How the TV series affected your perception of the characters' physical appearance?

[Lady of Long Lake]

I had an image in my mind of Jon. A boy with longish hair and melancholy eyes- a poet/artistic-looking fella with a sad/angry look about him.

Well, Kit has the sad eyes but the rest of him is nothing like I expected. With that hair and those lips, he's one of the best looking and sexiest men I've ever seen and that's disconcerting because I feel motherly towards him LOL!

Dany was a letdown for me because I had a vision of a lass that looked more unique to me. Do you know the model Kate Moss that was popular a few years ago? That was how I imagined Dany, with sharp features and unusually animalistic eyes and cheekbones. Emilia is pretty of course!! but in a California surfer-girl kind of way. I expected a more refined look for the Targ princess.

All the rest fit perfectly with my mind's vision of them. Robert, Jaime, Bran, Arya are my favorite castings.

[Richard Rivers]

My meh's:

Asha: I agree with a lot of folks on here about Asha, I did not picture her at all how she appears in the TV. And I like the actress in the TV, I think she does an ok job, but I pictured her much differently.

Stannis and Renly: I think the actors do a great job with the characters, but its not how I pictured either of them.

Jaqen: Not how I pictured him either, but good job too.

Mel: I straight up pictured her more attractive, like almost otherworldly.

Right ons:

Starks: I think the did a good job with all of them.

Robert: Great job

Gendry: He is more in line with how I thought Renly would look like, because he does look like he could be a young Robert.

Cersei and Jaime: Perfect

GreatJon: Awesome

Improvements:

Illyrio: in the books he is represented as probably an unworkable character for real life, so I like what the did.

Littlefinger: actor who plays him looks the part

Jorah: I think the did an awesome job in casting for Jorah.

[Matthew Marzolf]

Some were almost spot on to my mental picture like Lord Commander Mormont. Most not so much though. I imagined Cat to look a LOT younger and wasn't she blonde? Granted, she had 5 kids so she probably SHOULD look more used up than my initial mental picture. Ned I imagined far grimmer looking. Dark haired and stoic. Robert Baratheon definitely seemed to portly and jovial in the show. True, he'd gone to fat and indolence in the book but he was once a towering & terrifying warrior, strong enough to smash an armored man's chest in. He just didn't seem like he'd ever intimidated anything other than a sandwich in the show. Stannis they close for me. My mental picture of Stannis was almost a dead ringer for Psycho 2 era Anthony Perkins. Khal Drogo I imagined more North American Indian than what he was. Did he even have bells in his hair either? Asha I imagined much more beautiful, considering Theon was all over her from the get go in the book. But then, anything would look awesome after the girl on the boat. Theon - never a mental picture for some reason. Bran and Sansa we're close to my mental image of them.

[Artemis]

How I envisioned Jon Snow is absolutely nothing like the Jon Snow (Kit Harington) portrayed on TV. I was a bit peeved, actually. Yes the actor is attractive and everything but he seems to have the emotional range of a slug.

Prince Joffrey was also nothing what I had thought him to look like.

Oh well, with that said, I do enjoy the show.

[RhaenysBee]

I watched Season 1, then read all the books and then Season 2 was out and watched that too.

So first season people are perfectly fine with me. Jack Gleeson, Harry Lloyd, Jason Momoa, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Nikolaj Coster-Waldeu, Aidan Gillen, Conleth Hill and Mark Addy are THE PERFECT CHOICES. The rest are fine too, except for Kit Harington maybe, who is just a dreadful actor (and not even good looking) I think and spoils all the better moments of Jon Snow. Minor characters, such as Sibel Kekilli (Shae), John Bradley (Sam) and Amrita Acharia (Irri), Natalia Tena (Osha) and the actors playing Lysa Arryn and Syrio Forel are also perfect. Alfie Allen is a little odd for me, and Ian Glenn is a great actor but show-Jorah is nothing like book-Jorah. I really like show-Jorah while book-Jorah is just a pain in the ass.

Season 2 was funny, because I was really really excited about the casting. I had serious problems with Natalie Dormer as Margaery, but that woman is such a damn great actress Margaery turned out perfectly. I really liked Carice Van Houten as Melisandre from the start and though he doesn't look as I imagined him, Salladhor Saan is just perfection too. Mathos Seaworth is a pain in the ass, but the guy playing him looks like Liam Cunningham. Who is an awful Davos, by the way. Too old and too... goodness, that ACCENT (and I'm not even a native speaker). Stannis is horrible, Oona Chaplin is good, Pyat Pree is great and Xaro is passable.

[Royce Bolton]

I think the best casting, although it was a small role, related to the image in my mind was/is Walder Frey (David Bradley). Perfect. His scene was one of the highlights of the year for me. Looking forward to seeing him again, kind of.

[Faint]

The only character that has changed at all in my mind has been Brienne and that's mostly because I have always had trouble envisioning her. Everyone else remains the same. I don't think anybody, for example, will ever make a better Cersei Lannister than Charlize Theron, who I have always pictured in my mind when I read the character.

[The Last Direwolf]

Arya changed a lot. I imagined her as quite plain, but she's not.

Daenerys and Margaery I imagined as a lot younger, but now cannot imagine them being younger than 20. It's quite irritating, as Sansa, Dany and Margaery are meant to be around about the same age, but Sansa's still in her early teens on TV whilst the other two are quite old.

[lojzelote]

I've "adopted" the looks of Littlefinger, Viserys, Tyrion, Bran, Melisandre, and Joffrey. The actors were perfect for the roles, imo.

I didn't like their version of Dany, Ned, Jon, and Cersei. I don't get how it is possible that they can't afford buy decent wigs.

The Targaryen hair on the show are terrible (I confess I liked it on Viserys) It is pure white. The Targaryens aren't albinos, for god's sake. In my mind they always looked like the wigs Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom wore in LotR, or the one which Jason Isaacs had in Harry Potter. Dany is also supposed to be small and fragile looking, which Emilia Clarke certainly isn't. I can forgive the eye colour.

Sean Bean is a good actor, but they should have dyed his hair. Kit Harrington doesn't look like Book!Jon at all. In my mind, he's always been similar to a younger version of Show!Benjen.That is the Stark look. I hope nobody at the show will ever say something about physical resemblance of Ned and Jon, because it would be just laughable. Lena Heady is excellent as Cersei when it comes to acting, but, again, the wig . . . Although I think it improved in S2. I imagine Cersei as Charlize Theron, too.

[erolyn]

I watched season 1 of the show before I read the books, so I mostly pictured characters as their show counterparts in the beginning, and mostly still do.

Jorah and Tyrion are obviously the biggest changes. I kind of have a hybrid of Iain Glen and bookJorah in my head, and it shifts back and forth. Mostly bookJorah, especially in ADWD. But I always picture Dinklage as Tyrion. Maybe it's wrong, but I love him too much not to.

I have a hard time picturing Emilia Clarke when I read Dany's chapters...not sure why.

I had imagined Ygritte looking very different from Rose Leslie, but I like her better in the show so now I picture her instead.

Margarey confuses me. I had a hard time picturing her in the books, but I don't think Natalie Dormer is quite right either. So I guess I just see her as an animate mannequin, or something. :dunno:

[Rinso]

Generally, nobody in the show looks like I imagine them and I'm purposefully maintaining my own mental pictures.

The only exceptions are Tyrion, Robert and Viserys - I imagine their faces and hear their voices when I read the books now. But then again, Robert and Viserys were pretty close matches to their book descriptions so...

[Perogo]

For me, the most spot on in both appearance and performance are: Varys (seriously, the most perfect casting on the show. Conleth Hill is a god.), Littlefinger, Tywin (despite lack of mutton chops), and Arya. Hon mentions: Greatjon, LC Mormont, Ser Barristan, Davos, Sansa, Sandor.

Those who remain distinct in my mind, despite liking their TV performances: Stannis (I, too, picture him bald, with a dark shadowy beard and a perpetual foul look on his face. Dillane is great, though.), Ser Jorah (again, supposed to be more brutish looking), Jaqen, Theon, Jaime, Roose (though the jury is still out on his performance, but a good start).

Those who have supplanted my mental image because the TV version was better: Catalyn, Tyrion, Hodor (Hodor.), Osha.

And there are only a few whose casting I take issue with. I was disappointed not in the casting, but the characterization of Sallador Saan. I imagined him as far more eccentric and "foreign". The new Gregor Clegane is inexcusably bad, IMO.

[Tony Soprano]

I watched Season 1 before I read AGoT, so most of the characters allredy burrowed their way into my imagination. I always imagined Sean Bean as Ned, Lena Heady as Cersei, NCW as Jaime etc.

But I read ACoK before Season 2 aired, so here are my thoughts:

Balon Greyjoy was taken right out of my head. Exactly how I imagined he should look like.

I didn't like TV " Yara " . First of all because of the name change. And I knew she wasn't supposed to look like a model, but I never imagined she would be as unattractive as she is on the show.

Liam Cunningham is a great Davos. I imagined him a bit younger, but the TV version is way better than what I had in my head.

Stephane Dillane is also a good Stannis. When I was reading ACoK, I imagined Mark Strong as Stannis. Raspy voice, bald head... pretty much like Blackwood from Sherlock Holmes.

I didn't have a real mental picture of Roose. Every time he showed up, I imagined him looking differently. TV Roose is great, and he'll be in my head next time I read ASoIaF.

[bloodymime]

I had an image in my mind of Jon. A boy with longish hair and melancholy eyes- a poet/artistic-looking fella with a sad/angry look about him.

Well, Kit has the sad eyes but the rest of him is nothing like I expected. With that hair and those lips, he's one of the best looking and sexiest men I've ever seen and that's disconcerting because I feel motherly towards him LOL!

Dany was a letdown for me because I had a vision of a lass that looked more unique to me. Do you know the model Kate Moss that was popular a few years ago? That was how I imagined Dany, with sharp features and unusually animalistic eyes and cheekbones. Emilia is pretty of course!! but in a California surfer-girl kind of way. I expected a more refined look for the Targ princess.

All the rest fit perfectly with my mind's vision of them. Robert, Jaime, Bran, Arya are my favorite castings.

Somehow when I first started reading these books I got this comparison locked in my head of Ned and Jon to Benedict from Amber. Needless to say it was jarring to see Sean Bean and the kid that plays Jon.

[The Spear of the Night]

Perfect:

Tyrion, Dany, Sansa, Ned, Brienne, Balon, Varys, Drogo

Different:

Jorah, Margeary, Stannis, Robert, Littlefinger, Dollorous Edd, Tommen,

Bad:

Crastor, Renly, Yara/Asha, 2nd season Gregor, Qhorin

[Lady Lea]

I started watching the TV show before I read the books. By the third episode I had finished AGOT. Some characters like Ned, Robb, Arya, Bran, Drogo, Margaery, Gendry, I picture the same as the actors, because I think they fit perfectly.

But I imagine Tyrion uglier, I think Peter Dinklage is quite handsome, and in my mind Tyrion is really fugly and noseless. Also, as much as I love Rory McCann and Jack Gleeson, I picture Sandor as younger (late 20s), taller and more muscular, a leaner body and an uglier face. And more burns! I also picture Joffrey as more conventionally beautiful.

I can't picture Jorah as anyone but Iain Glen though, I know he's supposed to be hairy and not as hot as Glen but oh well.

The Asha in my mind is taller and leaner, I guess, I love the actress and what she's doing but she's just not really how I pictured her.

The Dany in my mind is waaaaaaayyyy younger than Emilia. lol and less dramatic maybe.

I always pictured Melisandre as hotter than the actress they chose. I dunno, she's nice but not sultry.

I pictured Cersei as prettier (I think Lena is gorgeous but the blond wig just doesn't work for her - she has a hard beauty). And also Sansa... although she seems to be growing into her looks now I guess

Also I never thought Jaqen would be that hot! Now I see the actor as Jaqen when I read the books. And I hate the casting of Jon, Kit always has such greasy hair, but now he's the Jon I picture :(

[Lady of Shalott]

Most of the cast looks pretty similar to how I imagined them, with a few exceptions...

- Jorah. Thing is, I watched Season 2 of Downton Abbey before ever watching GoT, so I keep seeing him as Mary's evil/blackmailing fiancee. And Iain Glen is just way too hot to play Jorah. I guess everyone must be wondering why Dany can't bring herself to think of him "that way"(whereas in the books, he's not exactly attractive so it makes senses.)

- Dany. Emilia Clarke is pretty, but in the very down-to-earth sort of way; I pictured Dany as more ethereal - paler (seriously, her "california girl" tan couldn't look more unnatural with the hair color), more fragile, overall more of a classic medieval beauty (white skin and golden/silver hair, yadda yadda - kind of a smaller Galadriel) as opposed to a modern Hollywood starlet.

- Maergery. The actress is just Anne Boleyn all over again, and too adult for the part. I'm not convinced.

(I didn't like Sophie Turner at first, but really warmed up to her later on. Now she's one of my favorite actors in the show.)

[Elder Sister]

I started reading the books before I saw season one, and until I saw Sean Bean in the role, I always had an issue with Ned Stark. He seemed sort of 'wooden' in the books, but S. Bean brought some humanity to him that is easily recognizable now that I go back and re-read some chapters.

The cast is one of the things that I think the show has gotten right. I think Margaery Tyrell actress is a bit old for the part, but she does such a great job that I don't care. The Hound and Tyrion are better looking than they 'should' be, but hey, this is the movies, and being a red-blooded feeeemale, I'm not complaining. :D

Love, love, love, Maisie Williams and Charles Dance. Tywin is way more likeable on the show than in the books.

[bloodymime]

I always pictured Melisandre as hotter than the actress they chose. I dunno, she's nice but not sultry.

Just looking at people in the show. When Shae appeared in season one my first thought was what a mistake having her as Shae she should be playing Melisandre. There's just more of an exotic look to her giving that feel of a far off land.

[TheKingofSkagos]

Perfect: Dany, Varys, Arya, Robert Tywin Tyrion Cersei Commander Mormont Joffrey

Meh: Littlefinger Sansa Catelyn Jon Rob Jamie Bran Renly Sam Loras

Bad: Shae Asha Theon Brienne Margaery

Varys is just as I imagined him in the books to a T.