They've finally cast Rupert Campbell Black!

[Kefir]

https://www.an-eventful-life.com.au/eventing-news/books-dvds/cast-jilly-cooper%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98rivals%E2%80%99-revealed

And it's...Alex Hassell. He is finally made flesh! Thoughts, O Cooper fans?

God I’m so excited for this.

for me, the casting of RCB & Tony is off, but I’m happy to be wrong.

I think the casting of Cameron is inspired & also the casting of Monica. She is exactly how I pictured her.

I think the issue for me is that these people are forever young - so I can see a Catherine CZ as Taggie, even though she is now too old to play Maud!!

Yes!! @RobertsRadio - that's the exact type for Freddie. Older, humble, stockier. DD is completely wrong.

I always wanted Liam Neeson for Declan.

RCB is the handsomest man in England.! That guy…..isn’t. He was always a more Anglo version of Robert Redford or Brad Pitt in my head.

I quite like Aidan Turner as Declan, he probably has the right charisma.

Yeah, but he is too short and non craggy enough.

I think Michael Fassbender would make a good Declan.

Wasn't Declan short? Or am I thinking of gypsy Jake!

Declan is tall and craggy I think. I loved Luke in the three musketeers so will be interested in how he transfers to Bas. Certainly good looking enough.

Actually Liam Neeson would be good, except he is a wee bit too mature now, which is a pity as I love listening to anything he says.

Definitely Jake Lovell, short and slight, with a slight limp due to polio.
Did I mention that I may have read Riders, Polo and Rivals several times over, during my misspent youth? 😁

Spot on!

Don't know the book?
Looking at the photo I assume this is for a middle aged, gay best friend type character?

🤣🤣

Crying 🤣

Oh God I've just had a coughing fit after that comment 😂

I didn't know who Alexander Skarsgard was, but having looked it up, he's much more like it. Or Rupert Penry Jones is another great shout.

Spot on ☺️

Absolutely this! I can feel myself getting irrationally distressed 😂

For me the only plausible RCB would be Alex Pettyfer, and only if he shaved off the scraggy beard he's been hiding behind these last few years. I suppose I might have accepted Max Irons at a pinch. But still, they're both a bit... insubstantial. (Too young??)

Who's cast as Patrick?

Helen will always be julianne Moore.

Hmm, now you see I think Jane Asher would have been perfect as Helen, but they are both too old now for that role.

I don’t see this at all!

You know, it’s stupid, I’ve said (in my head anyway!) ‘nope’ to every single suggestion of potential RCBs and while I think the actor cast may do okay, I just cannot ever think of who WOULD be the perfect RCB. Maybe it’s one of those, they’re always best in your head 😂
Billy was always my favourite, altho rereading now, he’s a wet flannel really.

This nails it for me.

The guy they've cast as RCB would be perfect - as Bas Baddingham!

I don't even like blond men as a rule, but Rupert IS BLOND!!! How about Jesse Spencer aka Dr Chase from House? Although he is Australian, so might not sound authentically posh!

I'm so excited about this series. I've read Rivals (and all of Jilly's books) so many times. They're my comfort books that I go back time after time.

I think Danny Dyer will be great as Freddie. Katherine Parkinson looks a bit too glam for Lizzie, actually with her red hair, she's more like how I imagined Maud to look.

Aiden Turner looks way too young to be Declan. I imagined Declan as late 40's? I don't know how Aiden is, but he looks much younger. I also imagined Monica to be older.

Does anyone know when it starts?

Me too! It's my "I'm tired and I need something lovely" book.