# Cast the HBO Series: Under the Dome by Stephen King **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645 "2009-12-02T00:30:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/1 "2009-12-02T00:30:35Z")
POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR NEWLY PUBLISHED BOOK LIE AHEAD: Yes, it will be a 12-hour mini series on HBO, so every little nuance/tidbit/nugget will get in. Julia Shumway: Janeane Garafalo, if only because I want to see her head explode as she plays a conservative. šŸ˜› Rose Twitchell: Itā€™s already stated in the book she looks like Michelle Pfieffer, so weā€™ll give Steve-o a bone there. Dale Barabara: Thatā€™s a toughie. Do you think [Vincent Kartheiser](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0440229/) can pull it off? Colonel Cox: Iā€™ll pencil in F. Lee Ermey, but Iā€™m not married to that choice. Rennie: John Goodman, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/2 "2009-12-02T03:16:34Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > ā€¦weā€™ll give Steve-o a bone there. Are we going to help ourselves to his beer, too? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/3 "2009-12-02T13:59:18Z")
Sure, after I tell him how much money he makes on his stories. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/4 "2009-12-08T08:15:45Z")
Not done with the book yet but Big Jim canā€™t be played by anyone other than the dude who played ā€œSwerengenā€ in Deadwood. At work canā€™t look up his name. I donā€™t see how anyone else could play that character. John Goodman? Donā€™t see it. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/5 "2009-12-08T17:42:56Z")
I havenā€™t seen Deadwood, so I canā€™t make the comparison. But I like John Goodman, and I think he can play a villian with glee. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/6 "2009-12-30T13:32:23Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Julia Shumway: Janeane Garafalo, if only because I want to see her head explode as she plays a conservative. šŸ˜› I donā€™t know, Julia seems to be a Republican in name only. Or at least, I donā€™t remember her expressing any conservative (or liberal, for that matter) points of view. Honestly, Iā€™m not sure why it was even mentioned that she was a Republican, since it didnā€™t seem to have any bearing on the story at all. > [@ivylass](#): > > Rennie: John Goodman, of course. Do you really think he can pull it off, acting-wise, though? Iā€™m honestly asking, because the only things I ever saw him in were _Roseanne_ and _Arachnophobia_. (I know, I know, Iā€™m a horrible person for not having seen _The Big Lebowski_. I kind of want to, but just have never gotten around to it.) Physically, though, yeah, heā€™d fit the part. Iā€™ll post my choices tonight at work. Iā€™ve got to get to bed now. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/7 "2009-12-30T13:35:17Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Not done with the book yet but Big Jim canā€™t be played by anyone other than the dude who played ā€œSwerengenā€ in Deadwood. At work canā€™t look up his name. I donā€™t see how anyone else could play that character. Well, I think he might be a little too old. But if thatā€™s not a factor, Iā€™d kind of like to see a slightly younger Blair Brown as Julia Shumway. Okay, off to bed for real this time. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/8 "2010-01-06T23:59:16Z")
For Rennie, Iā€™m picturing the guy who played Maurice Minnifield on _Northern Exposure._ If heā€™s not too old by now. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/9 "2010-01-07T01:16:18Z")
I agree about John Goodman for Rennie. Heā€™s the only person I could imagine while I read the book. I kept thinking about him in channeling some of what he had in **O Brother Where Art Thou**. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/10 "2010-01-07T01:43:25Z")
> [@Neidhart](#): > > For Rennie, Iā€™m picturing the guy who played Maurice Minnifield on _Northern Exposure._ If heā€™s not too old by now. This is actually whom I imagined while reading the book, accent and everything. They could carry over his homophobia and everything! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/11 "2010-01-07T02:04:27Z")
John Goodman is a worthy contender, but how about Gary Busey? ---
**Author:** ![Blisters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Blisters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blisters)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/12 "2010-01-07T02:34:34Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > This is actually whom I imagined while reading the book, accent and everything. They could carry over his homophobia and everything! Funny, that is who I pictured as well (but I had to Google his name just nowā€¦and said ā€œYeah! that guy!ā€) ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/13 "2010-01-07T03:45:43Z")
Probably too old now, but Charles Durning. When I read the book, I pictured Rennie to be exactly like Pappy Oā€™Daniel from O Brother. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/14 "2010-01-19T21:31:26Z")
Yeah, Iā€™m late to the party, but everyone in my cube is reading this, so itā€™s on my mind. I settles on[Gregg Henry](http://us.vdc.imdb.com/name/nm0001344/) as Rennie early on, and he was perfect. On perusing his imdb page I see heā€™s been around for a while, but I knew him as the bad guy from The Riches. Heā€™d be perfect! John Goodmanā€™s too fat for Rennie, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/15 "2010-01-19T22:07:50Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > John Goodmanā€™s too fat for Rennie, I think. Too fat? I donā€™t think Goodman is fat enough to be Rennie. In the book he was described as being huge. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/16 "2010-01-19T22:10:58Z")
Junior has got to be played by Keiffer Sutherland. He may be a bit too old for the part, but makeup can help out. ---
**Author:** ![Mrblonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrblonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrblonde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/17 "2010-02-01T01:33:50Z")
Big Jim ā€¦ John Goodman Junior ā€¦ Ben Foster Barbie ā€¦ Jeffery Donnavan Rusty ā€¦ Jason Lee Julia ā€¦ Bebe Neworth Carter ā€¦ Jeremy Renner The Chef ā€¦ Clifton Collins Jr. Andy Sanders ā€¦ Matthew Frewer Cox ā€¦ Brian Cox Jackie ā€¦ Katey Sagal Linda ā€¦ Rachel Weisz Andrea ā€¦ Mimi Rogers Burpee ā€¦ Peter Stromare ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/18 "2010-02-21T00:16:42Z")
> [@Neidhart](#): > > For Rennie, Iā€™m picturing the guy who played Maurice Minnifield on _Northern Exposure._ If heā€™s not too old by now. I just finished the book a few hours ago, and that dude was **Big Jim Rennie** to me from his start to his end. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanTigerTamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@SuntanTigerTamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanTigerTamer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/19 "2010-02-21T07:46:40Z")
The Chef has to be either Gary Busey or the Brad Pitt that was in Snatch. ---
**Author:** ![jasonsh12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jasonsh12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonsh12)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645/20 "2010-03-03T15:57:43Z")
Lots of good ideas here. I like the idea of Aaron Ekhardt as Barbie. From the first page with Rennie, I always pictured Randy Quaid (think the prick he played in Brokeback Mountain). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-the-hbo-series-under-the-dome-by-stephen-king/519645.md?page=2)