Who plays your Mr Rochester?

[HuffwardlyRudge]

I am reading Jane Eyre (for the first time).

I cannot get a mental picture of Mr Rochester from the descriptions in the book.

Which actor would you have playing Mr Rochester?

(Don't spoil the end for me. I'm just under half way through).

[saintmaybe]

Alan Rickman

But it's pretty much always Alan Rickman

[Threadworm2]

I really, really can't picture him as good looking, which is a shame. I'm afraid I get something like Gordon Brown. If I could control my imagination it would be ... um some sort of rough version of Ralph Feinnes.

[UnquietDad]

He was Timothy Dalton in the BBC version, which seems to fit somehow.

The older film version has Susannah York as Jane, who never seemed right to me.

[janeite]

Lol at 'It's pretty much always Alan Rickman' Yes, I think he'd be good. But I really liked the chap they had in the recent TV version.

[shonaspurtle]

He's Timothy Dalton for me too. That was a good adaptation.

[donnie]

Alan Bates would be good, IMO - or Richard Burton. Someone quite craggy and gruff with a bit of stuffing.

[Threadworm2]

Who would be a good Jane? Do you remember Holly Hunter in The Piano? I'll never forget her in that -- it makes her seem like an ideal Jane. Fragile and tiny but strong and stubborn as a stone.

[HuffwardlyRudge]

You see that was my problem Threadworm. I had someone a bit Gordon Brownish and I was worried that I was going to have to believe a love story at some point (have I got that wrong? Actually, don't tell me) and it just wouldn't work. Particularly as I am reading Beauty and the Beast to dd approx. 18 times a day at the moment and when I switch straight from B&tB to JE, mt Jane gets very Belleish. Belle and Gordon Brown? Eek.

Some good suggestions on this thread! Mmmmmm. Alan Rickman.

[HuffwardlyRudge]

"...my Jane gets very Belleish..."

[Threadworm2]

mmmmhmm hmnmn herwanh bytm

--That's me wanting to talk to you about the story Huffwardly, but stuffing hankies into my mouth to avoid spoilers.

[shonaspurtle]

Oooooh you're so lucky to be reading it for the first time. I do love that book.

Alan Rickman's a bit slight for me. I imagine Rochester as physically strong and imposing

Yeeeees GB, but better looking, taller and less stodgy. And not Scottish. (so not at all really )

[FfreckleFface]

I always think that Richard Armitage would be good. I agree with Alan Rickman too. Or maybe Sean Bean, if he were darker?

[snigger]

I could see Daniel Day-Lewis or at a push Gary Oldman about ten years ago fitting my mental Mr Rochester ideal.

[shonaspurtle]

YYYYY to RA!

[snigger]

And if he could master the accent and was a lot older, Jake Gyllenhall. He could muster the brooding eyebrows, I think.

[slowreadingprogress]

I think Sean Bean would be brilliant.

[HuffwardlyRudge]

But you're all naming good looking men and it keeps saying he isn't handsome.

[moffat]

Timothy Dalton or Russell Crowe

[lottiejenkins]

Def def def def Toby Stephens !!! He did a fabulous job!

[janeite]

Rickman isn't really good looking though: I imagine that Jane would need to talk to a Rickmanalike in order to fall in love, rather than love at first sight - so he'd be fine.

How old is Rochester?

[janeite]

Toby Stephens? Is he the one in the recent TV version? I thought he was excellent.

[HuffwardlyRudge]

Isn't he mid 30s?

[lottiejenkins]

Toby Stephens was 40 on the 21st April, he is exactly a week younger than me!

[hocuspontas]

Yes, Rickman definitely although it's hard to get Orson Welles out of my head. Jane - Helena Bonham-Carter? She's waif-like enough

[whoisasking]

Another vote for Richard Armitage.

He's not conventionaly handsome but OH MY GOD, he makes me want to visit a heritage site and find a small, hidden corner and...hang on...am I still typing this on MN?

(I guess the thing about him ot being good-looking in the novel, was more of a comment upon his nature? Jane was plain, but inheriantly good, Mr Rochester was "ugly" to her eyes at first glance, maybe because his character appeared to be so very bad?)