# Ideal Roles For Actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649 "2012-12-31T08:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/1 "2012-12-31T08:10:23Z")
Inspired by this thread:[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=677281](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=677281) What are some roles you think are perfect for an actor or actress? Seeing Hal Holbrook in _Lincoln_ ( [http://d2om8tvz4lgco4.cloudfront.net/archive/x2112090098/g15e15e000000000000580f9d0f8f83587c112c47c6920383b98a289201.jpg](http://d2om8tvz4lgco4.cloudfront.net/archive/x2112090098/g15e15e000000000000580f9d0f8f83587c112c47c6920383b98a289201.jpg)), he so strongly resembled the late Ted Kennedy that I found his presence almost anachronistic in the film. ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/2 "2012-12-31T10:37:06Z")
I thought Kevin Spacey was perfect for Bobby Darin except by the time Beyond The Sea was filmed he was way too old. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/3 "2012-12-31T10:43:19Z")
Shelley Duvall was born to play Olive Oyl. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/4 "2012-12-31T11:38:50Z")
I still think [David Wenham](http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/02/07/1226001/770302-david-wenham.jpg) should play [Danny Kaye](http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/56/5613/MEPVG00Z/posters/danny-kaye.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/5 "2012-12-31T11:59:35Z")
[Paul Bettany](http://static.go4celebrity.com/wallpapers/Paul-Bettany/Paul-Bettany-037.jpg) as [John Constantine/Hellblazer.](http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/hellblazer_cancelled.jpg) [Matthew Lewis](http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23700000/Neville-Matthew-neville-longbottom-23780577-433-556.jpg) is, I presume, going to be the next Bond. However many years away that may be, it’ll be him. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/6 "2012-12-31T13:13:03Z")
Tom Cruise would be perfect for Gollum ---
**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:** [December 31, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/7 "2012-12-31T13:26:22Z")
I was blown away by Ben Kingsley playing Gandhi – the resemblance both in youth and old age was phenomenal From all accounts, Val Kilmer was perfect as Jim Morrison (I haven’t seen **The Doors** , myself) Apparently he not only really looks the part, but performs the music perfectly. I’ve seen other people in the role, but Paul Scofield still seems the perfect Thomas More in **A Man for All Seasons** , even resembling the man. If you couldn’t get Boris Karloff to play the part of Jonathan Brewster in **Arsenic and Old Lace** (He played it on Broadway, and was unavailable for the filom version), would it be possible to do better than Raymond Massey? Speaking of Boris Karloff, one of his lesser-knowmn roles was as Peter Cauchon in the onstage version of Jean Anhouilh’s **The Lark/l’Alouette** , about the trial of Joan of Arc. I would’ve loved to have seen him playing the part of Cauchon in George Bernard Shaw’s play about her, **Saint Joan**. He would have been _perfect_. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/8 "2012-12-31T13:40:00Z")
Heath Ledger and The Joker Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/9 "2012-12-31T13:43:57Z")
[Stephen Fry](http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj38tj0gDb1qax92z.jpg) as [Oscar Wilde](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_foeusEjbtRM/TQhYm1aK5mI/AAAAAAAAARc/pSJ9CrT1IHU/s320/Oscar%2BWilde.jpg). Not just an uncanny physical resemblance, but in terms of sophistication and wit, he is the modern equivalent in every way. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/10 "2012-12-31T13:50:57Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > …From all accounts, Val Kilmer was perfect as Jim Morrison (I haven’t seen **The Doors** , myself) Apparently he not only really looks the part, but performs the music perfectly. … Except that he was also the perfect Doc Holliday. Offscreen, Kilmer is definitely not my type. But he’s really an excellent actor who is able to lose himself in a role. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/11 "2012-12-31T14:11:49Z")
Robert Duvall…Augustus McRae; Lonesome Dove ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/12 "2012-12-31T18:44:30Z")
The original Captain Haddock, as drawn by Herge. [Captain Haddock](http://www.serkis.com/images/2011/captain-haddock.jpg), from the recent Tintin CGI movie. [Walter Matthau](http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/112224/112224_large.jpg) in _Pirates_. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/13 "2012-12-31T19:55:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Shelley Duvall was born to play Olive Oyl. Yes! Also: Dan Ackroyd as Jack Webb (as Joe Friday) in _Dragnet_. I read somewhere that Harry Morgan got teary-eyed the first time he saw Dan’s impression of JW. Also some more: David Carradine as Cole Younger in _Long Riders_. Edit: forgot this one: Arnold Scharzenegger as a robot in _The Terminator_. Perfect casting. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/14 "2012-12-31T21:06:16Z")
Robert Downey Junior as Tony Stark. Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/15 "2012-12-31T21:14:41Z")
Ron Perlman as Hellboy. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/16 "2012-12-31T21:48:21Z")
Two actors that always struck me as born to play their parts: Richard Chamberlin as Father de Bricassart in _The Thorn Birds_, and also as John Blackthorn in _Shogun_. Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Pity contractual obligations kept him from playing the role until he was almost too old. Also that the series had gotten so silly by that point. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/17 "2012-12-31T22:05:40Z")
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. ---
**Author:** ![grodinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@grodinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grodinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/18 "2013-01-01T05:35:22Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > Ron Perlman as Hellboy. this was the first thing that popped into my head for whatever reason. mickey rourke in the wrestler arnold as the terminator which is pretty much the only movie role he has ever been suitable for. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/19 "2013-01-01T06:02:03Z")
> [@grodinsky](#): > > mickey rourke in the wrestler God yes. And I know I’ll probably get lambasted for this but Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. ---
**Author:** ![grodinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@grodinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grodinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649/20 "2013-01-01T06:13:42Z")
tom cruise in Magnolia is the only movie where casting tom cruise has made sense to me. under appreciated film. philip seymour hoffman in Happiness jeff bridges in the big lebowski… actually that whole movie is gloriously cast [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideal-roles-for-actors/645649.md?page=2)