Do you imagine the TV actors when you read the books?

[TheFlayedMan]

On my first read I did, but on my reread I pictured most of them differently.

In fact, I think Sansa is the only character who I saw as the television character.

[blackwing]

I imagine most characters looking like in the show, as I watched season 1 prior to reading the books. I mean all those stuff about violet eyes, and every second person being bald just did not appeal to me. Big exception is Roose Bolton. At first I thought he was completely omitted in the show. I lost a bet for a beer to a friend being absolutely convinced he wasn't in season two. Man, what a mismatch. Sure noone can have such impressive eyes, but at least the voice the actor could have emphasized in the show. It really depends for me whether or not I think the representation matches the character and how much I like it. With Tywin I felt that in the show he was so impressive, while in the book he seemed lame, bald, pompous and cowardly - so I went with imagining him like being as in the show and enjoyed the read much more.

[Val the Wildling Princess]

Some of them yes, some of them no. Ned has always been Sean Bean, Maisie is the perfect Arya and so is Nikolaj for Jaime. I have my own mental image of Jon Snow like a young Daniel Day Lewis, even though I adore Kit Harington I cannot help it, I cant picture Jon with that glorious curly hair :D Then there are characters that have been already cast for the next season but I have my own fan cast like James Purefoy for Mance, or Tabrett Bethell for Val, and that's not gonna change at all.

[Ser Grimes]

Arya is the best. Sansa was pretty good too. I picture the actresses when I read them. Maybe Dany also, she IS young and gorgeous.

Renly had to be the worst. But I think that was the shows portrayal of him. We know he's gay, but the show made him like a flaming homosexual/ petty little boy. Brienne was pretty terrible also. Did they just put an ad out: Seeking tall woman.

I guess its not so much how the actors look, but more their skill at portraying the particular character. And also how the writers chose to portray them.

[Damar]

For the most part. I didn't even like Stannis at first before the actor made me incapable of viewing him otherwise. Only those who's depictions are radically different than how they are described in the books like Asha Greyjoy and Roose Bolton.

The Baratheon bros for that matter seem out of place, with Renly and Robert not being the 6-and-half supermodels they are in the book, as much as I liked their acting. I think Ray Stevenson would have been closer to Robert, and the younger Hemsworth brother as Renly.

[Ingelheim]

Some of them yes, some of them no. Ned has always been Sean Bean, Maisie is the perfect Arya and so is Nikolaj for Jaime. I have my own mental image of Jon Snow like a young Daniel Day Lewis, even though I adore Kit Harington I cannot help it, I cant picture Jon with that glorious curly hair :D Then there are characters that have been already cast for the next season but I have my own fan cast like James Purefoy for Mance, or Tabrett Bethell for Val, and that's not gonna change at all.

Nikolaj is the best Jaime ever; no one can repalce him

And...is Val already cast?

[King.In.Yellow]

Perfect casting on the show:

Sean Bean as Eddard,

Richard Madden as Robb,

Nikolaj Coster Waldau as Jamie.

Alfie Allen as Theon (I know Theon's not a blondie, but seriously, Alfie Allen makes the best faces).

Mark Addy as King Bob.

Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister

Conleth Hill as Varys

Meh casting:

Lena Hedley as Cersei (the eyebrows... the effing eyebrows)

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion (sure, he's a great actor, but he's handsome. Tyrion is supposed to be ugly)

Iain Glen as Jorah (again, great actor, but drop dead gorgeous whereas Jorah is supposed to be average)

Whatsherface as Osha: Osha isn't supposed to have slut eyes.

Shit casting:

Whatshisface as Renly: Guy looks like some hipster college student.

Kit Harringon as Jon Snow: What's with that gormless look he always has on his face?

Whatsherface as Sansa: Sansa is supposed to be pretty.

[DolorousKim]

Some characters I picture as they appear on the show, and others I don't. In my mind's eye I picture only a few of the main POV characters as they appear in the show: Ned as Sean Bean, Arya as Maisie Williams, and Tyrion as Peter Dinklage (sacrilege, I know). I find that it is the secondary characters that are most wedded to their show appearances in my imagination: Bronn is Jerome Flynn, Conleth Hill is Varys, Ron Donachie is Ser Rodrik, Donald Sumpter is Luwin, James Cosmo is Jeor Mormont, and Francis Magee is Yoren.

Edited to add Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel. How could I forget Syrio?? Miltos nailed this character so well that it's impossible for me to picture him any other way (and certainly not bald as an egg!).

[Ser Wun Wun]

Most of the characters I do picture as looking like the actors from the show (which I saw before reading the books): Tywin, Arya, Bran, Jaime, Tyrion, Cat, Littlefinger, Varys, Drogo, Jorah, the old bear, Maester Aemon, Sam, Joff and Theon for instance. Also some minor ones like Irri, Doreah, Rakharo, Syrio and Rodrik. Yes I know that is a long list :drunk:

Jon, Dany, Viserys, Robb, Rickon, Asha, Barristan, Sansa, Cersei, Gregor and Sandor I have my own mental images of. Ned too, because book Ned is kinda wimpy so I can't picture him as Sean Bean.

[The Frost Wolf]

I have my own ideas of how the characters would look and only use a few of the actors from the series as mental images.

But all of the cast are extremely good, the only problems I have are how some of them look.

Peter Dinklage for example, the guy who plays Tyrion. I would have wanted Tyrion to be more uglier/deformed looking since we always get descriptions making him sound like a twisted little creature with "stunted, cramped legs". I also would have preferred him to be more blonde, but the actor certainly makes up for it. Brilliant casting.

Ned and Catelyn, more good casting. Except the actors of Jon (Kit Harrington) and Benjen, look more Stark-ish with their black hair and such while Sean Bean doesn't. Still all excellent though.

Oh and the quality of child actors! I always comment in movies how bad the child actors are but Game of Thrones seems to have found some great ones. Bran, Arya and Joffrey are all fantastic, I was so surprised at how good they are.

[Ingelheim]

Whatsherface as Sansa: Sansa is supposed to be pretty.

She is gorgeous

[Val the Wildling Princess]

Nikolaj is the best Jaime ever; no one can repalce him

And...is Val already cast?

I'm not sure, they did cast an actress called Stephanie Blacker but they never said the character she would play. She could be Dalla. or Val, anyway she is far from the image I got of Val so I'm hoping for her to be Dalla, after all, they could leave Val for season 4.

[Ingelheim]

I'm not sure, they did cast an actress called Stephanie Blacker but they never said the character she would play. She could be Dalla. or Val, anyway she is far from the image I got of Val so I'm hoping for her to be Dalla, after all, they could leave Val for season 4.

Agggh, she is NOT Val

[The Titan's Legitimate Son]

In all honesty I do picture almost every character we have seen on TV so far as the characters when I read the book, and I am pretty sure once the new series come out, I will picture the new characters as their actors.

[Ser Wun Wun]

Stephanie Blacker has to be Dalla. It wouldn't make much sense to cast Val this early, since Ygritte is Jon's love interest for this season. There's just no point in adding Val into the mix until after Ygritte is dead.

When Jon goes to "parlay" with Mance is the perfect time to introduce Val. So we should see her like mid-way through season 4 imo.

[James Arryn]

Charles Dance was Tywin in my head before I knew he was in discussion.

Christopher Eccleston was/is Stannis. others I can remember:

Theresa Palmer as Dany, Maggie Smith as QOT, a younger Brian Blessed as Robert, I had someone particular in mind as Balon, but can't remember who now.

I didn't have anyone specific in mind for Renly, but the choice they made was still way off. Of course the character on the show is also almost nothing like in the books, so it fits.

I pictured someone more generically beautiful as Cersei...no one in particular springs to mind, but not the choice they went with, though she has grown on me.

Tyrion, he was way more hideous in my mind. Robb and Jon I think I had an idea, but whatever it was has been replaced by the actors. Bran is pretty much as I saw him. Sansa I had no image formed, but I thought she would explain the beauty comments more than the girl playing her has, IMO. Arya was a vague image too, and I think the actress they chose has become her in my mind. Rickon I had no real image.

Jaime has also grown on me, but I pictured someone more flamboyantly good looking, longer hair, etc. sort of like Cersei, something a little more generic without an actual idea formed in my mind.

I think LF is physically pretty bang on. His accent gets to me at times, though.

the Old Bear is likewise bang on, as is his son. Sam was generic in my mind, so show guy is him now. Lora's seems a little too soft for me, doesn't seem like a guy who lives to train and fight.

Both original Cleganes were bang on...didn't like the new Mountain. I'm straying too much into like/dislike, but it often conflates into picture/do not picture as.