Season 2 Casting News Soon

[Steel_Wind]

Am I the only one who thinks Dormer looks a good ten years younger than she actually is? When I first saw her picture from the Tudors I thought "Man, she's too young to play Anne". Of course, once I started watching, I thought "She has a rather grown-up voice for an 18-year-old".

Season 1 and 2 of The Tudors was a while ago.

To be fair, the pictures of Dormer on the Tudors set are from when she was 25 yrs old -- and the premiere pics which appear on the front page of Winter-is-Coming were taken of the actress in March 2008.

More recent pics of her in a red dress with "up-do" hair from February 2011 are available on IMDB. She's not looking early 20s in those picutures. That isn't to say she's looking like an old hag. Clearly, she is an attractive woman. Though looks like a teenager/early-20s? No.

I think it's fair to say that D&D have decided they are going in a slightly different direction with the version of Margaery on the TV show. Given that Margaery's stroy arc, especailly in AFFC, is very Anne Boleynish, I suppose it may then seem very appropos.

[Padraig]

If she looks even mid-20s its fine. Cersei didn't want Tommen to marry Margarey in the books, so her age will just make Cersei's reluctance even more logical. But the Tyrell-Lannister alliance depends on it. And those sort of marriages did happen in the middle ages.

Maybe a hint that we will see a bit more of Renly next year than we did on-page in the book, which would not be surprising.

More than a hint. Looks like we are going to see a lot more of Renly and Loras in S2. And we probably will see LF's negotiations with the Tyrells later on. I wonder will we see the QoT or even Mace? I wasn't sure they'd cast Margarey, so this is going completely in the other direction.

It says she is a "regular" cast member too, which means she'll be appearing a lot.

I doubt whoever they get will be on the level of Sean Bean, name recognition-wise or expense-wise, but he'll likely be a well-known and respected actor.

I'd agree with this on Stannis. Finding a reasonably well known actor will partly compensate for Ned's loss. It will re-balance things. I'm not sure they are going to portray him as charasmatic (as somebody suggested). The writers have already given us an image of Stannis and it is not positive.

[Steel_Wind]

If she looks even mid-20s its fine. Cersei didn't want Tommen to marry Margarey in the books, so her age will just make Cersei's reluctance even more logical. But the Tyrell-Lannister alliance depends on it. And those sort of marriages did happen in the middle ages.

I would agree, (although the age difference usually went the other way in terms of gender.)

Whatever the case, as a direction for that aspect of the story, it's not necessariy bad and it could work well. It is different. It that's the price to pay to persuade a few hundred thousand Showtime Subscribers who were fans of the Tudors and have not tried GoT to do so? I'm good with that price tag.

[They_China_Food]

Season 1 and 2 of The Tudors was a while ago.

To be fair, the pictures of Dormer on the Tudors set are from when she was 25 yrs old -- and the premiere pics which appear on the front page of Winter-is-Coming were taken of the actress in March 2008.

More recent pics of her in a red dress with "up-do" hair from February 2011 are available on IMDB. She's not looking early 20s in those picutures. That isn't to say she's looking like an old hag. Clearly, she is an attractive woman. Though looks like a teenager/early-20s? No.

I think it's fair to say that D&D have decided they are going in a slightly different direction with the version of Margaery on the TV show. Given that Margaery's stroy arc, especailly in AFFC, is very Anne Boleynish, I suppose it may then seem very appropos.

I know that, but I also saw pics of her in Captain America and she doesn't look to me like she's aged that much.

I've also seen the pics you're talking about and I really don't see the big deal.

[mr. peasant]

Dawson's casting...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DawsonCasting

TV often casts actors a little younger than their age. A 30 year old can play a 25 year old no problem. Often on TV they are 30 playing 18!

That only works if all the young actors are cast older (e.g. Dawson's Creek) or if the actor looks young for his/her age (Kirsten Bell in Veronica Mars). If some characters are visibly older than they supposedly are while some of their contemporaries don't, it breaks suspension of disbelief.

[howland_reed]

That only works if all the young actors are cast older (e.g. Dawson's Creek) or if the actor looks young for his/her age (Kirsten Bell in Veronica Mars). If some characters are visibly older than they supposedly are while some of their contemporaries don't, it breaks suspension of disbelief.

And Natalie Dormer doesn't fit that criteria...how?

[TTaylorII]

I think, if the Renly/Loras scene in season one is any indicator, we're going to be getting a lot more Tyrell behind-the-scenes glimpses in the show than we ever have in the books thus far (which I'm fine with.) For these to be done right and be believable, I think Dormer is a strong choice. I agree that the age could be tricky and I certainly won't dismiss any concerns about it as illegitimate (though I am of the camp that she looks young enough such that it won't be a problem) but I will say that it's gonna be much more believable with Dormer if Margaery is doing any kind of scheming with Loras, her grandmother, Renly, etc. than it would if we had some uber virginal doe-eyed 16 year old. Especially in later seasons, assuming we get there, when she edges into the arena with Cersei/Lena Headley, I think some kind of maturity and complexity is almost necessary for that to work on screen.

[Basileus777]

I wonder how this changes the Queen of Thorns role. With Dormer playing Maegaery, perhaps they make her the driving force behind the Tyrell's scheming, making her an even more visible rival to Cersei/Headey.

[Padraig]

I wonder how this changes the Queen of Thorns role. With Dormer playing Maegaery, perhaps they make her the driving force behind the Tyrell's scheming, making her an even more visible rival to Cersei/Headey.

Good point. :) They could amalgamate the two characters. I don't think they will because the QoT is just an awesome character but an older Margarey does allow that possibility.

Whatever the case, as a direction for that aspect of the story, it's not necessariy bad and it could work well. It is different.

Yes. And after watching S1, nobody here should be shocked or appalled by the idea of differences arising. This is just another of the many small enough changes that have happened. Margarey not been 16 does change a dynamic but nothing fundamental changes.

although the age difference usually went the other way in terms of gender.

Usually. But you can definitely find many cases where it was the other way round.

[Brienne the Beauty]

If some characters are visibly older than they supposedly are while some of their contemporaries don't, it breaks suspension of disbelief.

In Buffy, Buffy was played by a 19 year old actor while Cordelia was played by a 26 year old. Both playing 16 year olds. Cordelia didn't look for one moment 16 years old. It worked fine.

[mr. peasant]

And Natalie Dormer doesn't fit that criteria...how?

Because she is older than the actor playing her elder brother and visibly looks it. Though perhaps, they might have changed it so that she's his older sister.

In Buffy, Buffy was played by a 19 year old actor while Cordelia was played by a 26 year old. Both playing 16 year olds. Cordelia didn't look for one moment 16 years old. It worked fine.

And Alyson Hannigan (Willow) was 23 and Nicholas Brendon (Xander) was 26. They all didn't look 16 (SMG included). So, it worked. It's much different if everyone is 16 years old and you had one person who is 26 and looks it playing 16.

[Jack Sparrow]

Because she is older than the actor playing her elder brother and visibly looks it.

Blame GRRM: he was a huge fan of Dormer's on 'The Tudors' and almost certainly approved of this casting.

[Padraig]

So, it worked. It's much different if everyone is 16 years old and you had one person who is 26 and looks it playing 16.

Think about it. Jon and Robb are 17 (maybe 18 by the end of S1) and are played by a 24 year old (Kit Harrington) and a 25 year old (Richard Madden). Similarly Emilia Clarke is 24 years old apparently.

Margarey can be turned into a 20 year old (or a 22 year old or whatever) if the producers wish and be played by a 29 year old Natalie Dormer. She can be older than Loras without changing anything.

So where are all these 16 year olds? Like most things, this is not an issue.

[kour]

Yeah, I don't know what to think of this. On one hand, I always pictured Margarey as a brunette version of Sansa in terms of appearance and closeness in age. Natalie Dormer though a fine actress is in no way close in age to Sophie Turner's Sansa or the actor who plays Joffrey. For TV viewers, it's not going to matter much but book readers will definitely notice.

I wonder who they cast as Melisandre. I definitely see Natalie playing that character over Margarey, but I'll wait and see.

[Xray the Enforcer]

[mod] We have a thread going about Margarey in the main GoT forums. Please move your discussion there. :) Thank you.[/mod]

[iheartseverus]

[mod] We have a thread going about Margarey in the main GoT forums. Please move your discussion there. :) Thank you.[/mod]

Weird, scary new avvy, Xray.

:leaving:

[mr. peasant]

Think about it. Jon and Robb are 17 (maybe 18 by the end of S1) and are played by a 24 year old (Kit Harrington) and a 25 year old (Richard Madden). Similarly Emilia Clarke is 24 years old apparently.

Margarey can be turned into a 20 year old (or a 22 year old or whatever) if the producers wish and be played by a 29 year old Natalie Dormer. She can be older than Loras without changing anything.

So where are all these 16 year olds? Like most things, this is not an issue.

I think it works though since for the most part, with the exception of the younger children (Sansa and younger), most of the characters are not specified to be a certain age. Moreover, the more important factor in casting, I feel, is relative age - i.e. older characters look older than those allegedly younger than them - which was what surprised me about the Dorner casting. But as I pointed out in my previous post, it is possible that they might be reversing the order of children between Loras and Margery; as to play up the spinster aspect of her character.

[mod] We have a thread going about Margarey in the main GoT forums. Please move your discussion there. :) Thank you.[/mod]

To be entirely fair, we're talking about a confirmed casting decision, as opposed to possible casting choices - which is what that subforum has been described to be meant for. And since Dormer is the most recent, and thus far only, confirmed addition to the new season, if not her, what else do we discuss in this thread?

[RobMRobM]

Can I get thoughts of the group on a non-Dormer issue? I don't recall seeing any casting discussion of Jojen and Meera, who are critical to Bran's arc and really needs to be amped up in S2. Any confirmation that they will be cast? Despite the great S1, the Blackfish experience makes me wary.

Rob

[mr. peasant]

Can I get thoughts of the group on a non-Dormer issue? I don't recall seeing any casting discussion of Jojen and Meera, who are critical to Bran's arc and really needs to be amped up in S2. Any confirmation that they will be cast? Despite the great S1, the Blackfish experience makes me wary.

Rob

It's entirely possible that Osha might replace the Reeds (with Rickon being taken by someone else) since she's being played by someone who isn't a complete unknown (Natalia Tena).

[They_China_Food]

It's entirely possible that Osha might replace the Reeds (with Rickon being taken by someone else) since she's being played by someone who isn't a complete unknown (Natalia Tena).

This of course is complete speculation. Not saying you're wrong, but we have nothing to base this on.

There are a ton of roles that we haven't heard about casting yet. That doesn't mean they aren't being cast.

After all, we heard about Season One roles very late; long after many decided this character wouldn't appear (Shagga, Greatjon, Walder Frey, etc.).