Casting Season Two: Melisandre
Continuing our series of casting speculation posts for season two, we move from Stannis to his right-hand (wo)man, Melisandre of Asshai. The Red Priestess is a substantial role so I think we can expect someone we have heard of here. Tower of the Hand on what Mel looks like: beautiful, with a slender figure, full breasts, and a heart-shaped face. Her hair is burnished copper, her eyes are red, and her skin is pale. Also, being from Asshai, this role is an opportunity for the producers to cast someone a little more ‘exotic’. Let’s take a look at some popular fan suggestions.
Tricia Helfer – Canadian actress Tricia Helfer is best known for her work on Battlestar Galactica, but has also had regular roles in Burn Notice and Dark Blue. She was a popular fan suggestion for Cersei, prior to the pilot being cast. And, in fact, she even auditioned for the role that ultimately went to Lena Headey. Since then she has read the first three books and is now a big fan. I’m sure she would be thrilled at a chance to get on the show again, this time as Melisandre. But does she have the right look? And will she be able to impress enough with her acting?
Christina Hendricks – Hendricks should be well-known to geek audiences from her role as Saffron in Firefly. To everyone else, she is known as Joan Holloway in Mad Men. My personal favorite for the role, there is no denying she’s got the voluptuousness required for the Red Lady. And the hair color. But does she have the acting chops? And another potential problem is she is American. But the big question would be her availability. Mad Men is still going strong and her work there might prevent her from flying to Northern Ireland for five months this year.
Gong Li – As we said, Mel being from Asshai allows the producers to go with a more exotic look for this role, if they want. As probably one of the most well-known and well-respected Chinese actresses working in Hollywood today, Gong Li could be a nice fit for a more exotic Mel. She has done most of her work in China, but has also branched out into Hollywood movies, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice, and Hannibal Rising. One potential issue: she has no TV credits on her resume, that I can see. Would she be willing to take a major role in a potentially long running TV series?
Monica Bellucci – An Italian actress, Belluci should be well known to American audiences from her role in the Matrix sequels. She also appeared in Tears of the Sun, The Passion of the Christ, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Belluci certainly has the seductive beauty associated with Melisandre. And she even brings a certain amount of exoticism to the role as well. She seems to have the right amount of name recognition. Like Gong Li, she has never taken a recurring TV role, but her movie career has cooled off recently, so a jump to a major HBO drama might be a good move for her.
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