Cast, Are they Required to read ASOIAF?

[minotoro]

Are they required to read the books to be in better character?

[Ser Nevarc]

I really hope so.

Amd considering how that's how LOTR did it, and aGoT is a much faster read, I expect so.

[Halfhand]

No idea if it is required or not, but it seems most of the cast at the signing and moot in Belfast were in the process of reading the books.

[dezebel]

I would think that they should be required to read at least Game of Thrones, especially the more prominent characters. The exception would be the children, and I think I remember reading something that the parents were reading GoT and paraphrasing for the kids if they thought that the material was too explicit for the young 'uns. Under 13yrs I think is too young to be reading this type of stuff.

Of course, the hope is that after finishing GoT that they will want to finish the rest of the books!

[Ran]

I suspect they aren't required -- some actors actively say they don't read source material because they want to enter a project without any preconceptions of how things "should" be, preferring an organic approach to building their performance -- , but yes, many of them seem to be reading them on their own.

I don't know if it's actually necessary for them to read it. It's a nice thing that they do, of course, but I'm pretty sure professional actors are going to portrary the character as conceived by the adapters as opposed to the original author anyways. HBO's Ned Stark will likely be at least a little bit different from GRRM's.

[Sekhmet]

HBO's Ned Stark will likely be at least a little bit different from GRRM's.

I've seen Bean do Robert Aske in Henry VIII, and it's very Neddy!

[Werthead]

Are they required to read the books to be in better character?

No.

Some have chosen to read them, others have not. Esme Bianco said she wanted to read the books, but she'd been very busy and people kept borrowing her copy to read it. Since she only had one scene and her character isn't even in the books, that's a sign that she wasn't required to read them but simply wanted to.

Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner's mums have read the first book and were in the process of reading the second during the Belfast meet. They were handing 'edited highlights' down to their daughters.

Richard Madden had read the first book but someone had told him what happens to Robb. Kit Harington was just starting Book 4 in early November. Ron Donachie had read all four books and loved them. Alfie Allen was just starting Book 2 at the time and looking forward to Theon's much bigger role.

[Andhaira]

No.

Some have chosen to read them, others have not. Esme Bianco said she wanted to read the books, but she'd been very busy and people kept borrowing her copy to read it. Since she only had one scene and her character isn't even in the books, that's a sign that she wasn't required to read them but simply wanted to.

Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner's mums have read the first book and were in the process of reading the second during the Belfast meet. They were handing 'edited highlights' down to their daughters.

Richard Madden had read the first book but someone had told him what happens to Robb. Kit Harington was just starting Book 4 in early November. Ron Donachie had read all four books and loved them. Alfie Allen was just starting Book 2 at the time and looking forward to Theon's much bigger role.

Wow, how do you know so much Werthead?

Anyhow, IMO the books ought to be required reading for anyone who has a major part in the tv series. I wonder if the woman playing Cersei (forgot her name) has read them? Her reaction to her character would be pretty sweet to know. Wonder what she would think if she knew what a bitch she was playing. Her reaction to book 4 would be good to know as well, as its in book 4 we realize Cersei is also prettu dumb.

[About Yea High]

Wow, how do you know so much Werthead?

Anyhow, IMO the books ought to be required reading for anyone who has a major part in the tv series. I wonder if the woman playing Cersei (forgot her name) has read them? Her reaction to her character would be pretty sweet to know. Wonder what she would think if she knew what a bitch she was playing. Her reaction to book 4 would be good to know as well, as its in book 4 we realize Cersei is also prettu dumb.

Werthead knows all. Werthead runs the Wertzone.

And he reads everything.

I bet he's a horrible dancer though.

[Silverstar]

Wow, how do you know so much Werthead?

Cuz he and I asked 'em all when we met them in Belfast ;)

[theMountainGoat]

Wow, how do you know so much Werthead?

Anyhow, IMO the books ought to be required reading for anyone who has a major part in the tv series. I wonder if the woman playing Cersei (forgot her name) has read them? Her reaction to her character would be pretty sweet to know. Wonder what she would think if she knew what a bitch she was playing. Her reaction to book 4 would be good to know as well, as its in book 4 we realize Cersei is also prettu dumb.

Are you kidding me? Cersei will be an incredible character to portray because of her many outrageous flaws. Most actors relish the opportunity to play evil bitches as much as they do lovable heroes.

By all accounts Lena Headey has so far done an incredible job of portraying Cersei. We know from a recent interview with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) that Lena required a body double for the nude scene in the pilot due to the fact that she is currently pregnant and is just starting to show but not enough to be noticeable in costume. The timing of this might mean that all the Cersei scenes in the first season are shot towards the end of the filming schedule to allow Lena time off with her baby before returning to work.

The reason I know this and the reason Wert knows this is because we are paying attention to these things :)

I mean that and because we were also in Ireland in November where we met some of the cast members in person, which helps ;) Perhaps you should read my detailed report on the BWB meet-up in Ireland - link to report in my sig.

[Eyelesbarrow]

Are they required to read all the books to portray their characters? No, not really. Some actors don't delve into the original source material so that they won't be constricted by the role and the attendant expectations. For some, the script would be enough guidance. It would be cool for the cast to read the series, though, and become fans. But honestly, I'm not going to unlike them if they don't touch the books. They might bring something new to the story and I hope it's for the better.

But I do hope that those who want to skip the series while filming will eventually get around to reading the whole thing. It will raise their quality of life. :D

[Ser Greguh]

Maybe my standards are a tad low, but I just hope they've all read the script :)

[Alexia]

I wonder if the woman playing Cersei (forgot her name) has read them? Her reaction to her character would be pretty sweet to know. Wonder what she would think if she knew what a bitch she was playing.

The actress knows that her character is a queen engaged in an incestuous relationship with her own brother who has fathered all of her three children and who watches as her brother throws a seven year old child out a window when he catches them in the act. She can't possibly think she's playing a nice character! :)

[Werthead]

I bet he's a horrible dancer though.

100% incorrect ;)

[Brude]

Maybe my standards are a tad low, but I just hope they've all read the script :)

You'd think that was the case, but even then there are some actors and actresses who read only their own lines in a script so that they are surprised as to what happens and have to react honestly the first time they do the scene. Julianne Moore (who is one of my favorite actresses), does this. She said in an interview once that she often has no idea what a movie is about until she sees it at the premier. I don't know how she is able to judge good scripts vs. bad ones only reading her own lines (though in a few cases, like "Safe" and "Far From Heaven," she's in pretty much every scene), but that's how she does it.

For some big, very secretive movies, like all of the Star Wars movies starting with "Empire," the scripts that went out to actors only included their own lines and everything else was blacked out.