Mis-casting: Which actor did you feel did NOT best represent the book character?

No, Janeite, I'm with you - I thought KK was pretty good in P&P. Actually, I thought the only problem with that film was Mathew McFadyen (though loved him in Spooks and on stage in Henry IV). But in P&P he just mooned about looking mournful. And I also thought KK was good in Atonement - not smiley at all! (Funny, I never thought I'd be defending her, particularly given how appallingly bad she was in Pirates and Love, Actually.)

The actress who played Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. IMHO, she is the only miscasting in the Harry Potter moves - all the rest have been very weel cast.

I now can't watch anything with David Jason in because his version of Rincewind was so bad. I didn't like him much as Albert, but at least he was closer in looks/age to the character. People know now not to mention David jason around me because they know it'll start me ranting!
It's not out yet, but I've got a horrible feeling (looking at pictures on IMDB) that The Time Traveller's Wife is going to be dire. Claire and Henry in the film look nothing like they do in my head!

The Beach. Should have been Ewan McGregor, but that feckwit Danny Boyle wanted to be a hollywood film director. So they blew 1/3 of their budget on that DiCaprio muppet, and rewrote the script to accomdate his desire to have everything changed. Wasted, wasted opportunity.

Hated I am Legend.

Kevin COstner in Robin Hood, because he was the big name at the time. He was such a diva as well, I've heard he was angry that Alan Rickman was overshadowing him, and made the producers cut out a lot off his scenes!

Keira Knightley. Yes, she always acts in exactly the same way, with the same dewy eyed look. I thought the whole adaptation of PRide and PRejudice was wrong on every level.

Will Smith in I am Legend. Love Will Smith but so wrong for the part. Plus the film is nothing like the book.

No sorry Margaret Rutheford was the first Miss Marple and I think all the others since were wrong. Thought she was a wonderful actress, if a little typecast. I know that this post is about bad casting but how about the good ones. The Scooby do movie, the one with real people not animation. They must have thought all their birthdays had come at once when the guy who played shaggy auditioned. His likeness and incredible voice are exactly the same as the original cartoon. Can't wait for the time when Julia Roberts gets cast in a film where she does not throw her head back, open that huge gob of hers and laugh like a drain!

Well he did a better one than Costner who most certainly didn't even attempt one

Christian Slater didn't do a British accent in Robin Hood!!

Shiny, it was Christian SLater!

Heated - deffo re: Donald Sutherland - was he the one with the really odd teeth?

Ah yes Miss Marple, imo it can only be the incomparable Joan Hicks [can hear the theme music even now]. Geraldine McEwan is just too coquettish & too arch.

Haven't read the whole thread, but John Hannah as Rebus is my top vote for a wrong 'un!

tom cruise and brad pitt in interview with a vampire

couldn't act! I meant! (re "Rupert" "actor" and I use the term loosely..)

Completely agree re Kevin Costner.. I have bitched about this for years! He mumbled and whispered he was through in a completely american accent - as he would because he is and is too crap to even try.. while he "cousin" (Chistian someone.. who was he?).. who was also american, did a crediable British accent! Why or why did Costner get that part???!

Oh that dreadful man cast as Rupert Campbell-Black for Jilly Cooper's Riders! He looked the part but really could act so couldn't do justice to the wonderful, colourful Rupert character! All of Jilly's fab one-liners fell flat when they passed his lips! Was tragic!

Years ago now but I've never quite got over the disappointment!

the wraiths in the beginning of film LOTR were actually better than my imagination of them, very scary.
The recent Miss Marple as a poster mentioned - so very wrong.

Sean Connery - The Hunt for Red October, as a Russian submarine captain.

In the same vein, Juliette Binoche in Wuthering Heights, "Eefcliffe, Eefcliffe"

Donald Sutherland as Mr Bennett in Pride & Prejudice (in fact most of the cast)

And I always find Emilia Fox an uncomfortable watch in whatever she's in.

I thought Christian Bale was great in American Psycho-- that rare example of a movie being better than the book.

I'm with erwfran fancying the book Rebus too much to like any actor playing him (I imagine him looking pretty much like Ian Rankin I guess), and they muck around with the book plots too much in all the adaptations.

Was very pleasantly surprised with Madonna in Evita - was prepared to slag her off, but thought she was superb.

Was very pleasantly surprised with Madonna in Evita - was prepared to slag her off, but thought she was superb.

Keanu Reeves and Wesley Snipes playing brothers in Much Ado About Nothing I realise they were supposed to be half brothers but still....

Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. Far too butch.

Penelope Cruz was also awfully miscast in Captain Corelli. For a start, she spoke with a Spanish accent

Tom Cruise - 'playing' himself in interviews.
Awful little man.