[BOOK SPOILERS] Renly, WTF?

[Ran]

Aww, Gethin's cool. But he'll be the first to tell you that, yeah, he doesn't look much like the book Renly. But he says he knew some of the actors who also auditioned for the role, and they looked even less like Renly. ;)

He also told us he had actually wanted a wig and to have that fine, beautiful hair... but the production wanted his hair short, for some reason. So, there goes that.

[Xenophon]

Moving this thread was not enough. It deserves a sticky.

[Kat]

Aww, Gethin's cool. But he'll be the first to tell you that, yeah, he doesn't look much like the book Renly. But he says he knew some of the actors who also auditioned for the role, and they looked even less like Renly. ;)

He also told us he had actually wanted a wig and to have that fine, beautiful hair... but the production wanted his hair short, for some reason. So, there goes that.

You didn't volunteer to donate your hair to a good cause? Maybe they were short on production money and couldn't afford another wig!

[Lord Varys]

Robert does not look like Robert, either (size-wise), so it would make no sense to make Renly look like Renly, if Renly looked like the book-Robert, who is not in the series. Does this make sense? Probably not, but I don't care much about Renly's looks, as the important thing is that he acts and behaves like Renly should.

He has to be popular, even if does not look like it.

[Joanna vander Poele]

Is Ser Sean the new Julandro? ;)

Just kidding... I did think Renly would be more good-looking (and Loras too!), but as long as their scene is suitably saucy I don't mind :P Equal opportunity love for all!

[Asha—Not Yara!]

Meh, I never cared much for Renly in the books, so I don't really care what the actor looks like as long as he does good job in the role. Addy doesn't fit with Robert's book description but he's acting the hell out of the role which is the important thing in the long run.

[Lord Varys]

Addy pretty much is Robert Baratheon. He really embodies every essence of him, as far as I can see now, and hope is going to add a little bit more to his personality until he is out of the game, but he is obviously not a man of the physical size of Robert Baratheon. But that's completely irrelevant, as you really buy that a young Addy-Robert could have been as strong, handsome, as charismatic as the young Robert Baratheon was supposed to be.

The bearded Renly of the series could very easily look like the young Addy-Robert.

[Pentalion Drive]

I was a bit surprised with the look of Renly as well. Everyone else Eddard saw as he walked in looked the part, Varys looked very appropriate!

[lifefullofwords]

I agree that Renly was a BIG disappointment. Not only because the actor is not nearly attractive enough and looks nothing like the character but also because he is totally lacking in the charisma and flashiness that defines Renly's character. Maybe we'll see more of that side of Renly later, though.

Mark Addy is great as Robert, and I suppose the guy who places Renly does look a bit like him. That said, even though he's not as large as Robert I think he really captures the essence of the character, which is what matters (to me, at least). Whereas Renly not only didn't look like Renly but also didn't act like him or really remind me much of him at all. I guess he had Renly's wit but he had none of his charm.

[marwyn]

I don't see it.. I think Renly looks seriously handsome on the screen. Maybe not the way I had imagined him, but I don't see how this interpretation cannot work. The handsome part is nailed at least. IMHO

[The Anti-Targ]

I'll reserve judgement until we see him in a more meaty scene. However the first impression was not one which made me believe he could inspire a great following.

ETA: I like that men in Westeros don't all have long hair and substantial beards. So I for one am happy with a short haired Renly.

[Asha—Not Yara!]

We've haven't seen much of the actor that plays Renly yet. I think some people may be a bit too hasty to say things like there's no way he's charismatic enough to gain enough followers to rebel. I'm willing to give the actor a chance to prove himself in a more substantial scene before being disappointed.

[Lord Varys]

Technically, Renly is just a funny guy in AGoT. He does nothing worth remembering, nor does he say anything worth remembering (maybe besides from saying 'Lion's Tooth' and laughing out loud). He is not a remarkable character, not in council nor in tournament. At least not during the chapters of AGoT. The only really important thing he does is his offer to Ned when Robert is dying, and then, of course, declaring himself King (off screen).

So it's really not necessary to make him such a dashing guy. That he can inspire a huge following - actually, the largest following in all of Westeros, as if he was Daemon Blackfyre come again - we will see in the second season if/when they show us his vast army, and all his little rainbow guardsmen.

I assume we will get a little bit more about him and his motivations/intentions when they explore his relationship to Loras in the next two episodes. He'll most certainly be more remarkable and memorable a character in the TV series than he was in the book. Actually, I did not even realize Renly was there in the book until he he talked to Ned on the drawbridge, and even then I did not consider him to be very important. That did not even change when he declared himself King.

I only started to take him seriously when he presented his army to Catelyn.

[The Fan]

I have heard tell there may (will be?) a love scene betwixt Renly and

Loras

and that might be a reason for casting this actor. It is possible that a scene like that might not be something everyone would be willing to do.

It has been a while since I read AGoT and ACoK, but I don't recall this scene. Was it created for the HBO show? In fact, reading those two books, I didn't really pick up that detail about either character, although looking back, it was fairly obvious.

[Ser Warpechowski]

Considering HBO they might have cast him for his wang size LOL.

[C.T. Phipps]

He's not a linebacker by any means but he does look a great deal like Robert if you imagine him about a hundred pounds thinner (maybe more), tall, and straight. He also doesn't look half-insane.

I never saw Renly as being a MASSIVE mountain of muscle like Robert. Mostly because Renly never struck me as the kind of guy who hung out at the gym equivalent.

[Ser Sean]

I wasn't really a big fan of the casting of Addy as Robert but I have to admit, he has definitely grown on me and what he lacks in stature, he has made up for with Charisma and the portrayal of a larger than life character.

There lies my issue with Renly. He just didn't stand out (early days I know) and if Ned hadn't said his name, would anyone have a clue who he was? We would have guessed that Renly should have been there but would we really have believed that the little man who looked very uncomfortable in the corner was Renly.

Renly would have demanded everyones attention instantly in a 'Yes I'm aware my unfettered cock is resting on the table but I dare any of you to question it' way.

I live in hope that he at least has a massive knob but I have my doubts!

[Gravedigger]

We needed an Adonis

Nice rant! :D

Perhaps Gethin is not an Adonis. But then Adonis is killed by a boar 'the loving swine / Sheath'd unaware the tusk in his soft groin.' (Venus & Adonis) :wacko:

With regards to Gethin's looks (and we are rather obsessed with characters living up to our idealised mental images aren't we?), I would absolutely engage in some downright debauchery with him. Adonis be disembowelled!

I look forward to his scenes. Hopefully therein he can show you that he's a good actor; that having a good actor play your favourite character is better than having a Mills & Boon cover-star look like him.

[Ran]

Speaking of cocks and tables ... Renly does! Just wait.

[Knight Of The North]

...Moving SWIFTLY ON!...

No, but seriously, I like him. Looks alot like Robert's fanciful younger brother, if only abit more...realistic than I felt GRRM portrayed him.

Realism in a fantasy series. Crimina maxima!