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Your personal Best and worst casting ever

253 replies

wildfellhall · 30/11/2024 23:31

I think Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson are fantastic casting in Almost Famous - as is the casting of the whole film.

Daniel Day Lewis in everything is brilliant. And Julianne Moore is great in everything.

I have never recovered from the wrongness of Cameron Diaz in Gangs Of New York or Anna Hathaway in Interstellar.

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tilypu · 04/12/2024 09:47

Wistfuller · 04/12/2024 09:39

Yes, I didn't much care for Fleabag, but her sister was mesmerising. I also really like Andrew Scott as an actor, but he was in no way credible as any kind of Catholic priest. That wasn't his fault, that was the screenplay having him do all kinds of things that simply weren't credible. Shag people despite your vows of celibacy, sure -- happens all the time. Holding a Catholic wedding ceremony in a garden, nope.

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If you think all Catholic priests stick to their views of celibacy, you are very naive. That was the most believable thing about his portrayal of the character.

Pollyanna87 · 04/12/2024 09:53

Best includes:
Alan Rickman as Snape
Jack Black in School of Rock
Idina Menzel and Lea Michele as mother and daughter in Glee

Worst is Emma Watson in anything, especially Little Women. Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh… and Emma Watson?!

Also, Helena Bonham-Carter can’t act.

beguilingeyes · 04/12/2024 09:56

Best ever was Teri Garr as Phoebe's mother in Friends. They're so alike.
Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses is pretty special..
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henty VIII is pretty ridiculous.

Wistfuller · 04/12/2024 09:57

tilypu · 04/12/2024 09:47

If you think all Catholic priests stick to their views of celibacy, you are very naive. That was the most believable thing about his portrayal of the character.

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You need to read my post again. This is exactly what I said.

Ggmores · 04/12/2024 09:59

I thought Ambika Mod was great in One Day, a huge improvement on Anne Hathaway. I also really like Rennee Z in Bridget Jones, I’m not sure why her being American has any bearing on it, her accent is great.

I can’t imagine Pierce Brosnan as Ron though in Thursday Murder Club, but hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised as I like him as an actor.

Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell was terrible casting.

beguilingeyes · 04/12/2024 10:12

stringbean · 01/12/2024 13:42

Agree about Emma Thompson - although she acted the part brilliantly, she was too old for Elinor.

Ditto Alan Rickman as Snape - brilliantly acted, but too old. I always envisaged Tim Roth in the part of Snape when I read HP - he would have been perfect!

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IIRC Tim Roth was first choice for Snape, but he turned it down to do Planet Of The Apes. Big mistake, huge.

okayhescereal · 04/12/2024 10:13

Lilgreygoose · 01/12/2024 01:46

The casting in “This is Us” is phenomenal.

Chrissy Metz and Hannah Zeile as Kate at different ages were particularly good. It’s like you are watching the same person 20 years apart.

worst? The current one that comes to mind is Disclaimer. Should be a great cast, but it just doesn’t work. And Rupert in Rivals. Right vibe, wrong look.

So true about This is Us! Various points I forget that it can't possibly be the same actors.

okayhescereal · 04/12/2024 10:18

Pollyanna87 · 04/12/2024 09:53

Best includes:
Alan Rickman as Snape
Jack Black in School of Rock
Idina Menzel and Lea Michele as mother and daughter in Glee

Worst is Emma Watson in anything, especially Little Women. Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh… and Emma Watson?!

Also, Helena Bonham-Carter can’t act.

Nooo, the scene where Helena BC is acting like EW because Hermione is meant to have taken a potion to make her look like Bellatrix is so good! Also the Kings Speech <3

Chemenger · 04/12/2024 11:22

Emma Watson in Little Women is just awful, totally miscast. She could not be more wooden if she was a fence post.

Jack Nicholson in Witches of Eastwick (and most other films he’s in) is great.

tilypu · 04/12/2024 11:48

Wistfuller · 04/12/2024 09:57

You need to read my post again. This is exactly what I said.

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Ah ok you are right!! Sorry.

thenightsky · 04/12/2024 12:04

Sofa1000 · 01/12/2024 06:21

For me it is two people in the same role:
Best: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie Miles in The talented Mr Ripley. ‘Oh is it on Della Croce just off the Corso?’

I have watched that scene so many times. Outstanding actor.

Then they remade it and the role went to that non binary woman who is Sting’s daughter. Awful performance and baffling casting.

Absolutely this.

Calliopespa · 04/12/2024 12:49

boobot1 · 04/12/2024 08:27

I agree she is very plain looking, as the name suggests, she should be beautiful. Much worse than that, she can not act.

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Plain!!??

I think she’s beautiful. Goes to show we all have different taste…

Calliopespa · 04/12/2024 12:54

okayhescereal · 04/12/2024 10:18

Nooo, the scene where Helena BC is acting like EW because Hermione is meant to have taken a potion to make her look like Bellatrix is so good! Also the Kings Speech <3

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Yes I agree . Bonham C can definitely act.

Btrsun10 · 04/12/2024 13:16

Not a film but Nicola Walker in The Split.
I love her as an actor. I love her in gritty roles.
I felt she was totally wrong in this.

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 04/12/2024 14:10

unmp · 01/12/2024 08:57

Best castings include;

Whole cast of Young Sheldon

Queen Charlotte-A Bridgerton story

Peaky Blinders (can't imagine any one else pulling off Arthur, aunt polly, Tommy or Tom Harry's characters!

Will come back for my worst casting list

Having Laurie Metcalf's daughter play Mary was excellent.

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 04/12/2024 14:11

BernardBlacksMolluscs · 01/12/2024 09:07

Maybe not worst, but v bad, Daisy Ridley in new Star Wars. I get that they were trying to channel a Luke skywalker vibe, but watching a posh girl with no emotional depth pretend to be an intergalactic orphan with super powers was…disappointing. Especially up against the delectable Adam Driver.

I agree about Michael Sheen being best in pretty much anything. He made me have some sympathy for Prince Andrew in the latest docu drama on Netflix. Crikey

Yeah, she's a dreadful actress.

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 04/12/2024 14:13

PermanentTemporary · 01/12/2024 11:27

Best: Harriet Walter in everything, but particularly as Fanny Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility. She absolutely stole that film. And agreed about her in the Wimsey adaptations back in the day, Harriet Vane is quite unappealing in the books and she made her wonderful.

Worst: well obviously I agree re Handie McTowell in four weddings (who was the first choice??), but I have to blame Richard Curtis' clunky writing and the direction to some extent as she was extraordinary when directed by Soderbergh.

Yeah, the 'is it still raining?' line is so poorly written.

Deadringer · 04/12/2024 14:18

CoalTit · 01/12/2024 07:06

Gary Oldman was ridiculous in Dracula; he sounded exactly like the Count in Sesame Street.
No-one noticed because Keanu Reeves was even worse

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Omg this, this, a million times this!

Epli · 04/12/2024 14:18

Best (as in I can't imagine anyone else in this role, rather than 'oh, what a great role!'):

La Vie En Rose - Marion Cotilliard
Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman as Sherlock & Watson
Hugh Grant in Paddington 2
Jeff Bridges - Big Lebowski
Javier Bardem - No country for old men
Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girls
Audrey Tautou - Amelia

(Majority of Tarantino's and Cohens' movies are brilliantly cast)
(Also, I was thinking about adding Kyle MacLachlan for 'Twin Peaks' and Leo Di Caprio for 'Wolf..' but each had collaborated with director before filming those, so I'd say probably the role was written with them in mind, rather than them being brilliantly cast)

Worst:
Kenneth Branagh as Hercules Poirot
Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 04/12/2024 14:23

Best: Kate Winslet, Judy Dench, Sarah Lancashire and Leslie Manville in anything they do.

Worst: Keira Knightley in anything she does. Who told her she could act? l've tried really hard to like her, but her 'acting' is just awful and her interview on Women's Hour this week to promote Black Doves was dire. She had absolutely nothing to say. Came across as a complete and utter airhead. Sarah Lancashire must have been tearing her hair out...

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 04/12/2024 14:30

wildfellhall · 04/12/2024 07:51

Anna Maxwell Martin in Line of Duty 🙌

Also in Motherland and Ludwig. I love her.

I couldn't stand Emma Thompson in Matilda. I hated that performance like I hated Meryl Streep in Into The Woods. And both actors can be total genius. But mamma Mia broke my Streep respect a bit; The mannered performance, the dungarees, the soft focus 🤦‍♀️.
But Thompson in the Children's Act is incredible - when she's good she's amazing.

In Modern Family, Cameron takes issue with a woman that he meets who says 'i'm not sure Meryl Streep was the right choice'.

Cameron's not impressed...

t_
YourChirpyFatball · 04/12/2024 14:56

Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon.
All the cast of The Help could never be bettered.

Calliopespa · 04/12/2024 15:42

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 04/12/2024 14:13

Yeah, the 'is it still raining?' line is so poorly written.

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“… aaaay haydan’t nooowdiced.” 😅

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wildfellhall · 04/12/2024 15:45

Chimpanzee
🤣🤣

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wildfellhall · 04/12/2024 15:56

I think KK is really good in the Duchess.

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