Actors who 100% embodied character from book

[NEtoN10]

I was just thinking today about book to film adaptations and actors who I thought 100% embodied the character as I imagined them.

For me Helena BC as Bellatrix Lestrange, Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, the whole cast of Matilda!

Who does it for you? Interested to hear !

As much as I can’t stand Jim Carey no one else could be The Grinch.

Thomas Jane as Josephus Miller. I read the books as they were published so before the Expanse became a TV series, and he was my favourite character. Watching Thomas Jane play him was like seeing the Miller from my imagination cone alive on screen. He was the perfect actor and did it so well

Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in the first star wars movie.

My geek heart just stopped. Please tell me this was a typo, please!

Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter. Surprised nobody's mentioned her yet tbh.

I know an actor has really embodied a character when I read the book first and they then changed how the character looks in my head.

So Jennifer Ehle is Elizabeth Bennett
Hugh Laurie is Bertie Wooster (Fry is great, but my made-up Jeeves is better!)
Totally agree about the whole cast of Trainspotting!

@isabeau1980 no typo, read it and weep. I loved that film and Chris Pine in it. Hated the others, mind!

Keira Knightley as Cecelia in Atonement.

It wasn’t Star Wars, it was Star Trek!

Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark. 100% how I pictured the character.

I thought Renee Zellwegger was perfect as Bridget Jones. I refused to go and see the film initially as I was so irritated that they cast an American - when I was given the DVD I was amazed at how perfect she was

How funny I was thinking about this today too!

I'm reading Harry Potter from the beginning (again!) and I think as well as HBC as Bellatrix and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort the two perfectly cast characters are Alan Rickman as snape and Maggie Smith and professor mcgonagall!

Ian McKellan as Gandalf

@coolcarrie yes! Sorry, yes star trek does that help... Maybe not

@Kwackerly It was the Star Wars / Star Trek muddle I was hoping was the typo.

Maggie Smith as* professor mcgonagall I should say.

Also as above renee zellweger as bridget Jones is also spot on!

I always felt that Lassie was typecast though.

X-post

That would have been a scary and very wrong star wars.

I would agree with Tennant and Sheen though I thought Tennant was channeling Bill Nighy a bit too much. The girl playing Anathema was wrong. Too glamorous.

Uthred in the Last Kingdom.

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister.

I hated Ken Stott as Rebus @CoolCarrie, couldn't watch the programme because he bothered me so much. When I read the books I visualise a much older John Hannah or a Scottish actor whose name I can't remember. Nothing about Ken Stotts shows the marks left by his time in the army.

John Thaw as Morse, perfect casting.

I came on to say Alan Rickman as Snape.

Agree with David Suchet as Poirot too.

Gary Sinise as George in Of Mice and Men.

Julie Walters as Molly Weasley. DD was about 8 when we read Chamber of Secrets and when we put the film on and Julie Walters comes in with 'Where HAVE you BEEN?' DD clapped her hands together, turned to me and went 'Oh, she's PERFECT!'

Agree with Evanna Lynch.

Agree with David suchet as poirot.

Also Geraldine McEwan as marple, much as I adored Joan hickson, who came close Geraldine has it spot on.

Also agree with Jennifer ehle and Colin firth as Elizabeth and darcy, also liked Susannah harker as Jane Bennett

"Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes in Oliver." Agree

Anyone do "fantasy casting" when reading?

I adore Sue grafton's (RIP) alphabet novels which will never be filmed as per her wishes (which I get) but I still think Ellen page would be a fab Kinsey and Dick van dyke would actually be a perfect Henry.

Tess geritsen I love too and I've enjoyed the rizzoli and isles tv series but I think Maura wasn't well cast. But Angie harmon as rizzoli is spot on!