Is it okay to discuss casting for the HBO series?

[Boaz]

Rutger needs to shave his head though... how will the intense Mr. Hauer appear with shorn locks?

I also have had some more thoughts on casting...

How about Mindy Sterling as Lysa Arryn? You may recall her as Frau Farbissina from the Austin Powers movies, but she can do more than comedy.

You remember James Cromwell? He's one of my favorite actors and I think he could really be Lord Walder Frey.

Richard Briers could nail the aged, yet revered Grand Maester Pycelle.

[Rahl Windsong]

This is, without a doubt, the best of news and with GRRM on the project I can not see how it will fail.

[devilsgrin]

I like James Cromwell as Lord Frey... great choice Boaz

[Commonmind]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

Hmm, there are a ton of good suggestions. Here would be mine...

Ned Stark - Gerard Butler: Gerard Butler (granted Gerard isn't a superstar actor, but he has a certain presence and I believe he could definitely pull off Ned's character convincingly)

Catelyn - Lena Heady: Lena Headey (ironically, as I was looking for these guys and gals on imdb I came to realize that Gerard and Lena play husband and wife in the upcoming 300. If anyone has seen the Brothers Grimm {not the greatest piece of cinema} then you'll probably remember Lena, great actress and she has a very matronly beauty)

Lysa Tully - Monica Bellucci: Monica Bellucci (I think a perfect match to Lena, also the mirror queen in the Brothers Grimm)

The Hound - Rufus Sewell: Rufus Sewell (anyone that has seen Dark City, the Illusionist, a Knight's Tale, Bless the Child or any other of Rufus's work knows he has the dynamic, menacing, subtle yet controlled malice needed to play the Hound, great actor)

Bronn - Daniel Craig: Daniel Craig (I) (nothing much to say here, loved him in Munich and Casino Royale, has the right attitude to do Bronn justice)

Cersei Lannister - Cate Blanchett: Cate Blanchett (not much to say here either, The Lord of the Rings, Babel, The Aviator, she has that regal countenance Cersei's character needs and although I personally do not find her attractive, I know quite a few others do find her quite beautiful)

Jaime Lannister - Thomas Jane Thomas Jane (women find him attractive, which Jaime is described as being, but also has that cynical humor that would work well for Jaime)

Tywin Lannister - I don't see Patrick Stewart as Tywin, who I find to have this presence about him that is intimidating and commanding. Patrick Stewart is a fine actor, and I personally am a big fan. However, I see Patrick Stewart as the Old Bear and Tywin Lannister being played by - Scott Glen: Scott Glenn (take a look at a few of his pics, imagine him as described in the books, I think you'll agree. Put the chops on him, shave his hair, put him into armor...)

Jorah Mormount - Ralph Fiennes: Ralph Fiennes (great actor, at his age (44) he is extremely fit, as sir Jorah is explained to be. He also has that very stoic grace and if anyone has seen Red Dragon they remember how easily he could change his tone of character)

Ser Loras - Edward Speleers: Edward Speleers (Played Eragon, my wife tells me he's extremely attractive and he is young)

Tyrion Lannister - Peter Dinklage: Peter Dinklage (There is just no question here, not only does he look the part, but he's actually a good actor and could portray that smart-assed charm that makes Tyrion so lovable)

Gregor Clegane - I think Kane would be a poor choice here, only because I don't imagine Gregor as being a simple-minded brute and that's how Kane comes off to me. Of course, there aren't many actors that would fit the bill when it comes to size and stature, so it's difficult to choose anyone but an athelete of some sort, especially a wrestler. My choice, would definitely be Mark Callaway (a.k.a the Undertaker) I know, I know, another wrestler. But let me say I'm not a wrestling fan, although I have seen quite a bit of it through the years, and in my opinion Mark is more menacing in every way, and has a very intimidating presence that would fit the part well.

http://www.lacoctelera.com/myfiles/q...terrador01.jpg

http://thegypsylife.com/grumpy.jpg

Ilyne Payne - Jason Isaacs: Jason Isaacs (just a perfect choice here, if you've seen him you might agree)

King Joffrey - Thomas Felton: Tom Felton (plays Jason Isaacs son in one of the Harry Potter movies, I think he has the ability to pull off Joff's role flawlessly. I hated him in Harry Potter, and I could hate him in ASoIaF the series, lol)

Brienne - Belinda McClory: Belinda McClory (you'll remember her as switch from the Matrix film, she is a bit more gaunt then Brienne is explained as being, but with some padding and a bit of armor she would be perfect. I think she could pull off her attitude perfectly)

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/20...b__430x311.jpg

Jon Snow, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Dany, Bran, Rickard and a few more of the younger characters I couldn't begin to put actors/actresses to. I am simply not familiar with enough younger actors and actresses. They are all extremely important to the story, and characters like Jon and Arya, whom have quite a few fans, will be hard to cast.

I have more but I'm running out of time and have to get going.

I've seen Eragon and I take back my Speelers suggestion; a bit too green for my tastes. Although he does look the part.

[Commonmind]

And great suggestions Boaz.

[Centurion]

James Purefoy, Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, and Polly Walker absolutely must be in the ASOIAF HBO series, they were born for some of the characters in the book!

James Purefoy= Oberyn Martell
Kevin McKidd= Ned Stark
Ray Steventon= An Umber or any of the other bigger men (apart from The Mountain)
And Polly Walker would have been ideal for Cersei several years ago, but i'm sure she could play someone else..

[Boaz]

Commonmind, I've now seen 300 and I now know who Gerard Butler is. On the one hand, he'd be a very good Eddard and having a hot star die in the firest season would be a great shock for most viewers. But I'd also like to see him around for a while... and so I think he'd do well as Jorah, Victarion, Mance, Stannis, or Euron. He's a bit young, but I think he'd be great as Barristan the Bold.

By the way, has anyone ever done any casting? For a school play or local theatre? I know it's easy for me to sit here as an amateur and a fan and just contemplate choices, but if any of you have practical experience in casting would you mind pontificating of the processes, problems, and goals of casting? Thanks.

Edit:

I just looked at IMDB (Internet Movie Database) and HBO's ASOIAF production has just been updated. Some major stars are either penciled in or perhaps signed on for the show. Looks like it's gonna be mixed accents! Americans, Brits, Aussies... oh boy!

I've just included the most notable... you can go check out the rest for yourself.

Eddard Stark - Viggo Mortensen

Jon Stark - Daniel Radcliffe

Samwell Tarly - Harry Melling

Cersei Baratheon - Gwynneth Paltrow

Jaime Lannister - Heath Ledger

Robert Baratheon - Brendan Gleeson

Danaerys - Emma Watson

Catelyn Stark - Natalie Portman

Jeor Mormont - Harrison Ford

Tywin Lannister - Colm Meaney

Pycelle - Richard Harris

Littlefinger - Jack Black

Sandor Clegane - Toby Keith

Olenna Tyrell - Angela Lansbury

Renly Baratheon - Joaquin Phoenix

Stannis Baratheon - Hugh Jackman

Brienne - Chyna

Varys - Robbie Coltrane

Roose Bolton - Sting

Khal Drogo - Vin Diesel

Taena Merryweather - Jessica Alba

Margaery Tyrell - Mischa Barton

Loras Tyrell - Chris Evans

Theon - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Viserys - Paul Walker

Rhaegar Targaryen - Tom Cruise

Lyanna Stark - Katie Holmes

What do you think?

My last comment is Happy April Fool's Day!

[Commonmind]

I never even thought of Mance. That's a great suggestion; he could definitely suit both roles as the two of them have similar character traits. Stannis I disagree with, however.

As for your casting question, one of the reasons I decided to pursue writing was being involved in theater in high-school. I had the honor of attending a school focused around its art programs, and rather than the usual pecking and berating that's done to the artsy-fartsy types the arts program was the most respected in school (in other words, being one of the "cool" kids, I didn't feel reluctant to attend theater classes; sounds vain, I know, but after you're a part of a crowd, it's not smart to disassociate yourself from them, especially during those prime years; phew, rant) So, anyway, my teacher, Mr. Carter, had actually had some experience in Hollywood, his only claim to big-screen fame being a small extra-part in King Kong Lives (he was irate because they wouldn't give him any speaking lines, and at the time that was a requirement for joining the SAG). Being a terrible actor myself but a pretty good artist, I joined the production team, and was a large part of casting the roles for several plays/musicals. I wouldn't consider this anything of great merit, but he taught me a lot about casting and how different individuals fill certain aspects of the roles, and which aspects are the most important.

Generally speaking, every one of the prospective cast does a series of scenes. Normally they will sometimes read for different roles at the request of the casting crew, to get a feel of how they portray other characters as well as the part they are trying to land. One of the biggest traits is the look and how the actor uses his body and expressions to bring the character to life. If it's unconvincing, you have nothing to work with. Saying lines with power and conviction won't save you from being passed over if you don't use your body to express yourself. Another trait is how the individual fits the character in the mind's eye of the entire crew. If there's a majority of individuals that find a particular actor fit for the part based on look alone, there's sometimes a good chance a few excuses can be made about their poor acting chops. When it comes down to casting for the Hollywood movies, Mr. Carter always made it well known that the actors' back-catalog was a large factor in their getting a particular part. Every actor, even the greatest of them, exudes a certain presence on-screen, and that's important when you're trying to pair an actor with a role. Hence, most of the suggestions I made above, were by majority based on what I've seen of those actors, and how they fit the part.

There are a plethora of things you want to look for, some of them menial and some quite significant. And, as you can probably assume, the process and traits people look for differ with the individuals selecting the cast. Myself, if I had the chops to work as a casting director, I'd pay attention more to how the actor fits the part based on his past works and what I and my associates thought about their appearance and how well they brought the character to life; you'd probably agree that, though Anthony Hopkins is a fantastic actor, he wouldn't suit the role of a Dothraki Bloodrider.

I'd like to state, that any of my experience is amateurish at best, and should be taken with at least four grains of salt.

[Commonmind]

You're terrible Boaz (but I could tell some of those were from the heart; Viggo and Joaquin aren't bad choices, if I don't say so myself)

[Boaz]

Commonmind, thanks for the feedback. I appreciate your comments on an actor's experience, suitability with the crew, and strong physical acting abilities playing major parts.

How much weight does chemistry between actors affect their getting parts? I've heard that Ted Danson and Shelly Long were not the first choices for the roles of Sam and Diane on Cheers. The first choices read together and had no chemistry, while Danson and Long were electric and thus were cast as a team and not individuals.

Say Drew Barrymore reads for the part of Cersei Baratheon, but is told by the director that she's not sexy enough. What then if Drew throws a fit and it dawns upon the director that Drew's unhinged anger is actually perfect for Lysa Arryn? Are actors recast/redirected to different roles from which they read?

How many actors sign contracts for multiple movies with a studio? Tom Cruise, yes. I'm certain Morgan Freeman (one of my absolute favorite actors) signed a contract back in the seventies that says he has to perform in two hundred movies before his contract is up... seriously, how else can you explain how he shines in Glory, Unforgiven, and Amistad, how he was nominated for Academy Awards for Street Smart, The Shawshank Redemption, and Driving Miss Daisy, how he won an Academy Award for Million Dollar Baby and yet has done real stinkers like Nurse Betty, Bonfire of the Vanities, Robin Hood, Chain Reaction, The Sum of All Fears, and Along Came a Spider? I think the studio has a lawyer chasing him saying, "You're doing this movie or we'll sue you for everything!" All that to say, how often does the studio tell a casting director whom to use?

Similar to the last question, how often do studios cast "hot" or "in" actors when they know darn well they have better actors sitting around? For instance Kate Winslett and Phillip Seymour Hoffman could have been cast in Into the Blue instead of Jessica Alba and Paul Walker. Winslett has been nominated for five Oscars and Hoffman has won one, but Into the Blue was about smokin' bods in bathing suits not about acting. Is casting for ASOIAF gonna be more about looks than acting?

I sometimes catch Inside the Actor's Studio. For those of you not in the States... James Lipton, Dean Emeritus of Actors Studio Drama School in New York City, interviews one actor on camera and in front of the school's student body. The shows been going for over a decade and everyone's been on it... Freeman, DeNiro, Streep, Hackman, Pacino, Foxx, Bacall, Damon, Jackman, Hoffman, Winslet, etc. It's pretty interesting, Lipton really does his homework... but the focus is on the actor's roles not the decision to hire the actor. I've never really wondered too much about casting before, but now I wanna know.

[Connavar]

James Purefoy, Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson are perfect for this show, Rome is the proof of that.


So is the show really coming or its only a lame rumor?

[Culhwch]

Oh, it's coming.

[Connavar]

Nice, i hope they make it very good.

[Weasel Soup]

Boaz, you have me laughing....

Gwynneth as Cersei... I was going oh my they're killing it, and then I kept reading and remembered who was posting.

*tips hat* good one, second best prank of the year to the airing of the new Aquateen Hunger Force movie.

And Jack Black as Littlefinger......
I might except Toby Keith as the Hound if we were actually allowed to burn him.

[Boaz]

You remembered who was posting... that's funny.

I must say I was semi-serious in suggesting Jack Black as Littlefinger. Petyr Baelish is short, dark complexioned, sarcastic, flippant, truculent, lecherous, greedy, sneaky, seemingly bored in public, and a back stabbing %&#@! Jack Black could really show off his dramatic abilities, if he has any. But then again, I'm not sure I want to see Littlefinger shirtless in every scene.

Also, don't you dare say anything bad about Toby Keith... he's one of my favorites. I like both kinds of music... Country and Western.