The Queen has been cast.

[Ran]

Tyrion's the source of the idea that Cersei possesses "a certain low cunning". He'd certainly know better than anyone (save post-ASoS Jaime, who'd have the scales taken from his eyes).

[Humble Asskicker]

I'm a little surprised. I thought this place was more mature than other message boards - and it probably is, so long as you avoid casting threads, where the maturity level spontaneously plunges to adolescent levels.

I remember listening to one of Headey's commentaries of The Sarah Conner Chronicles, where it was mentioned that she had battles with the studio over digitally enlarging her bust for ads. I remember thinking of how appallingly retarded that was, and what a bunch of douche bags those execs were. Reading this thread, I realize the execs were just doing their jobs, pandering to the real douche bags: the fans.

Still, fuck if I ever thought that would happen here. With Dany and Cersei it's not so much a casting thread as a beauty contest. Yes, they were mentioned in the text as being fantastically gorgeous characters, so virtually no living person would probably fit your ideal. Boo-hoo, and try to grow up, people. These actresses have roughly the same body type as their characters are described - Merchant looks like a teenager and Headey like a woman in her thirties. Neither is ugly, and cosmetics will bring them even closer to how their characters are described. To take it beyond that is bitching just to bitch, and demonstrating publicly that you're one of *those* fans, the kind that howl bloody murder that Wolverine didn't wear yellow spandex in the X-men movies. The kind of fans that everyone else laughs at.

Fortunately, these complaints seem restricted mostly to newbies, so hopefully their opinions won't spread to other forums on this board.

And I'm glad that it's tapered off for the last page.

Surprising, indeed.

[alguien]

What certain low cunning are you talking about? Are we talking about the kind of "low cunning" ascribed to George W. Bush that turned out to be Karl Rove and Dick Cheney?

After reading A Game of Thrones, we did not have a clear view of who pulled the strings behind the scenes. Hence the failed theories like the GUCT. Cersei could have been made into a more likable villain. Instead, GRRM turned her into a lunatic with borderline personality disorder. The level of her delusion and ineptitude in AFFC made her earlier successes seem implausible, despite how stupid her opposition was.

By low cunning, I meant what Tywin accused Tyrion of, of what Tyrion thought Cersei had [ETA: as Ran said]. A plotting mind, an ability to manipulate and plan, but an inability to see the big picture and easily swayed by emotion.

I very much disagree with your interpretation of Cersei's character. I think she was more subtle and in control in GoT, but as the series progressed, Jaime's capture, Joff's murder, Tyrion breaking her, etc. caused her to degenerate into someone who was paralyzed by fear. In fact, Cersei clearly had a personality disorder from the onset of GoT, but, as with many personality disorders, the mood swings and such have gained more and more control as more stressors were applied. Had she been a super-sane Varys ultra-villian in her POV, the narrative would have been terrible.

[SergioCQH]

By low cunning, I meant what Tywin accused Tyrion of, of what Tyrion thought Cersei had [ETA: as Ran said]. A plotting mind, an ability to manipulate and plan, but an inability to see the big picture and easily swayed by emotion.

I very much disagree with your interpretation of Cersei's character. I think she was more subtle and in control in GoT, but as the series progressed, Jaime's capture, Joff's murder, Tyrion breaking her, etc. caused her to degenerate into someone who was paralyzed by fear. In fact, Cersei clearly had a personality disorder from the onset of GoT, but, as with many personality disorders, the mood swings and such have gained more and more control as more stressors were applied. Had she been a super-sane Varys ultra-villian in her POV, the narrative would have been terrible.

I think her POV would have been much more interesting to read had she not been crazy. There was very little nuance and subtlety there. Every other line seemed to reinforce the already starkly apparent insanity. It got very boring and dull reading chapter after chapter of paranoid rantings.

[Le_Saboteur]

Heady isn't exactly how I thought of Cersei, but she's certainly pretty. She can definitely do the cold Cersei.

[Chairman7w]

I think this is awesome, she is a fantastic choice! I can't wait!

[About Yea High]

I'm in the minority that thinks A Feast For Crows was one of Martin's most well-written books, though I concede my tastes don't generally run with the popular vote (for instance I thought the WATCHMEN movie was very good - aside from Akerman's empty performance - and more readily bought into Snyder's ending than Moore's giant squid).

The Cersei chapters were excellent. How often do we see inside actual delusion? Someone actually lying to themselves? Nadie pointed out everything I was going to; Cersei's issues go deep. I found them fascinating.

Headey is going to do this role more than justice.

Without something to view, my opinion thus far is that casting is an overall "A." I'm sure we'll discuss more when we see actual footage - and will probably have more than a few people throwing out opinions when they've never even read the books.

That'll be fun.

[Gabriele]

Or wait until they're going to cast the dragons.

"Those are juvenile turkeys. They totally don't look like dragons."

:rofl:

[alguien]

I think her POV would have been much more interesting to read had she not been crazy. There was very little nuance and subtlety there. Every other line seemed to reinforce the already starkly apparent insanity. It got very boring and dull reading chapter after chapter of paranoid rantings.

Fair enough. I'll disagree. I think she had to be a little crazy in her POV. Power-hungry brother-loving baby murderers aren't going to be completely balanced. In any event, I don't think her POV was someone who is stark-raving mad, but rather someone who is losing or has already lost a battle with their inner demons. A POV that shows the capacity to love (her children, Jaime), but has been twisted and made paranoid by her own shortcomings so that even her love bears ill fruit. These brief moments were subtle. The rest, even the plotting, was certainly realistic. To stereotype the chapters as merely paranoid ranting does them a disservice. Remember, her POV starts immediately after Tywin's death, who was murdered by Tyrion, who utterly crushed Cersei at the game she imagined she was best at (also who she also believes murdered her son). Its understandable why she is seeing plotters everywhere. It already was her mentality to think that way and it was immensely inflamed by the death of her father, escape of her brother, death of her son, siege, the lingering knowledge of the illegitimacy of her kids, and eventually we find out, due to a prophecy that will most likely be self-fulfilling.

[ph2586]

I think the only guy who has actually '' met'' Cersei is GRRM. Ok she is in all our minds but in reality she 'exists' only in his head.

I may have prefered Tricia Helfer for Cersei or Gemma Ward for Dany or Jude Law for Jaime (and maybe GRRM did) but I think

these are not realistic choices. There is no woman pretty enough to play Daenarys Targaryen. And anyone who has read Lord of

the rings and the Silmarillion knows there is NOONE in this world that could play Arwen Undomiel.

The actors we got are the BEST WE CAN GET.

Plus Tolkien was not there to say 'Oh she doesn't look like Arwen or like Aragorn etc...',but GRRM IS HERE and he has a saying.

And if these actors work for GRRM they should for all of us. Period

:whip:

[daimonion]

And if these actors work for GRRM they should for all of us. Period

:whip:

Bullshit! Period.

[Fin]

Hmm. . . . she can turn heads, no doubt, but Cersei should look like she can turn heads in a bar, while Headey seems more like she'd turn heads at the gym.

I watched several LH clips on YouTube and I think you nailed the (potential) problem with LH as Cersei. But I still like this latest casting choice and hope she will ooze sexuality and show the acting range she already has.

Business-wise, she should be very good for the show at least. She's a big enough name from Sarah Connor Chronicles that people will tune in because of her.

Yes, absolutely, employing her should help the ratings.

And Humble Asskicker, breasts are important. Always have been, even if I, a newbie, say so. :pirate: On the other hand, I can't help thinking casting actors for a contemporary adaptation of a series of "medieval" novels will necessarily reflect the contemporary tastes, and in this sense LH is the perfect Cersei - thin, fit, with beautiful, slightly pouty lips and striking eyes. Large breasts on this body could be distracting - I'm saying it as a viewer who is aware of why so many downright skeletal actresses are so well endowed. Implants are not what I want to think about when looking at Cersei on HBO.

[SergioCQH]

There is no way to know how GRRM really feels about these casting decisions. He will never ever say anything but that the actor or actress cast is fantastic. It doesn't matter if he or she isn't at all what GRRM had in his head, he cannot say that. At all. So, please, let us not have anymore of the if-she's-good-enough-for-GRRM arguments.

[daimonion]

There is no way to know how GRRM really feels about these casting decisions. He will never ever say anything but that the actor or actress cast is fantastic. It doesn't matter if he or she isn't at all what GRRM had in his head, he cannot say that. At all. So, please, let us not have anymore of the if-she's-good-enough-for-GRRM arguments.

And even if he did allow himself to be more critical - still - the argument that you can't complain if GRRM is happy, is like saying you can't have an opinion of your own.

[Ran]

Lets move away from this meta-discussion where we start gazing at our navels about the community.

I'm going to close this thread early, in hopes that a fresh thread (if people choose to create it) will be less full of kvetching.