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

[chipmonkey]

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!)

The Beach. Should have been Ewan McGregor, but that feckwit Danny Boyle wanted to be a hollywood film director. So they blew 1/3 of their budget on that DiCaprio muppet, and rewrote the script to accomdate his desire to have everything changed. Wasted, wasted opportunity.

I now can't watch anything with David Jason in because his version of Rincewind was so bad. I didn't like him much as Albert, but at least he was closer in looks/age to the character. People know now not to mention David jason around me because they know it'll start me ranting!
It's not out yet, but I've got a horrible feeling (looking at pictures on IMDB) that The Time Traveller's Wife is going to be dire. Claire and Henry in the film look nothing like they do in my head!

The actress who played Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. IMHO, she is the only miscasting in the Harry Potter moves - all the rest have been very weel cast.

No, Janeite, I'm with you - I thought KK was pretty good in P&P. Actually, I thought the only problem with that film was Mathew McFadyen (though loved him in Spooks and on stage in Henry IV). But in P&P he just mooned about looking mournful. And I also thought KK was good in Atonement - not smiley at all! (Funny, I never thought I'd be defending her, particularly given how appallingly bad she was in Pirates and Love, Actually.)

Nicholas Cage as Capt Corelli. Not read thread yet, only title but I bet I'm not the only one to say that.

I was devestated by the casting and general mangling of The Dark is Rising, really gutted

Also Tom Hanks in the DaVinci Code.

I may not watch The Time T's Wife, not after The Dark is Rising fiasco!

another vote for Tom Hanks in the DaVinci Code

what a complete loooser!

he's supposed to dashing, sauve and knowledgeable (an earlier version of Harrison Ford would be nice).

Good as long as its not just me that thinks David Jason was all wrong in Colour of Magic - clearly said Nigel Planer on the part

A. Hopkins as Mr Wilcox in Howards End. Not aggressive enough - way too benign....and then gets to actually live at the end, when he should be dying at the failure to "Only connect" as per Forster's indication.

Colin Firth as Vermeer in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Love the book, hated hated hated the film - totally ruined and hope more people read the book than saw the film!

"clearly said Nigel Planer on the part"

...or anyone who can carry off a decent interpretation of Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Shaggy & Rincewind are pretty similar characters after all... if you can't do one, you can't do the other.

Another vote for Keira Knightly / Elizabeth Bennett - FAR too modern looking and insipid.

Clive Owen should have been Sharpe not Sean Bean - WTF am I talking about I hate fecking Sharpe anyway so what do I care!

Tom Cruise as Vampire Lestat. I wept when I heard he had been cast. I sobbed when I saw the film.

Tom Cruise in anything he's ever been cast in (I might give exception to The Outsiders as I don't think he'd become a twat by then - being a twat is something he doesn't seem to prevent shining through in everything to does)

Don't like Peter Ustinov as Poirot - to big - then again I'm not too sure if I don't like him as Poirot because I think that David Suchet is Poirot therefore no one else has a chance of ever being any good

There are lots more - usually I find that the major 'stars' (you know the ones that are there to draw in the crowds) are usually badly cast

Disagree buddleja When I was reading The Firm before the film came out I was picturing Tom Cruise from the beginning. I didn't know he had the part then.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, bruffin. As usual, all my suggestions have already been mentioned: Kenneth Branagh as Lockheart, Imelda Staunton as Umbrage. I remember when they cast Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter they said it had to be someone who could act - the jury's still out on that one! Also don't think I could bear to watch Eric Bana as Henry in TTW. Love Clive Owen in anything AND think it's Greg Wise (Mr Emma Thompson) that Cappuccino's thinking of, he was brilliant in that part.

Keano Reeves in anything. Most. Wooden. Actor. Ever.

Another vote here for James Nesbitt unconvincing portrayal of the lovely Jack Parlabane

Yes agree with Geraldine McEwan being a terrible Miss MArple. So disappointing. Joan Hickson was the ultimate imo

Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard in The Beach, Should have been Ewan McGregor.

Or better still, Alex Garland's brilliant book shouldn't have been turned in to such a cheesy film anyway... Shame on you Boyle! A blemish on an otherwise great record.

Ohh oh here she comes, watch out boy, she'll kill your thread, whoa oh here she comes, she's a threadkiller!

All Miss Marples except Joan Hickson, all Poirots except David Suchet.

There's never been a really good Darcy, imo.