# Who should've played Balian?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 16, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626 "2006-10-16T14:07:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626/1 "2006-10-16T14:07:40Z")
In _Kingdom of Heaven_, that is.
I just got done watching the Director’s Cut of this beautiful epic, and I was simply gobsmamcked. What a spectacular film! But I have one glaring complaint - the tragic miscasting of Orlando Bloom as Balian. It bothered Mr. Singular & I throughout the entire movie. He is simply a weightless pretty boy, far too delicate and shiny to try and pull off a role with this much gravitas. So we were trying to figure out who could’ve played this role properly? I figure it has to be a Brit, or at least a European. But I can’t think of who that would be? Colin Farrell showed he’s not up to it in _Alexander_. Jude Law is in the Orlando Bloom subset. Sean Bean would be perfect, but for being too long in the tooth. I think the guy that played his brother in the LOTR might be able to pull it off. Anybody got any suggestions?
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626/2 "2006-10-16T14:19:51Z")
I like that movie, too.
I’m not sure who could have played that role better. It seems that they wanted someone who was a little bit soft. Sean Bean is too much of a tough guy for that role.
There’s a couple people on the show Rome I’d nominate. . .maybe the guy who played Lucius (the smarter of the two soldiers, I can’t remember his name).
Maybe even Paul Bettany.
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### Author:  [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626/3 "2006-10-16T15:04:07Z")
Paul Bettany is a possibility. I like that idea.
The guy that played Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) was in KoH, part of the Baron’s gang. He’s too old for the part, though.
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### Author:  [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shouldve-played-balian/376626/4 "2006-10-16T15:04:11Z")
Will Smith. Will can play any role 🙂
– IG