You know nothing, Jon Snow
It is time, yet again, for another casting post. This time, we’re going to focus on everyone’s favorite bastard, Jon Snow. This is a great spot to cast a young, up-and-coming actor. Someone who the producers think is ready for a breakout role. Jon is probably as close as you will get to a main character in A Song of Ice and Fire and casting a young actor who can handle the role is crucial. Let’s take a look at some of the names being mentioned as possible candidates.
Ben Barnes – Barnes has already had his break out role, he plays Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. It is possible that HBO may want to capitalize on his stardom by casting him as Jon. His schedule, however, may present a problem with two more Narnia movies on tap. He also may be too much of a “pretty boy” to play Jon. I think he would have been a decent choice, if he had not landed the role of Prince Caspian, but now I think he may be too big a star.
Ben Whishaw – An actor that started in theater and has since moved to television and film, Whishaw is most known for his roles in I’m Not There and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. In my opinion, he looks the part and he isn’t a star by any means so he would fit criteria of “up-and-coming actor.” Being the oldest actor on this list though may hurt his chances. Even with them aging up the characters and the fact that he looks younger than he is, I think he may be too old for the role of Jon.
Jamie Bell – Bell’s breakthrough came in the form of the titular role in Billy Elliott. Since then he has developed an impressive list of credits with roles in King Kong, Flags of our Fathers, Jumper and Defiance. I think he has the right look and he is a talented actor. Despite being in a number of big movies, he isn’t a household name. He could be a good fit for a role such as this. The question is whether he is actually willing to give up what looks to be a promising film career.
Nicholas Hoult – Probably most well known for his role in About A Boy, he has since grown up and just finished starring in a two-season run of the popular British television series Skins. He seems to be one of those young actors poised for a breakout role. He has the right look and his schedule seems to be open for now. He also would be just about the perfect age for Jon, assuming they are aging him up to be around 17-18 years old at the start of Game of Thrones. I think he would be a great fit.
I think Jon is going to be one of the easier roles to fill in this production. Certainly there are plenty of talented young actors looking to breakout and a starring role on a potential HBO series would be a great place to do it. It could be a complete unknown cast in the role. That won’t stop us from speculating about the possibilities though!
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