Thoughts on Theon

Theon will be a tough one to cast. His screen time will be relatively limited in the first season, but he becomes one of the more main characters in later books. They will most likely have to cast an actor that doesn’t mind being relegated to the background that first season, but one who has the talent to pull off a more major role down the line. Basically, they will need to find a talented, but relatively unknown actor. Let’s take a look at some of the fan suggestions.

Avery Clark – You might remember Clark from his Youtube audition videos I linked to a while back. Well it seems he has garnered enough support among the fans to be taken as a serious candidate for Theon. Clark’s acting experience is all theater, but he is a big fan of the books and is trying hard to get an audition. While I think he certainly seems to be a talented actor, I just don’t know if the producers are going to give a semi-major role to a relatively inexperienced actor.

Alex Wyndham – Unlike Clark, Wyndham has television experience. His big roles being in the BBC’s mini-series Little Dorrit and HBO’s Rome. He seems to have the right look, despite being a bit older than Theon is supposed to be at the opening of the series. I don’t think they will be looking to cast exact age for this role anyway though. Also, being a veteran of BBC and HBO projects certainly gives him a leg up on the competition.

Sam Riley – Lacking the experience of Wyndham, Riley’s credits are mostly made-for-TV movies and bit roles in a few Law & Order episodes. His breakout role, however, came in the biopic Control. His turn as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, earned him critical praise and a few awards. He has yet to capitalize on that breakout role though, maybe the role of Theon could be his opportunity.

Tom Payne – Another actor with predominately television credits to his name, Payne is best known for his role in BBC’s drama series Waterloo Road. He also has recently been cast as the lead in the BBC’s film about footballer great George Best. The positives on Payne are his age, he is the actor closest in age to Theon on this list, and his connection to the BBC. In remains to be seen if that is enough though to get him the role.

Like I said, casting Theon may be tough. Finding an actor that is willing to be relegated to a background role during the first season, but that is talented enough to help carry the series later on down the road won’t be easy. It will be interesting to see which direction they go with this. Cast a young up-and-comer or a complete unknown? Only time will tell.

• Published on 02/13/2009 at 11:03 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/20/2016 at 4:56 PM CDT