So, American Gods has been given a multi-season commitment from HBO. I don’t think it’s going to be fanatically close to the book- I don’t see how you could even get several seasons out of the novel- but surely some of the characters will be the same.
So, if you’ve read the book, who would you cast as the characters? If not, cast mythological beings in general.
Caveat for those who haven’t read the book: open spoilers are allowed.
My dream cast:
Kenneth Branagh as Mr. Wednesday/Odin
Giancarlo Espositoas Mr. Jacquel/Anubis
Mel Brooks as Hinzelmann
Ed Asner as Czernobog
Michael Cera as Internet (or Computer in the novel)
Saw this today:
Lance Reddick as Mr. Nancy
Sasha Baron Cohen as Mr. Jaquel
Jessica Chastain as Zorya Utrennyaya (the Morning Star)
Lupita Nyong’o as Zorya Polunochnaya (the Midnight Star)
Frieda Pinto as Zorya Vechernyaya (the Evening Star)
Andrew Scott as the leprechaun king (been a while since I’ve read the book, so I forget the exact character)
And
Anthony Hopkins as Mr. Wednesday
Tom Hiddleson as Low-Key Lyesmith
Familiar roles for them.
Who’s a good Shadow?
ETA: I guess I should add this is their fantasy casting to be clear
It would be a terrible, terrible mistake to recycle the castings from Thor. The characters are completely different-- They might be based on the same Norse gods, but the personalities are nothing at all alike.
And Sasha Baron Cohen, as anything at all in this story? No. Just, no.
Mr Nancy has to be Lenny Henry.
Tom Hiddleston might make a good Shadow
Actually, I could see Andrew Scott as Low-Key based on his Moriarty in Sherlock, but I haven’t read the book in a long time so I’m hazy on the character’s portrayal in the book.
I will steal a crazy suggestion I read elsewhere: Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, as Shadow.
Just think about it for a while before you dismiss it.
I think it’s funny how everyone is suggesting British actors to play gods in a story called “American Gods”.
Personally, It’s too bad Gene Hackman has retired. He’d make a perfect Wednesday. So would the late Jerry Orbach. Maybe Harvey Keitel?
Except Anthony Hopkins is more than capable of playing a different type of Odin. Odin himself took many guises.
Well, Shadow is supposed to be multiracial, or at least of undetermined race with a dark complexion.
How about Wentworth Miller?
And good old Christoph Waltz for Odin. He’d probably love the role.
Every single one of the gods is supposed to be an immigrant, I seem to remember.
That…is not bad.
I agree that Hopkins and Hiddleston should be excluded. Too much baggage for the role. Sure, they could play the parts differently, but it would still be very distracting, and would tie together two very different unrelated fantasy universes.
I don’t think Hackman retired so much as , “No one has called me.”
How about Vin Diesel?
I seem to remember Gaiman saying (well, writing) that he intended Mr Wednesday and Shadow Moon to be African American.
In a sense, I think. They’re the immigrants version of them in America, aren’t they?. IIRC, the Norse Odin says of Mr.Wednesday “He is me, but I am not him.”
Wentworth Miller for Shadow gets my vote. Or…whoever the guy was that played his brother on Prison Break.
Aren’t all Americans immigrants, when you come right down to it? And isn’t that the whole point of the book?
Hmm. I am really liking that. I can totally seeing him as both a god and a grifter.
Anansi Boys is also in development. Morgan Freeman is just a tad too old to be the perfect Anansi. I wonder how Samuel Jackson would do; it’s a departure from his usual shtick, but he has presence and I think he’s less one note than he just keeps getting cast as loud-angry-scary-black-guy all the time and is capable of more. (Eddie Murphy is too old for Fat Charlie and too young for Anansi.)
