Best and Worst casting choices.

[Lord Neddard Stark]

Out of the entire cast, which ones do you think were the best choice and which ones do you think were the worst ?

My best has to be

-Eddard Stark - Sean Bean

-Stannis Baratheon - Stephen Dillane

-Visery's Targaryen- Harry Lloyd

-Catelyn Stark - Michelle Fairley

Worst

-Robert Baratheon - Mark Addy, great performance just nothing like I pictured him.

-Petyr Baelish- Aiden Gillen. Not a fan of the over the top portrayal.

-Daenerys Targaryen- Emilia Clarke. Just a very weak actress overall

[mafro987daboss]

Funny that most of your favourite casting choices are dead- I wonder if there's a correlation between this and the show's decline in quality this season...

My best are Bolton, Stannis, Catelyn, Viserys, Melisandre, Shireen, Cersei, Ramsey and Joffrey, although objectively Dinklage as Tyrion is a standout.

[Veltigar]

Worst choices are easy:

Kit Harrington - Jon Snow
Sibel Kikkeli - Shae

Ed Skrein - Daario 1.0
The guy who played the Mountain in season two

Gettin Anthony - Renly (although I feel it's a bit unfair to the actor to be named with the previous four shitheads in this line-up)

Nathalie Dormer - Margaery (she litterally played the same character in the Tudors, just with a different name)

Best choices:

Charles Dance - Tywin Lannister

Stephen Dillane - Stannis Baratheon

Francis Magee - Yoren

Kerrie Ingram - Shireen

Sean Bean - Eddard Stark

Jerome Flynn - Bronn

Rory McCann - the Hound

Iain Glen - Ser Jorah

Harry Lloyd - Viserys Targaryen

Noah Taylor - Locke (great actor, shitty role but he elevated that immensly)

Pedro Pascal - Oberyn

Owen Teale - Ser Alliser Thorne

Ben Hawkey - Hot Pie

=> All these actors elevated their material, matching or sometimes even surpassing their counterpart in the books.

[Barbecue]

The worst for me would be Shae, and the latest Mountain.

I guess they needed a big guy, but this actor looks nothing like an older brother to the Hound. The first actor was better in my opinion.

[Good Guy Garlan]

A bit off topic, but on the subject of Gethin Anthony I think it's hilarious that people say he wasn't hot enough to be Renly, but now they're saying he's too hot to play Charles Manson in "Aquarius".

Poor guy can't win :p

[Lord Neddard Stark]

A bit off topic, but on the subject of Gethin Anthony I think it's hilarious that people say he wasn't hot enough to be Renly, but now they're saying he's too hot to play Charles Manson in "Aquarius".

Poor guy can't win :P

I think he's quite a good looking dude, and he did have a lot of charisma. I really liked him as Renly.

[Lord Neddard Stark]

Worst choices are easy:

Kit Harrington - Jon Snow

Sibel Kikkeli - Shae

Ed Skrein - Daario 1.0

The guy who played the Mountain in season two

Gettin Anthony - Renly (although I feel it's a bit unfair to the actor to be named with the previous four shitheads in this line-up)

Nathalie Dormer - Margaery (she litterally played the same character in the Tudors, just with a different name)

Best choices:

Charles Dance - Tywin Lannister

Stephen Dillane - Stannis Baratheon

Francis Magee - Yoren

Kerrie Ingram - Shireen

Sean Bean - Eddard Stark

Jerome Flynn - Bronn

Rory McCann - the Hound

Iain Glen - Ser Jorah

Harry Lloyd - Viserys Targaryen

Noah Taylor - Locke (great actor, shitty role but he elevated that immensly)

Pedro Pascal - Oberyn

Owen Teale - Ser Alliser Thorne

Ben Hawkey - Hot Pie

=> All these actors elevated their material, matching or sometimes even surpassing their counterpart in the books.

Natalie Dormer really ? I think she's the best actress on the show after Lena Headey and Diana Rigg. Margaery is pretty much based on Anne Boleyn so it makes sense that she's playing the same role as she did in the tudors

and I think Kit Harrington has improved quite a lot since season 1.

[Lord Neddard Stark]

The worst for me would be Shae, and the latest Mountain.

I guess they needed a big guy, but this actor looks nothing like an older brother to the Hound. The first actor was better in my opinion.

I know the new Mountain they got didn't make sense, he looked about 20 years younger than the actor who played the Hound.

[nastydream]

Best:

Sean Bean-Ned Stark

The guy that played Aemon Targaryen

Pedro Pascal :bowdown: :bowdown: -Oberyn Martell

Diana Rigg-Ollenna Tyrell

Harry Loyd-Viserys Targaryen

Lena Headey-Cersei Lannister

Emilia Clarke-Daenerys Targaryen

Worst:

The actress that plays Yara (her performance is fine I just don't think she fits)

[arabian]

The Best - I know that these actors don't necessarily fit the physical descriptions of the characters, but I feel that they've gotten the essence of who these characters are in the books. (And, these aren't my favorite characters--if they were, Gendry would be on this list, but to be fair, Joe Dempsie is too old really to say he fits the category of "best" casting for the character. Or my favorite actors--if they were, Lena Headey would be on the list, but as great as she is and as much as I enjoy her Cersei, it is more of a show!Cersei, rather than a book!Cersei.)

Arya - Maisie Williams... I adore her. Arya is my favorite character in the books. I just love her to bits. And Maisie Williams has captured absolutely every single thing that I adore about Arya in her performance. Just everything. She has brought this amazing, remarkable character to life perfectly. Does she look *exactly* like Arya as described? No (but close enough). Does she perfectly capture the essence of who Arya Stark of Winterfell is? In every way possible. Absolute perfection.

Tyrion - Peter Dinklage... And Tyrion is a very close second for my favorite character in the books, and like Williams with Arya, no, he doesn't look exactly like Tyrion. He's much better looking than him, but, like Williams... he completely captures everything I love about Tyrion. His humor that covers up his pain. His vulnerability, his unyielding desire to live despite all of those who want him not to. His determination to live up to his family name despite all of those (even pretty much most of his family) who look down upon him. The fact that at the heart of it, he just wants love. That he continues to try to be good despite almost everyone thinking that he's so bad. And Dinklage gets it all and brings such depth, such nuance, such pathos... and even when the writers do sometimes try and sugarcoat some of Tyrion's actions, Dinklage shows us the darkness that is there in Tyrion's soul because of the demons that haunt him.

Davos - Liam Cunningham... Third favorite character in the book, and same as the above two. Cunningham just completely captures the essence of Davos. Everything I love about him, his solid, loyal (too loyal, blindly loyal, but beautifully loyal) heart, his goodness, his salt of the earth awesomeness, his straightforward tell-it-like-it-is-ness, Cunningham makes everything that Davos is on the page come alive on the screen. He's just my Davos. He's my Davos.

Theon/Reek - Alfie Allen... OK, not a favorite character. Hell, I didn't even like Theon until he became Reek, I mean, sorta... but damn, if Alfie Allen (who I only knew as Lily Allen's annoying little brother from that song she wrote about him before) is just so unbelievable in the role. He has just given his all and thrown everything and the kitchen sink into this performance, but without any scenery chewing. He has sold every aspect of Theon from day one when he was Ned's ward as part of the family, to one of Robb's trusted confidants in his army, to his father's bootlicker trying to get back in, to the pure essence of the Peter Principle in action at Winterfell, to the savaged victim of Ramsey. And it's just all been utterly seamless and exactly as I remembered reading the story of Theon/Reek play out in the books. So good.

Tywin - Charles Dance... So he isn't bald with bushy sideburns like Tywin in the book, I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, Charles Dance basically was made to play Tywin Lannister and anyone who says different is wrong. Haha! Yeah. So yeah. Seriously, Dance just totally nailed who Tywin is.

Viserys - Harry Lloyd... We needed to see someone who was just so mad hungry, so willing to sacrifice anyone and anything for the crown to compare and contrast with Daenerys. We needed to see the Targaryen crazy basically, but we also needed to still believe somewhere amidst all that crazy that there was still a smidge of affection there that he did feel for his sister to see why she would defend him for so long beyond just the fear. And you needed an actor of remarkable skill to pull that off. Plus, plus, here was an actor who looked believable with white-blonde hair and had the hard, gaunt face (as Viserys has). And, boy, did Harry Lloyd fit the bill. So beautifully, insanely aristocratic. So beautifully, awesomely talented. He was so perfect. (And just made the casting of Emilia Clark as Daenerys that much sadder. *sigh*)

Oberyn - Pedro Pascal... He really was just so brilliantly cast in this role. The sexual, intelligent, masterful, hot-tempered, joyous, brilliant fighter... Pascal simply embodied all of these characteristics of Oberyn so perfectly. I don't know that they could have found a better actor for Oberyn. Every line delivered so well, so charismatic. Ugh, why couldn't he have just accepted that the Mountain wasn't gonna say it and killed the sonuvabitch when he had the chance?!

Varys - Conleth Hill... I don't have much to say here other than that I just think this is such a brilliant casting decision. I'm not sure if Hill has read the books, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has because he has got Varys so down pat. I've seen the actor in other things and I barely recognize him even though I *know* it's him because he just so completely inhabits this role and just becomes Varys. The look, the voice, the mannerisms... it's incredible. He *is* Varys.

Jaime - Nikolaj Coster-Waldau... I agree with those who say he's underrated. NCW is pretty darn stunningly beautiful as is Jaime (although, I do wish they made his hair more of a golden blonde), so he fits the look of Jaime. He also captured the arrogant, nonchalance of the Lannister confidence effortlessly that was there early on (before the hand-choppage). He has sold Jaime's love for Cersei and growing affection for Brienne equally, as well as the believability of Jaime's tarnished soul yearning to be cleansed. Being able to feel that through other's eyes while reading their internal monologues and then through *that* character's monologues is one thing, but to have the actor sell it believably on-screen is pretty impressive. Especially when viewers were introduced to the character by witnessing him toss a boy out of a window after boning his sister. Fantastic job by NCW.

Aemon - Peter Vaughan... He's just perfect. I mean the scene where he tells Jon that he was a Targaryen just slays me. He brings the perfect mix of the Targaryen royalty buried beneath the goodness and intelligence that made him choose to become a man of the Night's Watch for all the right reasons.

The Worst - As for this batch, it's not just a case of the show changing the direction of the character, it's also how the actors have clearly chosen to interpret (or even not) the character that makes them just kinda not work.

Shae - Sibel Kikkeli... As I said in another thread, the one real issue I have with character changes from page to screen is with Shae, but that might have been mitigated had they cast a different actress. We might have been able to see some scheming, some hesitancy, some depth there in the performance that would have shown conflict. But nope, all we got was seductress-mode, flouncing, pouting, seducing, more flouncing, pouting, whining, seduction attempts, more pouting, more flouncing, more whining, wash, rinse, repeat. Just awful. And all-throughout Kikkeli offered up a blank expression with nothing going on behind the eyes, no nuance, nada. Terrible, terrible casting here.

Littlefinger - Aiden Gillen... I should not be bored during his scenes. I should not be annoyed during his scenes. I am, and it's all because of Gillen's portrayal. He's just like a pesky little bug. I don't like him. I don't understand how anyone likes him. He portrays Littlefinger like someone who everyone who comes into contact with wants to wash their hands immediately afterwards. Therefore I don't buy that someone like this could possibly amass the power he has because we're expected to believe that Littlefinger is charming and people are able to be manipulated by him. Nuh uh. He's obviously an untrustworthy, smarmy gnat. No one would want to do anything but run when they see this guy coming anywhere near him so he wouldn't get anything from anyone. And that's all because of how Gillen plays him.

Loras - Finn Jones... Loras is supposed to be unbelievably dreamy. He's supposed to make all the girls swoon. The guy should be beautiful and charismatic and just charming as all hell. Jones is cute, your standard, generic good-looking actor. Loras is supposed to stand out amidst all of these other knights and heroes... and this guy does not at all. Bad casting.

Daenerys - Emilia Clarke... Clarke is a very pretty girl and I actually think she's a done good job in some scenes, but Daenerys should be an outstanding, amazing, jaw-dropping, OMG! role that has blown away the world and not just because the showrunners seem to favor her for promotional purposes. An actress of devastating beauty, of brilliant talent, of mind-blowing charisma should have been cast. (I just thought of someone who would have been perfect, but I'll put that in the casting thread.) Again, I don't think she's bad casting, but since Daenerys is *such* an important character I think that casting her with the perfect actress qualifies this in the worst category because they should have done a better job. (Sorry.)

[Lord Neddard Stark]

Jaime - Nikolaj Coster-Waldau... I agree with those who say he's underrated. NCW is pretty darn stunningly beautiful as is Jaime (although, I do wish they made his hair more of a golden blonde), so he fits the look of Jaime. He also captured the arrogant, nonchalance of the Lannister confidence effortlessly that was there early on (before the hand-choppage). He has sold Jaime's love for Cersei and growing affection for Brienne equally, as well as the believability of Jaime's tarnished soul yearning to be cleansed. Being able to feel that through other's eyes while reading their internal monologues and then through *that* character's monologues is one thing, but to have the actor sell it believably on-screen is pretty impressive. Especially when viewers were introduced to the character by witnessing him toss a boy out of a window after boning his sister. Fantastic job by NCW.

Most underrated actor on the show.

[maidenandwarrior]

Best -

Sofie Turner - Sansa

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Jamie

Rose Leslie - Ygritte

Pedro Pascal - Oberyn

Worst -

Lena Headey - Cersei

Emilia Clarke - Daenerys

And Honorable Mention:

I will always maintain that the absolutely worst decision that D&D could have made in casting was to make Harry Lloyd Viserys instead of Jon Snow. He was amazing as Viserys, but I truly think that this show would have been far better served to have him as Jon. I get their reasoning at the time. Harry was too old, and Jon had to look younger, the same age as Robb, but seriously, they made a major mistake with this one. They could have easily recast Robb if they already had Richard Madden at that point, or they could have made Richard grow a beard to make him look older.

Like, don't think I mean that Kit is terrible, he isn't, but he isn't great either. Kit is fine. The Wall is fine. Jon Snow's story is fine.

In the books, this is probably my favorite story line. I truly think that Jon's is the best story line in Clash, and tied for first in Swords. And it is by far my favorite in Dance. On the show, it has been middling from beginning to end. Part of that is the writing, but a huge other part is Jon. We are supposed to feel his conflict and his doubts. We are supposed to understand why he inspires men, and why so many of the Night's Watch brothers and Wildlings want to follow him. He wins Lord Commander by a landslide, and we are supposed to be able to look at him and understand why. Harry Lloyd is an amazing actor, and I think we would have been able to see so much more to Jon's story if he had gotten the part he originally auditioned for.

[mafro987daboss]

I could see Lloyd as Jon Snow, but because he was such a great fit for Viserys I wouldn't have changed him for Kit. Looking at the lists it's actually amazing how many casting calls they got right- even minor roles like Locke and Yoren perfectly fit or added to the book counterparts.

The worst are without doubt the 2nd and 3rd Mountains- how on earth are we meant to believe he's older than the Hound?! Most underrated is either Davos or Qyburn.

[Gaz0680]

Yes, actor playing Qyburn is good, and Liam Cunningham nailed Davos.

Of all the minor character portrayals, best casting choice (aside from maybe Diana Rigg as Queen of Thorns) was Natalia Tena as Osha. Yes, she may have been even better cast as Asha Greyjoy instead of Gemma Whelan, but Natalia's Osha lit up the screen and made the most out of her limited lines and scree time. Amazing casting choice. Hell, Alfie Allen has been one of the shows most consistently strong performers and if anything, Natalia stole the spotlight in every scene she had with him.

[Mister Stoneheart]

Best:

Catelyn

Cersei

Olenna

Tywin

Selyse

Roose

Worst:

Shae (by a long shot--the clear winner of the golden raspberry)

Loras

Renly

Sand Snakes

and Jon Snow needs to step it up. Kit is phoning it in, and no, looking constipated is not acting.

[Chinoiserie]

Shae's actress has the worst material, the character was so inconsistenly written. She must have been casted for book Shae role only, she could hava managed that. But she still is the worst actress in the show.

Also bad:

Littlefinger, Aidan Gillien is almost cringe worthy and I do not know what some people see in him. He is too on the nose, his accent(s) are terrible and he is so one-note.

Cersei, I think is also too one note. But I feel she has also the problem the two above have that her character could be better written. I like Lena's performance occasionally and occasionally she just really bother me like when Joffrey died.

Jon, Kit has show'n some facial expressions this season but that is it.

Daario 1, so bland. Well he was sleezy as well but that is it. Daario 2 is not much behind. However the main problem for me about him is that he is not even trying to play the same character.

Loras, many blame the show for his treatment, and while it could have been better Finn Jones is the real blame. Book Loras hardly does anything either apart from the torney and killing a couple of guards off-screen (leaving that out makes Loras look better really. Maybe it is because I am not emonational but book Loras behaved like a sociopath) and Drangonstone. Jones could convince us that Loras is a worrior but his behaviour is so effaminate, unintelligent and bland.

Matthos Seaworth and Grey Worm. Granted neither has had much material to work with but I just do not like them.

Bran, while show hit jackpot with other child actors Isaac seems one of those children who was very good at pretending that what he was doing was real instead of approaching acting as a craft as he grew. But he has not have that good material as his "sisters" so maybe he will be better next season.

Overall this show does have really great casting. It was easier to think of the best than the worst.

Tywin, Charles Dance was perfection really. Miss him.

Tyrion is what the show work really, he brings such emotion to the screen.

Sansa and Arya, they are so good. The show was so lucky to cast such amazingly talented children as they are. With Sophie's material I think she could get an Emmy nomination but her scenes are not that showy apart from her controversial scene so maybe not.

Jorah. I know he is very different but if the show Jotah had been the same as the book one the Dany sections would have been watch. I like Emilia but sense season 1 her co-stars have not been that good and her storyline had some issues too so she really neened Jotah. The actor is amazing.

Ned, Sean Bean really elevated what was pretty ordinary hero character really.

Joffrey, he was so hetable and that is what he was meant to be

Olenna, really great precence

[Good Guy Garlan]

Worst:

Aidan Gillen. I just can't with this guy anymore. As soon as he shows up in a scene I cringe.

Ciaran Hinds (great actor, wrong role)

Sibel Kekilli

Emilia Clarke. 5 seasons in and she still hasn't convinced me.

Iwan Rheon. His Ramsay voice is super annoying.

Keisha Castle Hughes. The forced accent just didn't work.

Everyone else is aces

[Survivor92]

I think Kit has really improved. But compare Owen Teale's (Alliser Thorne) speech while defending Castle Black ("Night's Watch, with me!") with Kit rousing his men during Hardhome (with pretty much the exact same line) and you can hear that Owen did a much better job at delivering this line.

I could barely hear Kit and really wanted him to yell at the top of his lungs, instead of bringing this line so casually. That would fit the scene much better.

But maybe this happened during editing where they turned up the volume for the other sound effects.

I also dislike Iwan but mostly because of the show's portrayal of Ramsay, since he's so different from the books. I think Iwan himself is a fine actor but I would rather see him as Pod or something.

[Prince_Snow]

And don't forget the "small" parts, there is very good supporting actors in the tv shows,men and women, and there is no harder thing than being an actor for few days of shooting on set where everyone else already know each other or having only 15 lines in the whole season.

So big thanks to all of this small parts, supporting actors who making this show alive, even if sometimes there is weird moments like "what the hell was the last 4 minutes for??!! what's the point in the story line??!)

[pettes]

I hate Emilia Clarke as Daenerys