the good and the bad. Would like to add Sansa to the good list as well.

Kit Harington as Jon Snow is probably the actor that has annoyed me the most. Epic miscast indeed. Both lookswise and agewise. He's trying to look like a young boy who's a bit lost, but only manages to look like a wingey and slightly constipated 25-year-old.

I think they have chosen too old actors in general, Robb playing a boy is quite annoying too and Arya playing a child despite looking like a young woman with short hair doesn't sit right with me either. TV Arya is nowhere near as wild and dark and ferral-looking as I imagine book Arya to be. From the books I get a child acting older than her years, but on the telly it's the opposite. Grrr...

[Rhaegar I Targaryen]

Completely agree with both the good and the bad. Would like to add Sansa to the good list as well.

Kit Harington as Jon Snow is probably the actor that has annoyed me the most. Epic miscast indeed. Both lookswise and agewise. He's trying to look like a young boy who's a bit lost, but only manages to look like a wingey and slightly constipated 25-year-old.

I think they have chosen too old actors in general, Robb playing a boy is quite annoying too and Arya playing a child despite looking like a young woman with short hair doesn't sit right with me either. TV Arya is nowhere near as wild and dark and ferral-looking as I imagine book Arya to be. From the books I get a child acting older than her years, but on the telly it's the opposite. Grrr...

You understand actors age right?

I mean seriously I thought Bran and Arya were perfect in season 1. Young kids grow