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

[HairGrowsBack]

Her accent didn't bother me the least, though I'm not a native speaker so maybe that's why. I also think she did the best of what little she was given.

That said, I think it passing odd that foreign accents bother people so much they can't take the actor seriously. The accent is not what makes you a bad or a good actor.

[Nymeria Warrior Queen]

I had no problem with her accent. I'm American, so to my ear, pretty much everyone on the show has an accent. My comment about language has to do with reading somewhere she did not speak English very well, at least when her arc began. Between that and how differently German and English are structured, I thought that may have a lot to do with why I didn't find her believable. Bascially, I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't just, what imo was an overall poor performance, there were other factors at play.

[Long Live The Onion King]

I think they've done a great job with the casting. All the main Lannister characters in particular are spot on.

The only ones I wasn't crazy about were the Daarios, Asha/Yara, and Gilly.

[Faint]

Apparently, she began her film career in porn.

I've already mentioned I didn't like her work as Shae, either. Admittedly, I don't like the character, in general, but I think they missed the mark with her casting. Perhaps some of the problem could have been a language issue. I understand some of her other work (non-porn) is good, but there are plenty of actors who are good in some things and not good in others.

I know, hence my remark about her orgasms ;)

I don't disagree that Sibel is a good actress, but like you I don't like her portrayal of Shae. Still, I very much agree with your last point there.. there are a lot of actors/actresses who are good in some roles and bad in others. Nicolas Cage is a prime example, I feel. I very much liked him in Face Off but I felt he was pretty awful in National Treasure.

I have seen her in her other, non-pornographic, films and she is quite good, even excellent, especially in Head-On. But as to to the role of Shae specifically, I think it has as much to do with the writing as her acting. Benioff and Weiss effectively wrote a completely different character, as Martin himself has noted many times. And the new character they wrote, in my opinion anyway, was ill suited to the storyline she was placed in. It would have been quite difficult for any actress to succeed under those circumstances.

[Ingelheim]

I have seen her in her other, non-pornographic, films and she is quite good, even excellent, especially in Head-On. But as to to the role of Shae specifically, I think it has as much to do with the writing as her acting. Benioff and Weiss effectively wrote a completely different character, as Martin himself has noted many times. And the new character they wrote, in my opinion anyway, was ill suited to the storyline she was placed in. It would have been quite difficult for any actress to succeed under those circumstances.

She's an excellent actress when she has to speak German. I'm Spanish, and I find Penelope Cruz's acting atrocious in English. But she's extraordinary acting in Spanish, she truly is.

Some actors can't stand changing the language for their acting. The accents can be distracting, but there are excellent actors out there that have a heavy accent speaking in English (Jean Dujardin, for example. He has the classic French accent when he speaks English, but he's still brilliant).

[Faint]

She's an excellent actress when she has to speak German. I'm Spanish, and I find Penelope Cruz's acting atrocious in English. But she's extraordinary acting in Spanish, she truly is.

I have never actually seen her in another non-German speaking role, so it is really difficult for me to make a judgment off of one role.

In the case of Penelope Cruz though, I am a Spanish speaker myself and I completely agree, the difference between her acting in Spanish and English is drastic.

I am always trying to convince people who think she is terrible about how great of an actress she is and it always comes down to the fact that they have only ever seen her in her English speaking roles, which tend to be badly written even besides her acting.

And if there is anyone reading this thread who thinks Penelope Cruz is a bad actress, I beseech you to watch any film she made with Pedro Almodóvar.

[Ingelheim]

I have never actually seen her in another non-German speaking role, so it is really difficult for me to make a judgment off of one role.

In the case of Penelope Cruz though, I am a Spanish speaker myself and I complete agree, the difference between her acting in Spanish and English is drastic.

I am always trying to convince people who think she is terrible about how great of an actress she is and it always comes down to the fact that they have only ever seen her in her English speaking roles, which tend to be badly written even besides her acting.

And if there is anyone reading this thread who thinks Penelope Cruz is a bad actress, I beseech you to watch any film she made with Pedro Almodóvar.

Yeah, I competely agree.

Actually, I wouldn't say accents are even bad. It's the fact that you don't know half of what you are saying if you don't speak that language well. There are a lot of actors who are completely bilingual, but they do still have an accent, like Marion Cotillard. But they can put emotion (or not), they can truly invest themselves into the characters.

There are just few ocasions when not putting emotion in your voice helps. Javier Bardem's performance as Anton Chigurgh is one of these few (In his own words, "I didn't know half of what I was saying. That's why I looked cold")

[Faint]

There are just few ocasions when not putting emotion in your voice helps. Javier Bardem's performance as Anton Chigurgh is one of these few (In his own words, "I didn't know half of what I was saying. That's why I looked cold")

I prefer Javier Bardem in Spanish but, from what I have seen, he is great in English as well. His wife, for whatever reason, just does not transfer. She is a completely different actress in English, and her accent just changes the complexion of her voice. Not to belabor the point, but she ends up sounding whiny no matter what emotion she is attempting to convey.

[Batbob45]

While kate dickie was good as Lysa, Helen Botham Carter could be a better Lysa.

[Annara Snow]

While kate dickie was good as Lysa, Helen Botham Carter could be a better Lysa.

She is far too attractive to play Lysa.

[Batbob45]

But Helen can play crazy well

Tara fitzgerald could of been a good Lysa

[Lars Penry]

Best:

• Sean Bean
  
• Charles Dance
  
• Pedro Pascal
  
• Indiri Varma - Her part was tiny but that scream still chills me to the bone.
  
• Conan Stevens
  
• Conleth Hill
  
• Peter Dinklage
  
• Maisie Williams
  
• Emilia Clarke
  
• Lucian Msmati, Jerome Flynn - The only two characters who are way better in the show in my opinion.
  

Worst:

• Lena Headey - I agree with Elio and Linda, she doesn't capture any of Cersei's character, she just isn't Cersei, there are no remnants of the character in the books. I picture Charlize Theron when reading the books. I wouldn't blame her, but I've heard that she actually has had a dab hand in creating the show Cersei's character.
  
• Aiden Gillen
  

That's all I can think of right now.

[Ingelheim]

I think Cersei is being absolutely well played by Lena Headey.

[RooseIsLoose]

^Agreed.

I don't think she deviates from the books that much, there are still plenty of times when she has insane rants at people like when she dismisses the entire council because Tyrion is appointed HotK. But the slyness is present within book and show Cersei, through all of S5 she'll be convincing herself she is outwitting the Tyrells only to be revealed as incompetent. I think it's good that we see Cersei's conniving side more so that it's more amusing when she falls from grace.

[Faint]

While kate dickie was good as Lysa, Helen Botham Carter could be a better Lysa.

I am not overly fond of Helen Bonham Carter when she is given those roles. She is always much too gleeful and over the top with the material. I just feel that there is never any subtlety in her performance when she plays the psychotic.

And the thing about Lysa Tully is that, she is a psychotic to be sure, but a sad and pathetic one. She is no Bellatrix Lestrange or Wicked Witch of the West, with the ego and confidence blaring. I am not too sure Carter would be best suited for such a role.

[Ingelheim]

I am not overly fond of Helen Bonham Carter when she is given those roles. She is always much too gleeful and over the top with the material. I just feel that there is never any subtlety in her performance when she plays the psychotic.

And the thing about Lysa Tully is that, she is a psychotic to be sure, but a sad and pathetic one. She is no Bellatrix Lestrange or Wicked Witch of the West, with the ego and confidence blaring. I am not too sure Carter would be best suited for such a role.

She killed it as Marla in Fight Club. And she's pretty much crazy there.

[Faint]

She killed it as Marla in Fight Club. And she's pretty much crazy there.

No way. If anything, she is the sane one! Especially compared to Edward Norton and Brad Pitt in that movie.

But it any case, what I was trying to point out is that Lysa Tully is not really the kind of role that Carter has played before. I find her quite dissimilar to either Marla Singer, Bellatrix Lestrange or any of her Tim Burton characters.

[The Onion Sleight]

No way. If anything, she is the sane one! Especially compared to Edward Norton and Brad Pitt in that movie.

But it any case, what I was trying to point out is that Lysa Tully is not really the kind of role that Carter has played before. I find her quite dissimilar to either Marla Singer, Bellatrix Lestrange or any of her Tim Burton characters.

Have you ever seen the movie "Toast"* from 2010? It's a really wonderful and beautiful film and Helena plays the role of Joan Potter amazingly; I wouldn't say Lysa and Joan Potter are EXTREME similar, but I do see many/some similarities between these persons, and it's a much more subtler role, IMO (especially compared to many others of her).

You may enjoy it, I can really commend "Toast" highly! :)

ETA: But I do agree, I really loved Dickie as Lysa and think Bonham Carter would have been too much over the top; I mean, that's her style, that are the roles which fit to her, and I love to see her in them!

(* The movie's also based on an autobiographic novel, so it's more realistic than e.g. Harry Potter or Burton's movies)

[Fury Burns]

Best:

Sean Bean (Eddard) The likeness, especially in the Winterfell crypt scene is exactly as I pictured him

James Cosmo (Jeor) Just slap a cgi'd crow on his shoulder and he'd be just like in the book

Rory McCann (Hound, if the scar was more grusome and moved to the other side of his face, it'd be great) I like TV hound better than book hound

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) I really get that smug cocky Lannister vibe from him

Conleth Hill (Varys) Everything about him screams Varys to me

Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) I don't really need to go into depth about this, since even GRRM said he's the most alike to the book characters

Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger) if only he used his regular, lighter tone voice, because I feel like Littlefinger isn't supposed to have a strong sounding masculine voice, more an innocent and shy voice, which makes his evilness all the better when you find out he means to kill you

I could go on and on a while longer, like for Maisie Williams (Arya), Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen, which I think his portrayal of is amazing) and so on but there's so many other good ones.

Worst:

Emilia Clarke (Dany) I just don't care for her acting, she always has the same tone and facial expressions, but D&D seem to like her... probably for her D&D's :lol:

Gethin Anthony (Renly) He didn't strike me as a strong Baratheon type of man (I know Robert was the strongest, but Renly and Stanstan still are supposed to have a certain strength to them) He always seemed weak and whiny to me, not a cocky smart man like in the book

There are a few more I have problems with, but most of it is because they look nothing like how I pictured them, like all the black actors, and the Targs not having purple eye color. Although I do love Lucian Msmati (Salladhor) better than in the book.

[Batbob45]

Saan on the show is more entertaining and likeable than in the book, he was my favorite new character in season 2