Casting House Martell

[youdontsnowme]

Who would you guys cast for members of house Martell? I'll get the ball rolling...

The Royal Family of Dorne

Prince Doran Martell - Anthony Head

Princess Arianne Martell - Lucy Griffiths

Quentyn 'The Red Viper' Martell - James Purefoy

Oberyn Martell - Damien Molony

Ellaria Sand - Erin Cummings

The Sand Snakes

Obara Sand - Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Nymeria Sand - Katie McGrath

Tyene Sand - Tamsin Egerton

Sarella Sand - Anjali Jay

Alright guys, that's me. Your up.

[jons nissa]

imho, with the exception of obara and sarella, most of these examples aren't "dornish" enough. and sarella is described as more sothoros than dornish.

[CestWhat]

For perfidious yet seemingly pious Tyene Sand... how about Dominique McElligott?

[outdoorcats]

Only two replies? Where's Westeros.org's casting passion?

You will notice I'm looking at Arabic and Israeli actors in particular, as the Martells are described. Yes, Dorne has a healthy racial mix, but the Dayne's 'whiteness' is noted to set them apart from most Dornish.

The Red Viper - Alexander Siddig

No link necessary, we know this guy, he's a common suggestion for the Red Viper. Personally I would pick him for acting ability over physical description.John Hawkes doesn't look very threatening in person either, but has anyone seen him as 'Uncle Teardrop' in Winter's Bone? That's acting. Besides Siddig I don't take very many of the other most suggested actors very seriously, except for Mark Strong. And the guy just has, well...BOSS presence. The audience should know in his first scene that this is a big character, someone they should pay a lot of attention to. He has to be immediately interesting.

OR

Ali Suliman http://www.imdb.com/...53216/nm1846124

Ellaria Sand - Lubna Azabal

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0044073/

OR

Nadine Labaki

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1701024/

OR

Ronit Elkabetz

http://www.imdb.com/...87680/nm0253813

Ms. Azabal is absolutely my number one pick. She is extremely accomplished and has an incredible resume. She is the perfect age for Ellaria Sand, the bastard mistress of the Red Viper who has adult children with him but still his erotic object of affection.

Princess Arianne - Leïla Bekhti

http://www.imdb.com/...10464/nm1871951

Prince Doran - Sasson Gabai

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299924/

OR

Uri Gavriel

http://www.imdb.com/...10880/nm0310622

The young Quentyn Martell I imagine they will go scouring for a relative unknown for as they did for the Starks - same goes for his younger brother Trystane (and the younger Sand Snakes if we get those)

It's hard to cast the Sand Snakes because we don't know how many they will actually include. You just know there are going to be streamlined/composite characters so they don't have to pay all those actors. The only one who seems most certain above the others to be cast is Sarella Sand (or should I say Alleras? ;) ) - I have no suggestions for her at the moment.

Going outside the Martells, but Dornish roles in general, the same goes for Arianne's friends. Will they actually be included? Probably not, or combined into one or two composite characters. Thus the three other characters that will need to be cast for the Dornish storyline, assuming no major changes are made, are Areo Hotah, Gerold Dayne ('The Darkstar') and Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard. I'll get back to you on my suggestions for those later.

[One of Three]

Only two replies? Where's Westeros.org's casting passion?

I think there's about 4/5 threads on casting the Martells, that's probably so few have replied.

[outdoorcats]

Ah, my apologies. I am relatively new here!

[outdoorcats]

Ser Arys Oakheart - Tom Goodman-Hill

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0329259/

Gerold Dayne, The Darkstar - Stephen Campbell Moore

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1304386/

Isn't this guy just perfect?

I got stuck with Areo because I don't remember any physical descriptions of him at all, or any distinguishing psychological features either...so it's hard for me to picture him at all. Or rather I could potentially picture him as anyone. I'll have to re-read A Feast for Crows and get back to you on that one.

[Rhaenys Sand]

Why do people keep on casting Katie Mcgrath? Her acting skills rely on smirking and looking pretty, it's obvious that the Martells aren't caucasian looking...

[Arionis]

Why do people keep on casting Katie Mcgrath? Her acting skills reliy on smirking and looking pretty, it's obvious that the Martells aren't caucasian looking...

This.

[SerArthurHeath]

as much as I love Molony, the Dornish, as stated above, need to look more exotic (be that "Latino" or South Asian or Middle-Eastern or whatever) than your choices. Can see him as Arys Oakheart, or a Kettleblack or another Westeros knight though. And Leïla Bekhti looks like a good Arianne, can she act?

[gande51]

Why do people keep on casting Katie Mcgrath? Her acting skills rely on smirking and looking pretty, it's obvious that the Martells aren't caucasian looking...

Her acting is actually good if you've ever seen Labyrinth ;) but yes I agree on the Caucasian part ......

[lunadangelo]

Caucasian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Caucasian

[Rhaenys Sand]

Caucasian

http://en.wikipedia..../Caucasian_race

http://oxforddiction...glish/Caucasian

I think it's pretty obvious what we mean by caucasian without having to get into specifics, since it's generally used to describe people of white-european descent....

[Blutrabe]

I don't think the Martells should look too exotic. As long as they don't cast blond-haired people I'm fine.

I would love Jeremy Irons as Doran Martell. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000460/

[MrMacrofl]

In my mind, the Martells are white, with obvious 'sun kissed' 'bronzed' 'olive' (whatever you want to say) skin. The general Dornish population a mix. After having a look at each actor/actress from your list, i agree with some of these choices. In my mind they shouldn't be exotic at all.

I think that James Purefoy would be an excellent addition to the cast, although he is a little old for Quentyn.

Quentyn Martell - Tom McKay

Maybe Gemma Arterton for Ellaria?

[lunadangelo]

The reason I put those links there was to point out the varying interpretations of the term Caucasian. Unlike you, I believe that it does not simply denote white European decent. But even if one were to take your definition, that surely then still includes Spaniards, Greeks, Turks (some parts) and Italians, all of which are European yet often are describes as having tanned or olive skin and dark hair. Generalisations, I realise, but it is exactly those that I have a bit of an issue with.

[piratesswoop]

Tired of seeing the word "exotic" used around here to describe anyone with a drop of melanin in their skin tone.

[jons nissa]

In my mind, the Martells are white, with obvious 'sun kissed' 'bronzed' 'olive' (whatever you want to say) skin. The general Dornish population a mix. After having a look at each actor/actress from your list, i agree with some of these choices. In my mind they shouldn't be exotic at all.

I think that James Purefoy would be an excellent addition to the cast, although he is a little old for Quentyn.

Quentyn Martell - Tom McKay

Maybe Gemma Arterton for Ellaria?

you really should read their chapters again. especially when the author has gone to great lengths to show something very different from you've described.

Tired of seeing the word "exotic" used around here to describe anyone with a drop of melanin in their skin tone.

if you read MrMacrofl's post, you'll understand why that word is being thrown around here. it's clearly still a white world for many people and anything else is, "exotic".

[Bastard of Boston]

I am blinded by all the whiteness in here. A sun tan does not make someone olive-skinned.

[Sworn Shield]

Alexander Siddig would be perfect for a Martell.

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120525181821/merlin1/images/9/91/Alexander_Siddig_%288%29.jpg