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[Spoilers] Possible Casting Choices for Season Two


Xray the Enforcer

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Most of the characters that have been cast in season 1 fit my mental image developed in the books. Some do not. I am not troubled by any of the casting decisions for that reason alone.

There is one casting decision, however, that troubles me a great deal. And that is the casting of Joe Dempsie as Gendry.

Please understand that I don’t care how Joe Dempsie looks. I also don’t pretend to criticize how he acts, either. From the brief scene we have seen of him as Gendry, he appears to be a fine actor. I have ZERO problems with his performance. So Joe Dempsie – this isn’t about you or your skills or your hair color or attractiveness. You’re a fine actor and you look just fine.

The problem is, Dempsie is a grown up in a story arc which is very much a child’s tale. He doesn't look like a kid, he looks like a parent.

Joe Dempsie is MUCH too old for the part of Gendry. The actor is now 24 and he looks it. And despite the fact that there has been some “aging up” of the cast, it is not possible to age up Gendry’s role without destroying the purpose of his character as a foil to Arya.

In Clash of Kings, Gendry is barely old enough to be “a man grown”. He’s fifteen-turning-sixteen. While he is old enough – and strong enough – to flirt with being able to stand up to the adults in the Riverlands, he’s still mentally a kid. And the journey of Arya, Hot Pie, Gendry, and Lommy is very much a journey of children in lands under the cloud of war. GRRM purposely makes this decision in his narrative. There were two adults who survived the attack by Ser Amory Lorch, but they ABANDON Arya and the kids and leave them to their fate.

That’s not a small point. GRRM made a deliberate choice that he did not want Arya travelling with adults who, by reason of their age, would reasonably be making decisions with which Arya would naturally agree – or at least submit to. Gendry was young enough that he was near to Arya’s peer group so that whatever he said was not automatically something Arya would go along or be “outranked” so that she had to go along with it.

With Joe Dempsie being cast in the role of Gendry, this whole character dynamic breaks down. There is no reason that Arya would not be listening to Gendry and go along with what he proposes. Gendry is, at 24 yrs of age, the guy in charge. Why would he be listening to Arya? Short answer: he would not.

I don’t see how that can be avoided without playing up the Arya-is-nobleborn-and-that’s-why-she-is-in-charge trope. And that’s not Clash of Kings and that’s not Harry, Lumpyhead, Weasel, or anything other than Arya of House Stark.

It’s a distinction with a difference.

So, it is my sincere hope that Gendry is re-cast for Season #2 or that they kill Gendry off in the initial attack by Ser Amory so that he dies with Yoren. Re-cast or kill him off. It’s one of the other. Joe Dempsie’s Gendry does not work with Arya's arc in GRRM’s narrative.

No matter how much you insist it that it “can” – I just don't see it. It stops being realistic. And the one thing that D&D cannot do is to make decisions which undermine the underlying realism of GRRM’s tale. That's when they step off the road of reason and head down the one paved with good intentions...

They will end up in a place where they do not want to be.

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Guys, this is a season 2 casting thread. Stick to who actually shows up in S2. :)

But how do we know who shows up in S2? Eh? Eh?

I'm thinking if they cut the Blackfish from the series then Edmure will end up as an amalgam of himself and his uncle so they won't need to cut any storyline just tweak things around to make him do both roles.

Sounds scary, no offence, but they'd both be appalled!

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Paul Bettany (Silas from "Da Vince Code" and Dustfinger from "Inkheart") would be the perfect candidate for Jaqen H'ghar. He is a skilled actor who can give this character all the subtle traits - he can be mysterious, dangerous and smooth at the same time.

http://images.wikia.com/inkheart/images/1/14/Dustfingerandgwin600.jpg

I found some the websites two very interesting candidates for other characters:

- Mark Strong as Stannis Baratheon http://gfx1.fdb.pl/ofc7ds

and for season three (I know it's a long way ahead)

- Oded Fehr as Oberyn "The Red Viper" Martell http://www.cryosites.com/shared/img/o/oded_fehr_1w7ht.jpeg

I agree that Katie Sackhoff is the best choice for Brienne.

As for Melisandre - perhaps Olivia Wilde? http://blastr.com/assets_c/2009/01/OliviaWilde_House_gal-thumb-550x496-10713.jpg

http://clutch.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/olivia.jpg

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Yeah, Rufus Sewell would be good Stannis. As for Lansbury and Dench - they are great actresses but they are both much too tall for Queen of Thorns. She was tiny, not much higher than Tyrion, and looked very fragile.

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I read that Rufus Sewell was already cast as Roose Bolton. http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/32210-official-casting-the-north-and-the-watch/page__p__1586046#entry1586046 However this is a 2008 post, is the information outdated?

Roose Bolton will probably only have a cameo in Season 1 during the last chapter when Robb was crowned. I wish that Jason Issacs would play him, seeing as he would have a larger role in book 2 and 3. Jason Issacs is and always will be my favorite villian and I would love to see him playing off Jamie and Arya characters in Harrenhal. Can't you just imagine him flaying someone?

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I like Evan Rachel Wood as Mel. Though I also like the idea of casting someone from Asshai as an actual non-white actor, since that would make vague sense and make the cast a bit more broad. It would have the stigma of having the evil witch also be a furriner tho.

No matter how much you insist it that it “can” – I just don't see it. It stops being realistic. And the one thing that D&D cannot do is to make decisions which undermine the underlying realism of GRRM’s tale. That's when they step off the road of reason and head down the one paved with good intentions...

Unless they cut the part with Arya and Gendry, which is totally plausible.
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Also,

I agree that Katie Sackhoff is the best choice for Brienne.
This is quite possibly the worst casting choice I've ever seen for anyone on this, other than the time someone suggested that they cast Shamoo for Sam.
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Season 2 Season 2 Season 2

I'm team Gwendoline-Christie-for-Brienne.

She's a well-respected stage actress (I saw her play Lucifer in Dr Faustus), lives in the UK, taller than NCW, uncommon looks, plummy accent and she sounds like a lot of fun. Obviously Brienne isn't 'a lot of fun' to Jaime but that's where the acting comes in!

Season 2 Season 2 Season 2 peeps!!!

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My big hope is Roy Dotrice as Maester Cressen.

As far as I know, he was supposed to be maester Pycelle but had to be recast because of some serious health issues.

Also,

This is quite possibly the worst casting choice I've ever seen for anyone on this, other than the time someone suggested that they cast Shamoo for Sam.

Do you have any arguments for this opinion, better than "because I say so"? ;) The only problem may be her height (5' 6½"), but with some camera work it can be resolved. She is a talented actress and she proved in BSG that she can play complicated fighter-type woman.

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I'm concerned that if the Blackfish didn't make this season, he won't make future seasons (unless GRRM tells them he does something absolutely plot critical in Books 5-7).

I'm dying to figure out who will play Ygritte. I could see Evan Rachel Wood there more than Mel.

I'm all for Eccleston in any part he plays. Putting aside all his other strong work, he was great as a bit player in Heroes Season 1.

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Rufus Sewell was already cast as Roose Bolton.

May be outdated info but personally I'd love to see it. He's who I've had in mind for Roose all along. I think he could make a serviceable Stannis but I'm still holding out hope for Eccleston, as his sharp features, pointy head and well-practiced scowl fit my image of Stannis much more closely. :smoking:

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Do you have any arguments for this opinion, better than "because I say so"? ;) The only problem may be her height (5' 6½"), but with some camera work it can be resolved. She is a talented actress and she proved in BSG that she can play complicated fighter-type woman.

The problem IS her height. I'm a big fan of BSG so I adore Sackhoff...but if Breinne isn't portrayed as almost "freakish" by the side of other women, the essence of the character will be completely changed and her impact on the viewer greatly lessened.

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Also,

This is quite possibly the worst casting choice I've ever seen for anyone on this, other than the time someone suggested that they cast Shamoo for Sam.

It comes up a lot. The logic is: Brienne is macho. -> Who have I seen playing a macho woman? -> Katee Sackhoff! -> Obviously she'd be perfect.

The flaw in this is that Starbuck's machismo was 100% attitude and bluster. Katee Sackhoff is short and slight in build, and exceedingly pretty. Brienne is huge and lumpen and ugly, and this is an important part of her character motivation.

The only choice possible for Brienne is an unknown. I imagine most tall, plain girls get laughed out of castings, no matter how good an actor they are. TV is biased towards the pretty. It's time to give a big plain girl a chance!

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I read that Rufus Sewell was already cast as Roose Bolton. http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/32210-official-casting-the-north-and-the-watch/page__p__1586046#entry1586046 However this is a 2008 post, is the information outdated?

Roose Bolton will probably only have a cameo in Season 1 during the last chapter when Robb was crowned. I wish that Jason Issacs would play him, seeing as he would have a larger role in book 2 and 3. Jason Issacs is and always will be my favorite villian and I would love to see him playing off Jamie and Arya characters in Harrenhal. Can't you just imagine him flaying someone?

Jason Isaacs would make a great Roose Bolton. I don't Bolton will show up in season one, that would require them casting a fairly large part for a cameo when a second season wasn't confirmed at the time.

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