# Your dream cast for the "Song of Ice and Fire" movie(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854 "2006-08-23T04:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/1 "2006-08-23T04:40:37Z")
I know, I know: George R.R. Martin’s series is too big, too complicated, too smart, and too damned good for Hollywood to ever tackle it (or to do it right). But if it ever went up on the silver screen, who would you envision in the key roles? Some offhand ideas I had: Cersei - Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close Jaime - Paul Bettany Tyrion - Armin Shimerman Lord Tywin - Patrick Stewart Eddard Stark - Harrison Ford Robb - Heath Ledger Sansa - Mandy Moore Arya - Dakota Fanning, or that little girl from “Little Miss Sunshine” King Robert Baratheon - Tom Sizemore Stannis - Gary Oldman Renly - Jake Gyllenhal Brienne of Tarth - Bridget Fonda (“uglied down”) Littlefinger - Charles Dance Lady Olenna Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns” - Dame Judi Dench What say you, for these or any other roles? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/2 "2006-08-23T05:08:01Z")
I don’t think Heath Ledger or Mandy Moore could do young enough. Sansa’s what, 12 at the beginning? Sean Connery for Barristan the Bold Ed Norton for Petyr Baelish Patrick McGoohan for Balon Greyjoy. There’s a website around with a nearly full cast that was voted upon by some message board. I’ll see if I can find it. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2006, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/3 "2006-08-23T07:23:17Z")
Harrison Ford is too old for the role - by about three decades. Ned is in his mid-30’s (do the math - he was just a kid when the war started, Jon was born around when the war ended, Jon is 15 years old). He just seems older then he is because of his demeanor. I’d recommend Clive Owen. ---
**Author:** ![ACC\_Expat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ACC\_Expat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ACC_Expat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/4 "2006-08-23T07:43:09Z")
Given the large number of child and teen characters, casting these films would be quite difficult. I’m really not a fan of the “I’m 25 and playing a 16 year old” thing, but what else could you do? Ok, that being said… Cillian Murphy for Littlefinger! I _don’t care_ that Murphy is probably too young–Petyr is Beautiful, Dashing, Evil Genius. Who else represents this better than Cillian Murphy? _fans self_ I’d actually like to see Sean Bean play Ned. Eric Bana for Renly, Ed Norton for Oberyn Martell, Julianne Moore as Catelyn, and Cate Blanchett for Cersei (maybe). If we can find a place for Alan Rickman and Adrien Brody, this will be the greatest movie ever (fn.1). ## Footnotes: 1. My motives? Suspect? Motivated by, um, visual concerns? No, no, not at all, precious. 😉 ---
**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:** [August 23, 2006, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/5 "2006-08-23T09:35:35Z")
Hmmm… Renly is supposed to look exactly like a young, fit Robert - that’s a key plot element: My suggestion? Renly will be played by Eric Bana, Robert will be played by Eric Bana in a fat suit. The Knight of Flowers is young, handsome, slim, not so bright, and very gay. I’m thinking Orlando Bloom. Littlefinger is a problem. He’s smooth and charming, yes, but he’s also very short and phisically unimpressive, and very young for his position (barely into his thrties). I’m… drawing a blank here. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. Abraham Benrubi as Ser Gregor, the Mountain that Rides. Hugh Laurie (with tons of makeup) as Sandor Clegane. No-one does bitterness better. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/6 "2006-08-23T17:51:31Z")
I have always thought that Tony Blair would make an excellent Littlefinger, but… Eric Bana would make a good Ned, IMO – he has a very earnest, decent quality to him, and his performance in **Troy** shows him to be capable of a warrior and a family man. And hell, he’s tall and muscular enough to be the Hound, too. (I love Eric Bana…and the Hound, for that matter. Hugh Laurie can do bitter well, but he’s too old and too genteel for the role.) Littlefinger is such a tricky part to cast – to me, the most important trait the actor portraying him would have to have is a radiant intelligence. Whoever it is has to look like there’s a nuclear reactor behind his eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/7 "2006-08-23T17:56:04Z")
Ian McShane would make an excellent Roose Bolton. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/8 "2006-08-23T18:07:49Z")
Sandor - Mickie Rourke ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/9 "2006-08-23T18:07:57Z")
[QUOTE=gallows fodder] Hugh Laurie can do bitter well, but he’s too old and too genteel for the role.) [/QUOTE] What about Hugh Laurie as Stannis Baratheon? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/10 "2006-08-23T18:15:24Z")
If it helps, here are some portraits of characters: > **[amoka.net](http://amoka.net/eng/gal/asoiaf/index.html)** > > Song of Ice and Fire,Fantasy Art Gallery,Image Photography,A Song of Ice and Fire,Game of Thrones ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/11 "2006-08-23T18:40:34Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Harrison Ford is too old for the role - by about three decades. Ned is in his mid-30’s (do the math - he was just a kid when the war started, Jon was born around when the war ended, Jon is 15 years old). . [/QUOTE] That’s weird. Then Ned and Jamie must be within a few years of each other, but they certainly don’t seem like it when they interact. > [@](#): > > Given the large number of child and teen characters, casting these films would be quite difficult. I’m really not a fan of the “I’m 25 and playing a 16 year old” thing, but what else could you do? It’s worse then that, though, 25 playing 16 is at least semi-belivable. Having a post-pubescent actor playing a pre-pubescent charater doesn’t work at all, and I don’t think there are anywhere near enough good child actors to play all the children in the series (Danerys, Sansa, Arya, Rickon, Bran, the younger Barristan childeren, the “green-sight” kid, Arya’s various companions, etc.) I think you’d have to either make the children older then they were in the books or drop the parts of the stories that focus on them. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/12 "2006-08-23T19:10:39Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] That’s weird. Then Ned and Jamie must be within a few years of each other, but they certainly don’t seem like it when they interact. [/QUOTE] That’s because Ned is a great lord of the land, a dour, serious man with responsiblity beyond his years, while Jaime is a perpetual adolescent, at least to begin with. Jaime simply hadn’t grown up yet. I’ve known people in their thirties who fit either pattern. As for Hugh Laurie, if he can play both Prince George and Dr. House he can play anything, especially under a ton of latex. Incidentally, I was just watching a **Harry Potter** film and I realized that the actor playing the Malfoy kid would make a great Joffrey - it’s practically the same character. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/13 "2006-08-23T19:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Incidentally, I was just watching a **Harry Potter** film and I realized that the actor playing the Malfoy kid would make a great Joffrey - it’s practically the same character. [/QUOTE] I was just about to post the same thing. Daenerys would have to be played by an adult if they included the important sexual aspects of her character. Alan Rickman = Roose Bolton. ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-cast-for-the-song-of-ice-and-fire-movie-s/369854/14 "2006-08-23T19:57:15Z")
Another one after some thought: Tywin - Liam Neeson I can’t think of any Hollywood starlets for Brienne. Bridget Fonda is way too lightly built. Maybe Lucy Lawless?