# Are There Parts You Wanted To See A Different Actor Play? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032 "2004-03-13T04:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/41 "2004-03-14T15:01:09Z")
I wanted Colin Farrell to get the role of Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter movie. The fellow they did pick doesn’t look remotely like the mental image I got from the books, not to mention he’s _doesn’t_ look young and world-weary like is mentioned in HP:PoA. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/42 "2004-03-14T15:05:39Z")
Tim Roth should really really be Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter movies. (I recently read that Roth was originally slated to play Severus Snape, but bowed out and the role went to their second choice, Alan Rickman.) I don’t know much about the actor, David Thewlis, who IS playing Lupin in the forthcoming movie, but he’s gonna have to be pretty darn good to shake my conviction that Roth would have been perfect. Similarly, the role of Ludo Bagman in the fourth Harry Potter movie should be played by Eddie Izzard. They’ve apparently cast an Australian actor named Martin Landham, but the movie doesn’t start filming for another month, so I’m hoping that someone in casting slaps himself upside the head and says, “NO!! IZZARD! THAT’S who we need!!” ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/43 "2004-03-14T15:06:42Z")
**elfkin** - that was probably the most bizarre simulpost that’s ever happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/44 "2004-03-14T16:31:16Z")
This has been bothering me since the first time I saw _Pulp Fiction_: the part that Tarantino played, Jimmy, should have been played by Steve Buscemi. Instead, Tarantino gave an overly mannered, unconvincing, and downright annoying performance where he never looked anyone and seemed to be playing himself. Buscemi, who was in the movie for 15 seconds as a surly waiter, could have mined that role for smart-ass comic wonderfulness. JMO. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/45 "2004-03-14T16:34:36Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > This has been bothering me since the first time I saw _Pulp Fiction_: the part that Tarantino played, Jimmy, should have been played by Steve Buscemi. Instead, Tarantino gave an overly mannered, unconvincing, and downright annoying performance where he never looked anyone and seemed to be playing himself. Buscemi, who was in the movie for 15 seconds as a surly waiter, could have mined that role for smart-ass comic wonderfulness. JMO. But Buscemi was actually playing Mister Pink (from Reservoir Dogs) as the surly waiter! ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/46 "2004-03-14T17:22:27Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I – and many others, I think – would have given the role of Lestat in “Interview With The Vampire” to Julian Sands. “Warlock” Julian Sands? Good lord. He was already in at least one bad vampire movie. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/47 "2004-03-14T17:57:04Z")
Anyone other than Minnie Driver in _An Ideal Husband_. Anyone other than Meg Tilly in _Valmont_. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/48 "2004-03-14T20:21:25Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Tim Roth should really really be Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter movies. (I recently read that Roth was originally slated to play Severus Snape, but bowed out and the role went to their second choice, Alan Rickman.) I don’t know much about the actor, David Thewlis, who IS playing Lupin in the forthcoming movie, but he’s gonna have to be pretty darn good to shake my conviction that Roth would have been perfect. > > Similarly, the role of Ludo Bagman in the fourth Harry Potter movie should be played by Eddie Izzard. They’ve apparently cast an Australian actor named Martin Landham, but the movie doesn’t start filming for another month, so I’m hoping that someone in casting slaps himself upside the head and says, “NO!! IZZARD! THAT’S who we need!!” Interesting. I actually pictured Eddie Izzard as Lupin. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/49 "2004-03-14T21:01:34Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > But Buscemi was actually playing Mister Pink (from Reservoir Dogs) as the surly waiter! Really? I never thought of that, I just thought he was a random waiter! In that case, it’s absolutely genius, concidering mr Pink’s anti-tipping rant in Reservoir dogs. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/50 "2004-03-14T22:28:43Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > Interesting. I actually pictured Eddie Izzard as Lupin. Naaah. Lupin’s the quiet type, whereas Bagman is jovial, a former star athlete, a high roller, and an all-around bouncy guy. In other words, he’s Eddie Izzard. I first thought of Roth as Lupin when I saw him in the movie The Legend of 1900. Really good little oddity of a film. ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/51 "2004-03-15T02:08:43Z")
> [@Legolamb](#): > > Anyone other than Tom Cruise in every movie Tom Cruise has made. Except _Legend_. > > I’ll probably get booed out of the thread for this one, but I can’t help thinking that Sean Bean would have made a better Aragorn than Viggo Mortensen. Of course that would mean re-casting Boromir too, and I’m pretty sure Viggo wouldn’t have been convincing in that role either. I like Mortenson as Aragorn… but console yourself with the fact that the role could have gone to Stuart Townsend. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/52 "2004-03-15T14:41:44Z")
Swap out Linda Fiorentino with Janeane Garofalo in **Dogma**. Linda F. was neither believable nor pleasing in that role. Whereas Garofalo was great in the…what, three minutes of screen time she was given? Actually, I’m not the only one that wishes this had been done. Kevin Smith himself has said on occasion that he wished he’d done exactly that. Also, put the guys from Mr. Show in more movies. I absolutely love Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/53 "2004-03-15T15:50:41Z")
I think Val Kilmer is generally brilliant at everything he does (check out _Wonderland_ for a terrific performance by him), though I’ve heard he’s difficult to work with, which could explain his bad reputation. (Yeah, I know his cousin posts here, but I can’t remember who it is. **iampunha** maybe?) Odd, but I just went and checked on my DVD collection to see if I can find any parts I thought other actors would’ve been better at, and I couldn’t think of a one. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/54 "2004-03-15T18:05:18Z")
I thought Chris O’Donnell was a poor choice to play Robin in the 1997 _Batman and Robin_ – just because he was too **old.** I’m sorry, but I’m a purist, I think such adaptations should be as faithful as possible to the storyline of the comic. Robin is not the **young adult** wonder. Robin is not the **teenage** wonder. Robin is the **boy** wonder. Make all the NAMBLA jokes you like, but when Robin first hooks up with Batman, he should be no older than **twelve!** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/55 "2004-03-15T18:14:02Z")
Of course, that (a 12-year-old) Robin can’t be done in a modern movie. People would say: “Wait a minute. Bruce Wayne is Dick Grayson’s **guardian** – responsible like a father for the kid’s health and safety – and he’s going to take him along on adventures where people will try to **kill** him?” But nobody raised that objection when Robin the Boy Wonder first appeared in 1940. Not only that, but Robin gave rise to imitators. Captain America had Bucky, the Human Torch had Toro – and nobody seemed to mind the obvious fact that “sidekick to superhero” is much too dangerous a job for a minor child. How our culture has changed! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/56 "2004-03-15T20:35:07Z")
Somewhat esoteric, since it’s not a movie. I love George Bernard Shaw’s **St. Joan** (although I’m not that fond of the Richard Widmark film they made of it). I’ve seen it on stage several times. At one performance they had pictures from previous plays about Joan of Arc, and I saw that Boris Karloff played the Head Inquisitor in a performance of Jean Anouilh’s **The Lark** ( **l’Alouette** ). I would’ve **lloved** to have seen Karloff take that role in the Shaw play. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032/57 "2004-03-16T01:27:13Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Of course, that (a 12-year-old) Robin can’t be done in a modern movie. People would say: “Wait a minute. Bruce Wayne is Dick Grayson’s **guardian** – responsible like a father for the kid’s health and safety – and he’s going to take him along on adventures where people will try to **kill** him?” > > But nobody raised that objection when Robin the Boy Wonder first appeared in 1940. Not only that, but Robin gave rise to imitators. Captain America had Bucky, the Human Torch had Toro – and nobody seemed to mind the obvious fact that “sidekick to superhero” is much too dangerous a job for a minor child. How our culture has changed! Well, back in the 40s, when these characters were introduced, comics were written ONLY for kid readers, as opposed to today, when the audience is much older (with very few kids at all still reading comics). Kid and teen sidekicks were used so the younger readers could have characters to identify with, but by today’s standards, superheroes having youthful sidekicks seems WEIRD as well as dated and unnecessary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-parts-you-wanted-to-see-a-different-actor-play/234032.md?page=2)