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Mis-casting: Which actor did you feel did NOT best represent the book character?

229 replies

chipmonkey · 25/08/2008 23:19

Mine are:

Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart
Winona Ryder as Jo from Little Women ( she did a nice job but I wouldn't have cast her!)

OP posts:
Califrau · 26/08/2008 20:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FanjolinaJolly · 26/08/2008 21:02

John Hannah as Rebus,definitely.Though I think Stott was better he is still not exactly right for the Rebus in my head!!Felt Siobhan was also mis-cast she should be dark haired and fiery not blonde and "soft".

undervalued · 26/08/2008 21:03

Kiera Knighley as Elizabeth Bennett???

Cappuccino · 26/08/2008 21:06

there was a Sense and Sensibility adaptation and I don't know who the bloke was who was Edmund but he was blardy gorgeous

and the character is supposed to be meh, well, what can you do, my sister seems to like him

undervalued · 26/08/2008 21:07

Tom Cruise - 'playing' himself in interviews.
Awful little man.

CissyCharlton · 26/08/2008 21:09

Penelope Cruz was also awfully miscast in Captain Corelli. For a start, she spoke with a Spanish accent

TotalChaos · 26/08/2008 21:12

Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. Far too butch.

undervalued · 26/08/2008 21:22

Keanu Reeves and Wesley Snipes playing brothers in Much Ado About Nothing I realise they were supposed to be half brothers but still....

KiwiKat · 26/08/2008 21:46

Was very pleasantly surprised with Madonna in Evita - was prepared to slag her off, but thought she was superb.

KiwiKat · 26/08/2008 21:46

Was very pleasantly surprised with Madonna in Evita - was prepared to slag her off, but thought she was superb.

mybabysinthegarden · 26/08/2008 21:52

I thought Christian Bale was great in American Psycho-- that rare example of a movie being better than the book.

I'm with erwfran fancying the book Rebus too much to like any actor playing him (I imagine him looking pretty much like Ian Rankin I guess), and they muck around with the book plots too much in all the adaptations.

Heated · 26/08/2008 22:14

Sean Connery - The Hunt for Red October, as a Russian submarine captain.

In the same vein, Juliette Binoche in Wuthering Heights, "Eefcliffe, Eefcliffe"

Donald Sutherland as Mr Bennett in Pride & Prejudice (in fact most of the cast)

And I always find Emilia Fox an uncomfortable watch in whatever she's in.

erwfran · 26/08/2008 22:16

the wraiths in the beginning of film LOTR were actually better than my imagination of them, very scary.
The recent Miss Marple as a poster mentioned - so very wrong.

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 26/08/2008 22:18

Oh that dreadful man cast as Rupert Campbell-Black for Jilly Cooper's Riders! He looked the part but really could act so couldn't do justice to the wonderful, colourful Rupert character! All of Jilly's fab one-liners fell flat when they passed his lips! Was tragic!

Years ago now but I've never quite got over the disappointment!

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 26/08/2008 22:24

couldn't act! I meant! (re "Rupert" "actor" and I use the term loosely..)

Completely agree re Kevin Costner.. I have bitched about this for years! He mumbled and whispered he was through in a completely american accent - as he would because he is and is too crap to even try.. while he "cousin" (Chistian someone.. who was he?).. who was also american, did a crediable British accent! Why or why did Costner get that part???!

chunkychips · 26/08/2008 22:25

tom cruise and brad pitt in interview with a vampire

BitOfFun · 26/08/2008 22:26

Haven't read the whole thread, but John Hannah as Rebus is my top vote for a wrong 'un!

Heated · 26/08/2008 22:37

Ah yes Miss Marple, imo it can only be the incomparable Joan Hicks [can hear the theme music even now]. Geraldine McEwan is just too coquettish & too arch.

janeite · 26/08/2008 22:42

Heated - deffo re: Donald Sutherland - was he the one with the really odd teeth?

LazyLinePainterJane · 27/08/2008 07:54

Shiny, it was Christian SLater!

BlueberryBeret · 27/08/2008 11:23

Christian Slater didn't do a British accent in Robin Hood!!

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 27/08/2008 13:37

Well he did a better one than Costner who most certainly didn't even attempt one

DaphneMoon · 27/08/2008 13:59

No sorry Margaret Rutheford was the first Miss Marple and I think all the others since were wrong. Thought she was a wonderful actress, if a little typecast. I know that this post is about bad casting but how about the good ones. The Scooby do movie, the one with real people not animation. They must have thought all their birthdays had come at once when the guy who played shaggy auditioned. His likeness and incredible voice are exactly the same as the original cartoon. Can't wait for the time when Julia Roberts gets cast in a film where she does not throw her head back, open that huge gob of hers and laugh like a drain!

MiaWallace · 29/08/2008 11:20

Will Smith in I am Legend. Love Will Smith but so wrong for the part. Plus the film is nothing like the book.

AnnVan · 29/08/2008 14:27

Hated I am Legend.

Kevin COstner in Robin Hood, because he was the big name at the time. He was such a diva as well, I've heard he was angry that Alan Rickman was overshadowing him, and made the producers cut out a lot off his scenes!

Keira Knightley. Yes, she always acts in exactly the same way, with the same dewy eyed look. I thought the whole adaptation of PRide and PRejudice was wrong on every level.