# Who would you cast as Roland of Gilead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965 "2006-12-13T15:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/41 "2010-05-01T02:31:15Z")
I would have _never_ thought of Hugh Laurie! But I like it, I like it! The whole time I was reading the books, I was “casting” the movies (I do this all the time! Dammit, Scatman Crothers went and died before they could cast him in _The Talisman_ as Speedy Parker!) I was thinking, damn, if only Clint weren’t so old. . . But yeah, I think Hugh could definitely do it! Viggo Mortensen gets my second vote. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/42 "2010-05-01T02:39:00Z")
Lance Henricksen is who I mostly pictured while reading the books. So help me if that glitter vampire is the Roland of W&G I will spit nails. Nails, I tell ya. But I will accept Haley Joel Osmet as Alain. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/43 "2010-05-01T02:45:42Z")
Christopher Walken? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/44 "2010-05-01T03:47:58Z")
Dark Tower 8: Roland the Zombie ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/45 "2010-05-01T04:30:38Z")
Only slightly off topic, but lately whenever I think of Eddie I picture Ashton Kuscher. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/46 "2010-05-01T05:41:56Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > Only slightly off topic, but lately whenever I think of Eddie I picture Ashton Kuscher. You’re gonna think I’m drunk but I always picture Adam Sandler as Eddie. Think about it for a second before you laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/47 "2010-05-01T05:53:42Z")
Ryan Reynolds as Eddie. Angela Bassett as Susannah. I just read this in Wikipedia - “In May 2009, rumours emerged that Leonardo Dicaprio was the top contender to play Roland.” Dear lord, save us from baby-faced actors trying to play Roland Deschaines. I can hardly think of worse casting. In a recent thread on this topic, someone suggested [Robert Knepper](http://www.prisonbreakbuff.com/files/2009/02/26539pcn-transporter13.jpg) for the role of Roland - not bad, not bad. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/48 "2010-05-01T05:57:36Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Ryan Reynolds as Eddie. Angela Bassett as Susannah. > > . In a recent thread on this topic, someone suggested [Robert Knepper](http://www.prisonbreakbuff.com/files/2009/02/26539pcn-transporter13.jpg) for the role of Roland - not bad, not bad. Dudes got the look. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/49 "2010-05-01T06:17:31Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > I’d say Hugh Jackman, as I always pictured Roland as a young, but weathered, Clint Eastwood, and Hugh could probably pull that off. I don’t know about his acting ability, though. The more I think on this, the more I think Jackman is the man for the job. Kurt Russell would have been awesome 10 years ago, but he’s much too old now. Still the biggest badass around, but Roland’s got to be in his 30s or 40s. For the eligible actors, my test is to picture the actor saying “Do you say so? Then let it be so.” Of the ones mentioned so far in this thread, plus a few others I can think of, I think only Hugh Jackman could say it sincerely and not have it come out sounding [narmy](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Narm) (warning: TVTropes link). He’s also already shown that he can do grizzled and weathered very well, and I think he’s got more than enough acting skill to handle Roland. I’m a little bothered by the fact that Ryan Reynolds is the go-to guy for smartass roles these days, but other than the lack of a Brooklyn accent, I have to admit he’d be perfect. He can be a smartass and serious at the same time, which Eddie does frequently. Edit: Oh, oh! Jason Statham for Roland! Think about it! ---
**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:** [May 1, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/50 "2010-05-01T06:49:25Z")
Garret Dillahunt ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/51 "2010-05-01T07:04:47Z")
Neal McDonough. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/52 "2010-05-01T15:08:59Z")
Gary Oldman, but it’ll take some camera wizardry to make his 5’9" seem more like Roland’s 6’2" ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/53 "2010-05-01T15:13:51Z")
I like Garrett Dillahunt, as well, but I came in to nominate Liev Schreiber. He’s always got so much going on under the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/54 "2010-05-01T15:26:36Z")
I actually think Andy Serkis would be pretty good. [sub]well, maybe not[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/55 "2010-05-01T15:35:59Z")
I can see Hugh Jackman. What about [Stephen Moyer](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0610459/)? He’s got the look, and he seems to do OK with non-narmy antiquated speech. If you don’t like Reynolds for Eddie, maybe [Jeffrey Donovan](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0232998/) would be good. Flip, yet steely - he’s certainly got that down. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/56 "2010-05-01T15:50:46Z")
Timothy Olyphant, without question. Roland is a gunslinger; nobody acting today has the gunslinger cred of Olyphant. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/57 "2010-05-01T16:15:11Z")
Zombie David Carradine as Roland, FTW! Or, more seriously, his half-brother Keith Carradine (he has recently played Agent Lundy on Dexter). I really like the suggestion of Jeffrey Donovan for Eddie. Another would be Joshua Jackson (FRINGE). For Susannah, I like Naomie Harris (from 28 Days Later and the POTC movies) or maybe Thandie Newton. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/58 "2010-05-01T17:50:13Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Garret Dillahunt Not for Roland; I think he’d be excellent for the Man In Black, though. > [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Neal McDonough. Again, not for Roland, but he would be great as Roland’s friend who was always laughing and joking. > [@Tangent](#): > > \ > I really like the suggestion of Jeffrey Donovan for Eddie. Another would be Joshua Jackson (FRINGE). Yeah, either of those guys would work. > [@](#): > > For Susannah, I like Naomie Harris (from 28 Days Later and the POTC movies) or maybe Thandie Newton. Naomie looks okay; Thandie looks too fragile and delicate for Susannah. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/59 "2010-05-01T19:26:02Z")
Ed Harris was the first actor I thought of, so I’ll just third him. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965/60 "2010-05-01T19:34:03Z")
> [@sapientfanny](#): > > Sam Elliot winner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-cast-as-roland-of-gilead/383965.md?page=4)