Looks that fit the role VS acting ability

[About Yea High]

I think Sam should be obese. He's not "Ser Piggy" if he's not fat. But yes, the other things are mostly superfluous.

Ygritte doesn't need a gap - she only needs to be someone you don't see as "pretty" at first glance.

Ability, ability, ability. If they can do the role, and if the camera loves them, and (most importantly) they make the series the success it should be, looks come second.

[cybroleach]

As long as none of the important looks are changed it doesn't matter however i dont care how good an actress is a Cersei or Dany need to be a bombshell, likewise a Sam or Robert who needs to be fat, or adults to play kids. I know the cast is being aged up but 20+ actress for 11 girl is pretty crazy I don't care how good there acting is.

Also I'd say a good look trumps this acting everyones clammoring about since there are more good actors and talents then any of us care to count surely in such a large talent pool its better to find a good look. The point is get someone who has a good look but the acting woln't suffer.

[The Anti-Targ]

Hey folks, I did have a few ifs ands and buts in my post. I was not completely dismissive of all elements of physicality.

[quote name='The Anti-Targ' post='1600552' date='Nov 26 2008, 15.52']The Look matters, but looks don't matter.[/quote]

[quote name='The Anti-Targ' post='1600552' date='Nov 26 2008, 15.52']Anything face/head-wise that can't be adjusted with shaving, color, make-up, contact lenses and prosthetics is utterly insignificant. Chins can be added/expanded, noses can be changed, ears can be enlarged. Do you think Gandalf's nose on LOTR was Ian McCellan's real nose? Or Saruman's for that matter?[/quote]

[quote name='The Anti-Targ' post='1600552' date='Nov 26 2008, 15.52']Body-wise only a few characters have significant constraints around your choice of actor (Tyrion being an obvious example). You can put weedy guys into muscle suits, skinny people into fat suits, use camera tricks to make people look bigger or smaller.[/quote]

And yeah the Lannister twins having black hair was an example for effect, not a realistic compromise. Possibly a better example would be if I had said they could be red haired, in order to maintain the Lannister/Baratheon phenotypic contrast, which is of course pivotal to the story.

There are characters who need to be beautiful/handsome and you can't compromise by trying to use a bushpig who can act well. But these are blindlingly obvious limitations.

Sam needs to be fat for sure. But other characters can have a range of body shapes without materially affecting the portrayal of the character. As long as the body shape is within a std deviation of the description in the book. A tall skinny character can be played by anyone who is above average height and is not overweight or too heavily muscled. There is a lot of scope in that for your actor choice. Get the best actor within that physical range, not the best physical match.

There is a good range of quality actors out there, so I am not really all that worried we'll end up with serious compromises either in looks or acting ability. But I do want D&D to get the message we are not going to get our noses out of joint over someone's nose.

[Patrick Mallister]

you can always add a wig or contacts to make a targ or lannister, etc...you can't fake good acting though, which is one of hbo's halmarks. that's not saying that you should pick people that don't look like the characters but make upe andn hair can do wonderfull things if you find someone who's a littel off

[siyrean]

i'd say go for acting first except in the cases where a specific characteristic defines the character. sam/robert need to be fat, the cleagans need to be tall, loras/jamie need to be pretty, cersie/dany need to be hot, these are things that make the characters who they are. hair colour is easy, i really don't get the hang up on that. but the minor details, eye colour, cheekbones, noes's, kinda irrelivant imo.

[The Anti-Targ]

[quote name='siyrean' post='1601601' date='Nov 27 2008, 20.17']i'd say go for acting first except in the cases where a specific characteristic defines the character. sam/robert need to be fat...[/quote]


I agree that with Sam you can limit yourself to finding a fatty to play a fatty. But I would prefer Fat King Bob and Studdly Flashback Bob to be played by the same actor. Therefore I would rather a fit and strong actor be used for Bob, and put him in a fat suit for his King Bob scenes. Either that or no flashback Bob, except where he's in full armour allowing you to use a body double.

[Tywin's bastard]

Acting should definitely go first since with mediocre actors this series will never become good, no matter what they do with the rest of it. As for looks they don't have to go much longer than normal. Family members always needs to look alike so that's not special for the series and things like Sam should be fat, Gregor should be big etc is nothing special either.

It's not important that every actor looks exactly as their characters are described in the books though and that would mean much less than if every actor was amazing. As long as nothing important is missed I think most changes will fade away as we get used to seeing them.

[Maia]

Acting ability is paramount, IMHO.

Beyond that, other important considerations are age and for some characters, where it is a plot point, height.
Speaking of age, I am OK with aging young characters, but they shouldn't be aged too much. 18 - early twenties (and I do mean early!) for Sansa, Dany, Robb, Jon and Joff, younger for Arya and Bran. I have seen a lot of "young-looking" older actors suggested, but it just doesn't work, IMHO. I have seen it time and again and it is still noticeable that they are older, particularly when they act alongside truly young actors. In particular it is important to convey the vulnerability and inexperience of youth, etc.
Arya must be able to believably pass for a boy, BTW, and move like a sporty tomboy, rather than a ballerina or a sexy cheerleader. Hm... they really need to find a good actress for Arya. Maybe an unknown?

As to the adult characters, they can be aged by 10 years, but no more! I have seen some really old guys suggested for Robert, for instance - it might work in theater, but not on TV.

Another thing that occured to me - people must move true to their role. I often find that actresses in somewhat action roles in the TV series move in a ridiculously silly and unbelievable manner, though actors also aren't immune. Warriors need to move around like somebody who knows how to fight, they need to learn to walk, run, sit down, mount a horse, etc. without tripping over their swords.