# Casting Call for Discworld **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901 "2015-02-05T16:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/1 "2015-02-05T16:22:31Z")
I know this has been done over on L-Space, but let’s do it here. So, you’ve been hired to be a casting director for a huge budget Hollywood production of a PTerry Discworld novel. Who would you cast for what role and why? Patrician Vetinari - I’d want someone who can do evil with elegance. Alan Rickman or Christopher Walken Commander Sam Vimes - He’s been around long enough to be tired of a lot of crap and has the scars to show it. Bruce Willis… maybe a 45 year old Clint Eastwood CMOT Dibbler - An incessant, annoying ultra salesman - A young Michael Palin. Ponder Stibbons - Daniel Radcliffe just looks the role. Too bad he probably wants nothing to do with another role where he’s a wizard. Rincewind - Eric Idle with track shoes. He can bring the right amount of humor to the role, I think. DEATH - John Cleese could carry it off. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/2 "2015-02-05T16:50:22Z")
We’ve done this a few times before, but it’s always fun, so here are mine (a partial list): **Patrician Vetinari - Hugh Laurie** Which leads me to… **Archchancellor Ridcully - Stephen Fry** Which in turn leads me to… \*\*Nobby Nobbs - Alan Davies \*\*and **Nanny Ogg - Jo Brand** And since we’re already on the BBC… **Moist von Lipwig - David Tennant** and \*\*Angua von Überwald - Karen Gillain. \*\* More to come when I think of them. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/3 "2015-02-05T17:00:56Z")
Captain Carrot – Brendan Fraser. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/4 "2015-02-05T20:02:28Z")
Carrot should be Chris Hemsworth, and I always see Vimes as more Gene Hackman than Clint Eastwood. BRIAN BLESSED was born to play Ridcully, and probably Sam Rockwell as Rincewind. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/5 "2015-02-05T20:14:48Z")
Granny Weatherwax – Judi Dench. Agnes “Perdita X” Nitt – hm . . . no, not Melissa McCarthy . . . actually, we should probably be searching the opera stage for this one . . . ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/6 "2015-02-05T21:19:31Z")
I believe Pterry 's choice for Vimes was Peter Postlethwaite as evidenced by the illustrations to \* Where’s My Cow ? \* ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/7 "2015-02-05T21:25:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Granny Weatherwax – Judi Dench. I always wanted Cloris Leachman for Granny Weatherwax. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/8 "2015-02-05T22:16:05Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > I always wanted Cloris Leachman for Granny Weatherwax. I guess she would be a better choice as far as body-type goes. Perhaps Dench could be Nanny Ogg. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/9 "2015-02-05T22:21:39Z")
Granny Ogg is round and jolly. I don’t really see Judi Dench playing her. Maybe she could play Lily Weatherwax. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/10 "2015-02-05T22:26:37Z")
> [@Damfino](#): > > I believe Pterry 's choice for Vimes was Peter Postlethwaite as evidenced by the illustrations to \* Where’s My Cow ? \* That’s gonna be a tad difficult. Might be some way to get him to play Albert, though. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/11 "2015-02-05T23:44:09Z")
While we’re on QI alumni, Bill Bailey should be the Bursar and Phil Jupitus the Dean. If Tennant is unavailable, Jimmy Carr would make a pretty good Moist: he has that motor-mouthed but slightly hunted bit down pat. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/12 "2015-02-06T00:08:41Z")
I always have Charles Dance in my head as Vetinari when I’m reading Discworld novels. I think he could pull off that “makes you uncomfortable just by looking at you” vibe. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/13 "2015-02-06T00:20:54Z")
I liked the Moist the [BBC casted](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219817/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_4), [Richard Coyle](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185404/?ref_=tt_cl_t1) made an excellent Moist. They have used Christopher Lee as the voice of Death and that cannot be improved. I love the idea of Cloris Leachman for Granny Weatherwax. Good call. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/14 "2015-02-06T00:36:19Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > Granny Ogg is round and jolly. I don’t really see Judi Dench playing her. > > Maybe she could play Lily Weatherwax. Nah, AIRI, Esme and Lily are identical twins. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/15 "2015-02-06T00:37:46Z")
Could Judi Dench play Sybil Ramkin Vimes? Or does it need someone bigger and taller? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/16 "2015-02-06T00:45:53Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Could Judi Dench play Sybil Ramkin Vimes? Or does it need someone bigger and taller? Sybil is a large lady by every description I can recall. Depending on which book this movie/series is starting with seem should be anywhere from mid 40s to early 50s. She should be on the tall side and look like she has lead an active life. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/17 "2015-02-06T01:01:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Nah, AIRI, Esme and Lily are identical twins. What? No, they’re not - Lily was older, but looked younger. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/18 "2015-02-06T01:05:35Z")
Catherine Tate may be a possibility for Sybil, she is 5’7" though a bigger actress would be better. Could Rosie O’Donnell convince anyone? She is probably close the correct body type. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/19 "2015-02-06T02:51:00Z")
I could see Helen Mirren as Granny Weatherwax too. I don’t think of Sybil as being particularly tall, but I don’t envision her as short either. Around 5’7" sounds right to me. I can’t see Rosie O’Donnell playing her, though. Lady Sybil has high class, even when she’s mucking out the dragon stable, and I don’t think Rosie is a good enough actress to do that. As for Rosie’s body type, close, but again, no. Maybe Terry Gilliam as Sgt Colon? Wallace Shawn as Nobby? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901/20 "2015-02-06T03:39:29Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > I always have Charles Dance in my head as Vetinari when I’m reading Discworld novels. > > I think he could pull off that “makes you uncomfortable just by looking at you” vibe. He was Vetinari in one of the British TV movies, and was perfect. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-call-for-discworld/711901.md?page=2)