To ask for your worst TV and movie castings

[LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet]

For me it’s Alan Rickman (who I absolutely love in everything else) as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. He came across so unbelievably creepy and repulsive and not the gallant kind soul he is in the book.

Another vote for Ray Winstone but in Of Kings and Prohpets (the main of this was also so bad, but I cant remmeber his name)- I could nto get past the first episode bcause of those two.

Emma Watson. She has one expression.

Initially I agreed about Tom Burke in Strike - felt he was not quite right - but that changed as the stories progressed and I now think he is Strike.

Yes - agree Andie McD in 4Weddings - terrible.

I agree about Strike, too young, too good looking, I always pictured him more John C Reilly! But I think his accent is better than in the audiobooks, though I love Philip Glenister reading the rest of it, as it’s all a bit “oooarrr Jim Lad”. He was dragged around London and didn’t grow up in Cornwall, so it makes sense he’s got a slightly Cornish London accent.

Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Too mannered and weird. Mind you, I hate the whole film
I thought this too - he was awful and just creepy! WW should be fun - eccentric but not creepy like that.

Tok Stephens as Cedric "Charlie" Charlton in the ITV The Larkins. Very unconvincing as an awkward, socially anxious but brilliant accountant. He needs to be weedy, but sharp, bright but bashful. He comes across as bumbling instead.

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet - agree - completely wrong!

I was watching something over Christmas - although I have no idea what now - and all the actors were so clean with good skin and hair and perfect white teeth and fit well-fed bodies that moved easily- yet they were all supposed to be poor peasants, soldiers and farmers in the middle ages - or something. (Obvs not suggesting actors all starve before a film - but they could do more to get rid of their actorish "look").

Think Ray Winston wouldn't have been good for the younger Henry VIII.

There was another actor (Steve Waddington) who was actually in the Tudors that was way more suited to the role. Tall, broad, attractive and a red head, so suitable for younger Henry. (Also possessed better acting skills than Jonathan Rhys Myers, but that wouldn't be difficult.)

Steve Waddington's character was killed off early and my opinion of JRM went continuously downhill from season 1. Especially as JRM did increasingly more shouting as Henry got older, can presumably to make up for the lack of increasing size.

I mean, there was not a lot JRM could have done about his height so fine. But he refused to bulk up or wear a fat suit for older Henry. That bugged me even more and I ended up literally tutting whenever he appeared on screen shouting lines in the later seasons.

Not sure why I continued watching, especially considering it still annoys me so many years later 😃. (Though to clarify I don't think about it that often 🙂 - just when questions like this or JRM is mentioned.)

It can make such a difference to the way you enjoy a piece. If someone looks wrong or is obviously much too old or young for a part. Sometimes really excellent skills can transcend that - but they do need to be very good.

You often see it with Hollywood older men being cast in romantic leads because they are stars when really the part needs someone much younger, (but no young actor has the box-office pull the producers want)

I did Anthony and Cleopatra for A-level - and I knew the play inside out. Then I saw it on stage and was crushed with disappointment. Cleopatra was skinny, red-haired, waspish with poor posture, (No!!!! She's a queen, a beauty!!! She's dark!!!). Anthony on the other hand just looked like some bore you'd meet down the pub on a Tuesday night with a beer gut and a leer. (Weep! He was a soldier - a commander of men, a lover!).

It completely ruined it for me.

Oh my, the love for Kevin Costner as Robin Hood! No, he destroyed my Robin Hood fantasy outright 😔, but to be fair he is excellent in Yellowstone.

I'm another who disliked Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones. I absolutely love her in other roles, but she was just so wrong for that one.

Keanu Reeves in most things, but especially as Jonathan in Dracula. DP and I occasionally say 'I know where the bahstard sleeps!' when referring to anyone's crap acting. He is beautiful to look at and seems like an all round lovely human being but, crikey, he is one dodgy actor. I liked him in Speed - but it was suitably OTT for his acting style!

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer...Tom Ellis carried the whole thing and there was just no chemistry.

Tom Hanks in Bonfire of the Vanities.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne.
The Bourne character needed someone older and with more gravitas I felt, having loved the books.
Matt wasn't who I had pictured as Bourne in my mind's eye.

@JD90
Jason Statham must have some charisma - his partner is Rosie Huntington Whiteley, one of the most beautiful women in the world. 😀

A bit niche but just remembered the most unforgivably awful casting choice of all time - Sandra dickinson as trillian in the TV series of Hitchhikers'.

Trillian is British, tall, clever, dry and dark

SD is a tiny, squeaky, bimbo-style American blonde. It is beyond bad.

I think a lot of that had to do with the fact she had fairly bad plastic surgery and could barely move her face! Nicole Kidman gets away with it because a. She’s a brilliant actor and b. She takes parts these days where looking seriously tweaked fits the character.

@Flaunch I came on here to say this.

Tom Holland is 5 foot 6, Nathan Drake was supposed to be at least 6 foot and solid.

Most of the cast of Rings of Power. They got it so wrong.

Someone already mentioned Elijah Wood in Green Street. About as believable as a football hooligan as Mother Teresa.

Leonardo diCaprio in The Departed. Was never convinced by him as a gang enforcer, street thug. Too well-spoken and clean-cut. Especially considering the role was him as an undercover cop trying to infiltrate a criminal gang. I was never really convinced they'd be taken by him. But still enjoyed the movie though.

The main cast of The Irishman were all too old in my opinion. All great and legendary actors, but all gone too old for the roles. Especially the scene with Robert de Niro, in his 70s and barely able to move, kicking the shit out of a shopkeeper on the street for slapping his kid. I guess it was supposed to be a shocking, violent scene in the mould of Goodfellas but I just laughed at it!

Agree with Cruise as Reacher wtf were they thinking.
Also Cruise as Stacee Jaxx was T was not cool.

You are so mistaken!!!!

Missed out in Rock of Ages

I'm sure someone's mentioned the recent Pratchett adaptation.....

Ewan was originally cast. And then Titanic came out and made Leo a huge star, so Danny Boyle fired Ewan for Leo. Ewan didn't speak to Danny for years afterwards because of it

yes and the movie still flopped. I think people don't realise is that Leo very closely lost his fame after Titanic. It was really 4 years after its realise in 2002 that his career took off. In 5 years after Titanic he did little.

Also, Francoise wasn’t supposed to go out with Richard! That changed the dynamics and wasn’t in keeping with the book.

Allegedly, he filmed in his usual accent and then in the Hello Everybody Peeps, Stavros here accent against the wishes of the director, and then Taika Waititi decided he was right and the dodgy accent was better. Should have learned from The Mummy.

Wasn't impressed by the accent of Benedict Cumberbatch in Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness either. He's doing Harrison Ford as Han Solo throughout, which doesn't really sit right for an extremely wealthy American surgeon.

Having said that, the actor in Moon Knight does a very good MC English accent.