Not this year
Waiting on pins and Needle for the Game of Thrones green light did not stop most of us from speculatively reaching into our Hollywood grab bags and pulling out the names of our favorite actors and sticking them (sometimes haphazardly) onto roles yet to be filled. We all have people we can imagine in these roles; for some, Ray Stevenson is the only person they could imagine in the role of Gregor Clegane. In others, John Simm, or Aidan Quinn, are the only ones some people will accept for Littlefinger. We’ve heard the names bandied about; some are spot-on, others shocking, but …
Hey. It’s that time of year. We have until June (probably before June if we’re being technical) to find the men who will be playing Littlefinger, the Mountain the Rides, Renly Baratheon, Loras Tyrell, Ser Barristan the Bold …
The list goes on. It’s a lot of roles to cast. So I went swimming (figuratively speaking) through some of our archives, as well as some of the ones over at Westeros (thanks, Ran!), and came up with a nice handful of working actors that the fans themselves have spoken of in a positive – nay, dare I say – glowing light.
Many of them, it seems, already have summer projects. So this list is for them, those pretty horses that have left the barn for greener pastures in 2010:
Considered by more than a few people for the roles of Ygritte, Asha Greyjoy, or Mya Stone (my personal favorite), it appears as though the quirky Ms. Day will be busy in the modern What If Buffy Hunted Werewolves? adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood, Red. As this movie is slated for 2011, and as her work on The Guild continues, it raises doubts as to whether Day would be available for any sort of lengthy shoot this year. It doesn’t rule her out; it just makes things look a little improbable for her this year.
Yet another name that’s been bandied about for various roles, such as Littlefinger, Beric Dondarrion, and others. This is a very busy actor, however, and his continued work with Grey’s Anatomy, not to mention the upcoming Rome movie will keep him busy at least for the remainder of the year. Next year? Who knows? A surprise turn as Mance Rayder would be just the sort of cameo I could see him thriving in.
Tom Payne
An early candidate and favorite for the role of Viserys, Mr. Payne auditioned for the role but it was ultimately won by Harry Lloyd. Some believe it was Payne’s speculative comments on Twitter regarding Game of Thrones that put him out of favor with HBO, but those rumors can be put to rest as he has landed a role in the upcoming HBO production of Luck. Payne was considered by some to be perfect for Loras Tyrell (and was my personal pick to play Marillion), but one supposes being in a Michael Mann production opposite Dustin Hoffman is a nice consolation prize.
More people will be scratched off the 2010 list as more news arrives. Until then, all we can do is speculate.
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