Becky Sharpe

[CowesTwo]

I’ve been really looking forward to the new tv dramatisation of ‘Vanity Fair’, and gave just seen a trailer - the actress has really dark, almost black, hair. Becky is a redhead, isn’t she? AIBU to think that this is a bit too much artistic licence?

Wasn’t she depicted as a mousy blonde? Becky Sharpe is my heroine - she does what’s necessary!

I’ve just checked - she’s described as having ‘sandy’ blonde hair. She’s definitely not a redhead.

Her hair really isn’t relevant to her character in the way that Anne Shirley’s is, for example. It’s frustrating when adaptations cast actors which look nothing like how you imagined but I think YABU.

Ah, ok. For some reason I thought she was a redhead, but now you mention ‘sandy blonde’ that rings a bell. So long as she’s feisty and fearless!

I’ve read it 4 times over a period of 40 years, so I guess it slipped my memory.

I’m so excited for this adaptation.

I don’t think her hair is integral to her character or that there is much emphasis on it in the plot so I don’t mind the change. I know what you mean though, I ‘see’ a character often and get disappointed when the actor doesn’t match up.

Jane I’m Pride and Prejudice annoys me as she’s supposed to be extremely pretty but the actress, whilst absolutely fine to look at, is not ‘extremely pretty’ in my opinion and the actress who plays Lizzie is far prettier.

I haven't read it for a very long time, but she was a redhead in the excellent BBC series with Eve Matheson in the 80s, so maybe that's why you thought that OP.

I don't care what colour her hair is - as Pockets says, it's not integral to the plot or the character like it would be with Anne Shirley.

Any news on when and what channel it's on?

September on ITV.

That 80s adaptation was wonderful - the score was so evocative. DH and I only watched it recently and were captivated.

Going to be tough to top the 80s version.

I always thought she was supposed to be red-haired?

There are so many wonderful passages in the book, I just hope they manage to cover them all. Frances De La Tour is in it.
I agree with the poster re Jane in P&P, she just wasn’t as “pretty” as she is made out to be in the book.
And I agree with the poster who mentioned Eve Mathieson, that’s probably where I got it from. I’m still dying to see it!

I’m another who’s read it multiple times over the decades and each time my reaction to it changes. I loved Becky when I was in my teens - almost as much as Anna Karenina - but then in my smug married years I thought she was nobut a strumpet. Years and one divorce later she’s back to being my heroine taking what she wants from a world determined to keep her in her place! Just wish she was a bit nicer to poor little Amelia!

Yes she was a wonderful feisty character, but a crap mother to poor little Rawdon (?) junior, so I can't totally warm to her.

I think her lowest point is when she lets husband Rawden spend time in the debtor prison while she spends the night with Lord Steyne. I really hated her then.

Gah! Selective memory! I’d completely forgotten about Rawdon jr. But now you’ve reminded me, I remember crying at how hard he tried to get her attention while mine were little, but not really noticing when I was younger

The debtors prison I don’t think has ever bothered me! As I see it Rawden drank and gambled away the bit of money they had - Steyne helped refill their coffers

I feel for Rawdon when he's worrying away the night before Waterloo about money for her if he's killed and she's got a note from the awful George wanting to run away.

For some reason I thought she was a redhead

I always think of her as a redhead, too - just because of the BBC production (which was brilliant) - we have it on two "Classic Serial" CDs from the, er, Daily Mail. I might re-watch it.

Am deffo looking forward to the new version though. Did anyone see the Reece Witherspoon film version? It was TERRIBLE!

I felt embarrassed for the cast.