File this one under “The One That Got Away”. Dominic West revealed to the Huffington Post’s Maureen Ryan in a recent interview that he was offered a role in Game of Thrones, but turned it down. The role he was offered was almost certainly Mance Rayder.
On Wednesday, I interviewed West, who played the iconic cop Jimmy McNulty on “The Wire,” about the second season of the period drama “The Hour,” in which he plays newscaster Hector Madden. I asked what other kinds of roles he was interested in, and “Game of Thrones” came up in the conversation.
“I was offered something on ‘Game of Thrones’ and unfortunately, I hadn’t seen it, but my nephew and his father said, ‘Gosh, “Game of Thrones” is the only great show on!’ And I felt terrible, because I’d just turned them down,” West said.
So what part was West offered? He hasn’t read the books, so the name didn’t stick in his head. But he did say that taking the role — a substantial one and similar in stature or importance to Sean Bean’s Season 1 character Ned Stark, according to West — would have involved being “in Reykjavik for six months.” (“Game of Thrones” shoots the scenes set north of the Wall in Iceland.)
West goes on to say that the main reason he had to turn it down was because he didn’t want to spend too much time away from his family.
Winter Is Coming: So close! West would have been a great choice for the role. I respect his decision to not want to be away from his family for a long time, but one wonders if he realizes that the shoot in Iceland was only going to be 6 weeks, not the quoted 6 months. If he turned the role down based on a misunderstanding of the shooting schedule, well, that would suck. Still, this does prove that they are looking for a “name” actor for the role. Hopefully the part is filled soon!
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175 Comments
I saw his face and almost jumped for joy, then I saw the word “almost.”
Son of a bitch!
LukeQuote Reply
Oh well.
Now Gudmundur Thorvaldsson please!
CarneQuote Reply
Bittersweet news indeed!
I understand the desire to be close to his family so I cannot fault him on the choice, but…. Aww man!
He was one of the actors I assumed was out of the running due to schedule or being too big of a name and to hear HBO offered it to him….. Wow, just wow….
darquemodeQuote Reply
It’s okay, in Nina Gold we trust!
The Young WolfQuote Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30YW3wgRvyI
Towers RiceQuote Reply
Good, he’s all wrong for the part. Too much swagger.
OtherAndrewQuote Reply
Gods be good! McNulty would’ve been a great Mance. Too bad…
JoeQuote Reply
UGhghghh what an idiot!!! He is a brilliant actor with terrible business instincts. He was one of the best parts of The Wire, probably the greatest television show ever made, but has consistenly starred in utter crap since, with the exception of BBC’s The Hours.
SlimLESQuote Reply
Damnit Damnit Damnit.
Positive is HBO wants a name player for Mance. So I don’t think we are shooting to high thinking of Purefoy/Cusick.
SuperdeluxeQuote Reply
Towers Rice,
haha! Perfect reactions from Clay Davis
JoeQuote Reply
He was my second choice. So what’s James Purefoy doing these days?
MrsWunQuote Reply
West is a great actor, he can play something without swagger. It’s a shame about the scheduling and travel aspects. He certainly has the charisma for Mance.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Wait, six months? Maybe he’s misremembering and it was actually six weeks. But that would still make it longer than the actors were actually in Iceland for S2 wouldn’t it?
JamesQuote Reply
What the fuck did he do?
Juju BudkesonQuote Reply
Starring in a show on FOX
SuperdeluxeQuote Reply
Starring on a new FOX show, The Following.
H, aka VeeQuote Reply
Made a big mistake, he is already regretting it
SuperdeluxeQuote Reply
MrsWun,
Filming a new series on FOX this fall called which he co-stars with Kevin Bacon.
darquemodeQuote Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-28aExCW9co
Juju BudkesonQuote Reply
He would have been great. The good thing is I can still hold out hope for someone like Tim Roth with this news.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Ours is the Fury, YMMV but the repeated emphasis on how Mance could blend into a room has always been very important to how I’d imagined him. Jon doesn’t notice him at their first meeting, he was in disguise at the Winterfell feast, returns to Winterfell in disguise in Book 5… Dominic West is great at many things but… “subtle” has never been one of them. Plus, he’s physically huge and impossible not to notice with such a distinctive face. I want a restrained actor who can play Mance’s warm and cold personality traits without being in-your-face about it.
OtherAndrewQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
I agree.
I don’t get the “swagger” argument myself, since actors portray the role they are given and of course Mance does have a certain level of charisma (minstrels by their very nature need charisma). Plus, I have seen West (and Purefoy for that matter) be vulnerable and swagger-free in The Hour and Injustice respectively just last year.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Someone get in touch with him! There’s still time!!! Oh my word, the thought of Mr West in this role gives me the vapours! Someone find his contact details! ;-)
Chris RaceyQuote Reply
Big fan of West, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed that he (likely) passed on the role of Mance. Hopefully he’ll be offered another role in the future, though.
Pastor_of_MuppetsQuote Reply
Too bad. He’d have been a great Mance. But there are others who can play that role.
Maxwell JamesQuote Reply
Jeez man, that countdown clock just gets me depressed.
RyanQuote Reply
Awwwwww fuck
ZackQuote Reply
If it is a substantial role, then I feel more positive about Jon’s upcoming story arc (:
mags giantsbabeQuote Reply
Stop with this James Purefoy business! He’s a good-looking, horrible, wooden actor. McNulty would have been a good Mance though.
MATTHEWQuote Reply
Someone dares to turn down Game of Thrones? Well, that’s a first from what I’ve seen. I can see some Mance like qualities in Dominic, but he’s not what I pictured for the role. .. even after checking out some of his work on youtube vids.
How terrible of me to want to be wow’d by Mance. Mance is a character that I wanted to hate for his Night’s Watch betrayal and toying of Jon, but that I can’t help but love for those same exact reasons. It doesn’t help that his charm, wit and beauty is a total distraction.
MimsyQuote Reply
Mr. West, please reconsider taking the role, filming wll only amount to 6-8 weeks, which will leave you plenty of time for family and other projects.
tysnowQuote Reply
Mr. West, I will miss drooling over you in this one.
MachaQuote Reply
Well if they were looking at him for Mance, then perhaps they’ll re-approach with another role later knowing that he might be more likely to join with a different scheduling situation.
I thought they did their Iceland stuff in only 3 weeks for s2, I can’t imagine it being double that for s3? It seems like an in-and-out, waste no time shooting environment and since Jon is off to the wildings and they have tents, a lot of it can be done on the soundstage in Belfast.
KSQuote Reply
MATTHEW,
I agree, he sucked hard in Camelot and he’s quite overrated so i’m glad he has no chance of being in the show.
Claudiu GherganuQuote Reply
MATTHEW,
Uhhh, did you see Season 2 of Rome? Namely the scenes in Egypt where he’s gone mad and right after Cleopatra’s death? There’s nothing “wooden” about that acting AT ALL. Come to think of it, he isn’t the least bit wooden on that show at all.
ButterbumpsQuote Reply
Claudiu Gherganu,
Sorry guys, never saw him suck ass on Camelot. Just kick kick, haul, and well, screw a lot of it on Rome, but hey to each his own. looks like he’s busy anyway.
MrsWunQuote Reply
I mean it’s not like he was working with great material in a movie like Camelot.
ButterbumpsQuote Reply
Most likely this happened weeks ago. They probably have already cast Mance at this point, don’t you think? We just don’t know who it is yet.
Handmaiden of DanyQuote Reply
How about Joe Fiennes?….please don’t throw things at me people….I really think he had a terrible script on Camelot and would be great as Mance.
Handmaiden of DanyQuote Reply
Fuck me. Guess they don’t have Jameson in Iceland.
(nsfw obvs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx0xulrOsgQ
the goatQuote Reply
Butterbumps,
Best Marc Anthony I’ve ever seen, and this is coming from a huge Richard Burton fan.
MachaQuote Reply
That interview makes it seem that there was a miscommunication about the length of the shoot. This, plus his belated recognition of how big a show this is, should make the producers reach out and try again.
Cersei… I wouldQuote Reply
Handmaiden of Dany,
Joseph Fiennes is a good actor and would be a pretty good Mance, I think. He’s not as imposing or as charismatic as West, so he’s actually more in line with the book descriptions.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
With all due respect to Mr. west, maybe they can go with James Frain or John Hawkes now. I think this casting is my primary purpose for ever posting on this site.
JillianQuote Reply
Okay, is he dumb to turn down a role on Thrones.. Come on!
Okay, then not Purefoy.. Ian McShane.. Best choice. He doesn’t have alot of swagger and he’s very good actor and really good in acting..
I’d love to see him as Mance..
StaceyJQuote Reply
Thank God. He would’ve been awful.
Dolph LundgrenQuote Reply
Damn. Just watched Appropriate Adult and he was amazing. He would have added to the already high quality of the cast. Now hoping for James Nesbitt
HouseLarkQuote Reply
Both Purefoy and Fiennes are good actors who could do justice to the role. Likewise Rufus Sewell..we’d be lucky to have any of them.
Sometimes actors take roles in projects that don’t appear to be crap when they see the scripts , or outline….then scripts change , scenes are cut , etc..or the money isn’t put into the production, or they get a poor director.
( Speaking of Purefoy.. Solomon Kane is finally getting a NA release in Sept. The director , Michael J .Basset has said he’d love to direct some Thrones, George has seen Kane and the two met for chit chat at Comicon ..I’ll be curious to see if he gets to helm an episode or two down the line )
ETA: Much as I adore Ian McShane..he’s too old to play Mance.
ObsidianQuote Reply
It’s official Dominic West is a moron.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
At least they tried to get a big actor though and hopefully they’ll continue to look for one.
I just hope we can get one big actor to join the show this season.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Exacto !
WildSeedQuote Reply
True.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Great choices. You definately have the same mental picture of Mance as I do. John Hawkes looks exactly how Mance should look.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
I would love to see John Hawks as Mance but he seems to only like appearing in Indie movies at the moment.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Obsidian,
I think Rufus Sewell is out of the running sadly (he was one of my personal favorites for the role). A week ago he was cast in an upcoming mini-series called “Restless” that is in pre-production right now with a tentative December 2012 release date.
http://www.deadline.com/2012/06/hayley-atwell-michelle-dockery-rufus-sewell-are-restless-for-bbc-mini/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2241676/
darquemodeQuote Reply
I was not familiar with Hawkes, but after Googling him, I totally agree with you. He looks *extremely* Mancey, as if pulled from my imagination.
No handsome heart-throbs playing Mance, please!!!! (McNulty is quite handsome but I’d forgive him as Mance, because he would do the role justice)
MATTHEWQuote Reply
Al Swearengen,
John Hawkes being American would be probably rule him out anyway. They’ve only cast Americans in two special cases- Dinklage and Momoa. There are fewer little people actors, and it sounds like they searched all over the UK/Ireland/Australia for Drogo before finding Momoa in the U.S..
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
I still have hope that Viggo Mortensen will abandon all of his projects to play Mance!
AnonQuote Reply
I know i’m going a bit off track here, but… how about Hugh Laurie? He’s definitely not imposing to look at & imagine the reaction when he’s revealed! Different from the books, but still wow…
Wun-WunQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
Is there really a bias against casting American’s for the show ? I am pretty sure Hawks could pull off a British accent if necessary.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Yes, they should definitely hire you instead. Y’know cuz you can smell crime and all.
Dennis: And then he smells crime again, he’s out busting heads. Then he’s back to the lab for some more full penetration. Smells crime. Back to the lab, full penetration. Crime. Penetration. Crime. Full penetration. Crime. Penetration. And this goes on and on and back and forth for 90 or so minutes until the movie just sort of ends.
(pause for 7 seconds whilst Dennis seeks comments from the gang)
Frank: That is brilliant, that is the most brilliant movie I’ve ever heard in my life!
Charlie: I think the audience is gonna be very uncomfortable seeing Dolph Lundgren’s naked penis going in to this young girl that you’re talking about.
Dennis: Yeah, just to be clear though, I don’t care either way.
the goatQuote Reply
I don’t think they’re specifically looking for a big name. GoT doesn’t need big names, and I doubt they’d get a lot of extra views even if Dominic West had been cast. I’ll take good acting over how well known they are any day.
CarneQuote Reply
It’s a union thing, I think. Nothing against American actors personally.
Lin BeifunkQuote Reply
Wow, talk about clueless. Look, he was good in The Wire, but was far from the best thing about that show (that would be Michael Kenneth Williams). I don’t see Dominic West as Mance. I would die with happiness if Viggo Mortenson was picked for Mance.
DreamlifeQuote Reply
Geez, don’t actors sorta keep track of what’s been nominated for awards in their line of work? I understand that GoT is not as big in the UK, but you’d think with his previous history with HBO, that he’d at least do a basic web search/confirm the schedule before making his decision. (It really sounds like he wasn’t that keen on the part to begin with and is sorta backpedaling now that he sees that it’s a little bigger than he thought.)
Since I’ve only seen him in the Devil’s Whore as Cromwell (Ol Mole), I guess I’m not quite as heartbroken that he won’t be Mance. Although that brings to mind someone else…JOHN SIMM, although he may dislike traveling for jobs more than West (he also has small children).
Let’s just throw out some names of guys that are in the right age range…all the dudes from Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes (Philip Glenister, Dean Andrews) + Mad Dogs guys + Toby Stephens (hey, he can sing and play guitar per the recent ep of Vexed – LOL). And is there anything keeping Mance as a Whitey McWhite guy? I mean, Thoros shoulda/coulda been a POC….
Or maybe they should just slap a wig and a fake nose on Jerome Flynn and call it a day.
AoifeQuote Reply
Carne,
I am not saying they should hire some just because of their high profile status, I’d just like a biggish actor for a couple roles, you know like Purefoy for The Crows eye.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Here’s a thought… how about Rufus Sewell for Mance? He is one hell of an actor, and he has a certain quiet gravitas which I have always associated with Mance.
LanaQuote Reply
H Laurie does have the voice for the part but I doubt the swagger needed as King Beyond
the Wall. I’d like to see him included somewhere in GoT cuz I admire his work just not
as Mance Rayder.
WildSeedQuote Reply
John Hawkes would be amazing! For god’s sake, he’s so exception worthy. He can sing! He has the right look. He has been very very very bad (in a gajillion things) and very very very good (in Deadwood). He would be such a great Mance. That’s a really good suggestion.
MQuote Reply
Was Joseph Campo a serious contender ?
WildSeedQuote Reply
WIC says WEST is a big name ?. No he isn’t , but he would’ve been a fantastic Mance !!! …I’ll take John Hawkes or Rufus Sewell for the role though…
Coltaine777Quote Reply
Didn’t even find out about the show before turning it down or find out how long shoot was, what an arragont cock!
AshQuote Reply
I know it’s never going to happen, but let me say for the record that Viggo Mortensen would be an awful choice. He’s a skilled actor, but he’s an utterly beautiful, dreamy-looking man and is total leading-man material, as opposed to the subtle average dude-ness, which is an important part of Mance’s character.
Plus why would Mortensen want to do epic fantasy (on TV, no less) after playing the swashbuckling hero of the most famous epic fantasy of all time. It would be stupid for HBO to cast him and stupid of him to take the roll.
If we’re going to daydream about huge Hollywood actors (Americans, no less) playing Mance Rayder, how about someone not known for his smoldering good looks, someone like Tom Hanks or Sean Penn or Jeremy Renner or I could go on and on and on.
I would make a handsome-exception for Michael Fassbender. He would make an amazing Mance or Oberyn, although he doesn’t really look the part of either.
MATTHEWQuote Reply
I think Hawkes would nail the role, but he has such a striking look he is not right for Mance either really (and that’s ignoring the fact he’s American). I think he stands out as much as some of the actors like West and Purefoy that are too “handsome” for some people. He’s such a brilliant actor though I would not care and frankly I don’t think appearance is that important to the role of Mance.
Mance is not small but not large in stature and has a plain face. To me that seems to fit just about anyone as long as they are not huge (which in Westeros is more like over 6′-6″ – not over 6’0″ tall), and not either strikingly beautiful or strikingly unique looking.
The one thing I think is important is a quiet confidence and charisma – not swagger as some say, but I think Mance needs to have that inner strength and calmness that people are drawn to. An ability to not stand out in a crowd does not mean he is unattractive or uncharasmatic, it just means that Mance is aware and skilled enough to not draw attention to himself.
darquemodeQuote Reply
So I guess Dominic west is now off the rayder! OH SNAP!
The mighty hodorQuote Reply
You know you are successful when you can turn down an opportunity as great as the one he was presented.
ghostQuote Reply
Someone is gonna call himself a fucking idiot when season 3 airs.
Aegon the ConquerorQuote Reply
Ha ha ha ! Favorite response
YvyBQuote Reply
For whatever reason (I know Dornish are supposed to be middle eastern-ish) I’ve always pictured Jason Isaacs as Oberyn. Dudes face just popped up while reading and stuck.
Yes, Fassbender would be dream casting for Mance, but really the dude is dream casting for any part. That Fassbender is so hot right now.
John Hawkes would murder this role. I’d honestly take him over anyone else. He’s tailor made for it.
HunterQuote Reply
So sad! I love The Wire and I loved West as McNulty. I actually had a huge crush on him when the first season aired. He wasn’t the best thing on the show, but the scene where he drinks like 18 shots of Jameson, tries to drive home and hits the same freeway column twice was truly amazing.
Ugh, I just made myself sad.
QueensmootQuote Reply
Yeah, couldn’t really imagine a member of the Fellowship in GoT…
I’d say that in general, being a “skilled actor” is more important than how you look, but that’s just me. Anyway, it’s extremely unlikely that HBO’s Mance will not be good looking, but it probably won’t matter, as his imdb page indicates he will probs be unavailable. :-(
AnonQuote Reply
Yes please .
YvyBQuote Reply
He said his role would have been similar to Sean beans? Wouldn’t mances be more important in the series? He will last more seasons…? I think obryne Is on the Sean bean path, but shooting says elsewhere?
PerkinsQuote Reply
This is such a bummer…
So who is on the Mance shortlist now??
Henry Ian Cusick??
DavidBCQuote Reply
Craig Parkinson from Misfits(UK) would make an awesome Mance…
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m65fj2k0vT1qduokt.jpg
DavidBCQuote Reply
oh Jimmy, sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
andreaQuote Reply
I’d love to see Craig Parkinson be someone in the series – he’s great! Hadn’t thought of him until you posted that photo.
He could make a great Vargo.
ChickenduckQuote Reply
Chickenduck,
He actually would be better as Vargo.
DavidBCQuote Reply
I’m the most underrated actor of all time. It’s my spiky hair and icy cold demeanor.
CRIME STINKS! The smell of penetration…
Dolph LundgrenQuote Reply
DavidBC,
I love that guy. Presumably too late to be in S3, but there’s always more scumbag characters to be found in future seasons.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
DavidBC,
Despite being too pretty for the role, I was secretly hoping Robert Sheehan would end up as Ramsay :P
CarneQuote Reply
I think he’s just doesn’t want (or need) to be involved in a semi cheesy genre drama. A good long term choice. I feel bad for his colleague Aiden Gillen who has been made a fool of as an actor and may never get another decent role.
WesQuote Reply
Jason Isaacs, Hugh Laurie, or Rufus Sewell would be great possiblilities to play Mance!
sherryQuote Reply
Wes,
You obviously haven’t seen Centurion.
Morgan KingQuote Reply
Clearly you have never seen an episode of House.
Hugh Laurie might lack the muscle to play Mance, but since he’s going to be in a heavy coat all the time anyway, they can probably make it work.
sunspearQuote Reply
Would have been great to see ol’ McNulty as Mance but on the other hand, he seemed pretty ambivalent about the role from the get-go and seeing as how it would require him to be on the show for at least 4 seasons, if not more, it’s maybe just as well that someone a little less famous get the role.
BaramosQuote Reply
Wes,
I don’t think that would be it, he was in both Centurion (as someone else pointed out), a fairly cheesy film, and probably the cheesiest film of the past five years, Punisher: War Zone as the over-the-top villain Jigsaw.
BaramosQuote Reply
ghost,
Yeah, I know people look at this like a missed opportunity or something, but for an actor the paycheck often matters as well, and also The Hour is pretty critically acclaimed as well, even if it’s not as epic as Game of Thrones. If the paycheck they were offering him wasn’t any better than the one for The Hour and he thought it would involve too much time away from his family in a foreign country, that also factors into things.
BaramosQuote Reply
Wes,
???
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
The only thing I’ve ever seen West in was 300 and he was so hammy I just couldn’t watch his scenes so this doesn’t bother me. My heart is still hoping for Tim Roth or Henry Ian Cusick (I know, could they be more different) but Joseph Fiennes would not be bad. Geez, I just realized I’ve picked Mr. Orange, Jesus & Martin Luther as my choices for Mance….
DanielleQuote Reply
Rufus Sewell is far too good-looking to be Mance. No-one has ever been in a room with him and not noticed him.
Alex AlsoQuote Reply
sunspear,
Hugh Laurie – please!!!
patchy faceQuote Reply
LOL, are you serious? Too much swagger for a guy who does what Mance does? He is a king beyond the wall and is a bard too?
OtherAndrew,
KevinQuote Reply
I think some of you are putting too much emphasis on “he’s gotta look like average joe” gate. This show took enough liberties as it is, the fact that Jon doesn’t see him as Mance the first time they meet is a plot point but not what makes Mance critical. The audience only needs to believe seeing someone wildly charismatic who can be brutal on a moment’s notice to keep all these wildlings in check. I’d rather they focus on his ability to be imposing (in a mysterious sort of way) than how hot he looks. The fact that shooting has already begun and we haven’t heard squat from HBO leads me to Jon’s arc is being delayed till season 4 (or significantly lower screen time). They would have cast Mance by now already if he was going to be pivotal for S3.
DrfunkQuote Reply
Drfunk,
Nah, I think they’re just hiding stuff from us like they did with the ComicCon casting announcements.
Lin BeifunkQuote Reply
Good. I’ve honestly never really liked him in any of his roles… Anyones else could be better for the part, like Faramir from LotR :O:O He’s honestly who i always pictured wearing a black cape
Dave BrownellQuote Reply
Drfunk,
They probably won’t shoot the winter scene until the fall anywho
Dave BrownellQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
Yeah, it’s mostly a weird combination of my overall perception of Mance from the book (he causes unease, not entirely trustworthy, but you can’t help but like him and as a result want Jon to be liked by him) and the roles I’ve seen both these actors play. Either one would kill it, as they do everything else. Glad someone else doesn’t see Mance as a James Purefoy type (and this comes from someone who absolutely adores Purefoy, I just want him as an iron born). However, I could be completely content with Hugh Laurie, but I wonder that he might not be content with music and shorter-term gigs after such a long stint in a career-defining role. Maybe some relaxation time is in order to prevent people from seeing him as House in his next role? If not, I could absolutely get on board with him as Mance,
JillQuote Reply
Damn it! Bloody hell!
That was close…oh I really would have enjoyed having him in the cast. Besides, he did a great job working with Neil Marhsall in “Centurion”, if you watch the behind the scenes stuff, he had a lot of fun…and the shooting of that movie was quite brutal at times and Mr. West aquitted himself admirably…so he’s no pussy when it comes to hard work…
Well we are getting Tobias Menzies and he is a great actor…Still it would have been cool to see McNulty re-united with Councilman Carcetti…aka our own Littlefinger…
loco73Quote Reply
Would it work to have a different former doctor David Tennant in GoT-verse? i could see him as patchface or moonboy but it might be a bit distracting in other major roles. I’ve been catching up on Doctor Who.
I still like the idea of casting a singer/actor as Mance a la Nick Cave or David Bowie.
DirehoundQuote Reply
What the f*** did I do?
SegovaxQuote Reply
im so upset! i got really excited when i saw his name, he would have been perfect! it sounds like he regrets it though and mance still hasn’t been cast so….
caoimayQuote Reply
I think he regrets saying no! they should ask him again
caoimayQuote Reply
Wes,
Wow, this is as close minded as i’ve ever seen .
Claudiu GherganuQuote Reply
The problems with US actors are cost and convenience. Higher salaries in the US will be an issue and if the part involves filming in locations across Europe then it’s just more red tape to sort out trying to get work permits for each country. Why create more hassle?
Then there’s the accent issue. A good British accent is difficult to pull off, especially if it’s a specific regional accent and not just “generic upper-middle class Brit” which is about the only UK accent I’ve heard a US actor pull off convincingly.
HouseLarkQuote Reply
Here here HouseLark !
It drives me mad that not many people can see the Northern Westeros have Northern English accents … and it’s even thicker beyond the wall … Ygritte’s was very heavy. (Though I would of liked Scottish beyond the wall but hey ho!)
So it’s not simply an English accent that is required for Mance .. although if he was brought up at the wall he would of been used to various accents .. his time beyond would have him influenced by heavy Northern accents again.
YvyBQuote Reply
Still holding out for James Purefoy, who I think would be perfect for the role, but I’m recognizing this probably isn’t going to happen. From the sounds of it they’ve reached out to their big name actors, got some no’s, and are still casting the character.
As for Dominic West, but whenever I see that man I’ll always see Jimmy McNulty. Doesn’t matter how good a Mance he would have played :P
AdamQuote Reply
OMG!!! wow he would’ve been awesome… and a sort of 300 reunion too (though lena would not have been in a scene with him) he totally missed out…
gisizzlahQuote Reply
Shame! I wonder what kind of Mance he would have been. Oh well.
caravaggioQuote Reply
Wow, Merry Brandybuck looks old now and he obviously no longer has the ability to make smart decisions :)
RygarQuote Reply
Rygar,
That guy didn’t play Merry. You are thinking of Dominic Monaghan
DanielleQuote Reply
LOL when I saw the name Dominic in the context of a British actor the little hobbit was my first thought as well. Then I saw the picture and then realized it was that guy, whom I don’t think of as “Dominic West.” To me, he’s just “McNulty” the same way Jon Heder is “Napoleon Dynamite”.
MATTHEWQuote Reply
Guys, I don’t think you should take this too seriously. Yea the article mentioned McNulty turned down the role but to be completely honest it doesn’t seem like he ever really considered it and for someone who didn’t even know for how long he was required on his contract to be working it all just seems pretty unprofessional and maybe even a somewhat casual offer. I’d say Dom is talking himself up here somewhat as well.
This means no offense to Dominic West at all, it’s just that he’s sort of a big name star now and just because someone threw Game of Thrones at him once doesn’t really mean we *almost* had him.
Would’ve been awesome though, he’s a fav of mine. I’d prefer someone slightly older though.
snapbackdQuote Reply
Actually, on second thought, if they do give McNulty a role in Game of Thrones one day, I hope it’s someone who gets to interact with Littlefinger.
AdamQuote Reply
I’ve always pictured Antonio Banderas as The Red Viper, though I realize it might be tough getting an American actor for the role. Maybe somebody from Spain? However, I think they could have a big name actor for the role, since it’s essentially a flashy cameo.
I’ve pictured Jason Isaacs as Randyll Tarly, based on his roles in The Patriot & the Harry Potter movies. I can see him talking down to a certain someone liked he talked down to Harry & Ron.
NewJeffCTQuote Reply
Damnit, McNulty. There you go giving a fuck when it’s not your turn to give a fuck. Be my Red Viper.
Gatehouse AmiQuote Reply
I think Randyll Tarley is supposed to be R. Lee Ermey
MATTHEWQuote Reply
Not saying I don’t like him, but I’m sort of glad he’s not playing Mance as I and a lot of others picture Mance as a more older man than Mr. West is. I’m going to assume that if HBO was looking at him for Mance, then I would imagine the person they get for the role will be around the same age. With that said there are many other roles he can do, smaller ones if he’s concerned with leaving his family for a while.
KlavonivsQuote Reply
Oh no, I wish I hadn’t read this!! Such a near miss is heartbreaking!!!
Fingers crossed they offer him another role–any other role–sometime in the future now that he’s seen the error of his ways!
ElaineQuote Reply
A little odd that you would turn down something you didn’t even know about, no? I mean… at least wikipedia that stuff! Then once you learn how immensely popular it is in ratings and book sales, watch an episode or two. This is not a lengthy process of research here, we’re talking about 5 minutes of wikipedia followed by optional viewing time.
ViolentosQuote Reply
NewJeffCT,
… Banderas IS Spanish, you clod.
McTriggerQuote Reply
I’m glad he turned them down.
jaaQuote Reply
Cast Sly Stallone.
TrappingsofpowerQuote Reply
I was joking…
Danielle,
RygarQuote Reply
James Purefoy as Mance Rayder=best choice imo.
AnneQuote Reply
I am going to keep pushing John Cusak as Mance. If Dinklage can pull off the accent, I’m sure JC could too.
RygarQuote Reply
Purefoy will ultimately be cast as Mance
queen of the hillQuote Reply
dinklages accent is the generic upper class one people talked about though, and especially in season 1 there have been times where he its a bit cringeworthy.
plus the union issue.
they have enough actors to choose from within the eu.
BiscottiQuote Reply
Frustrating news, I like this guy.
Maybe some other year as … well, in fact no idea who else he could play. There won’t many big roles left after Mance is cast, and I can’t imagine him as a Greyjoy.
StrongboarQuote Reply
Peter does a very good posh gentry English accent which befits his Southern Lannister roots… Mance will have to be Northern like Ygritte and Ned.
YvyBQuote Reply
Right, my point being that a good actor should be able to pull off an accent, especially with training.
Its been a while since I read the books, but was Mance from the North (the Stark North) prior to joining the Black? I don’t seem to recall.
YvyB,
RygarQuote Reply
mance was a wildling child taken by the nights watch and raised.
i’d like more on this backstory- was he an orphan? how often does this happen? at what age was he taken?
BiscottiQuote Reply
they should take Liam Neeson or James Purefoy !
cibQuote Reply
It’s true that a lot of Americans wouldn’t be able to pick different regional England accents beyond “generic upper class” and “generic working class”, but part of that is that they simply don’t hear them that often, either in real life or on TV.
To be fair, a lot of Brits would have a tough time saying exactly where in the US certain distinctive accents come from (ie it’s obvious to Americans that Peter Griffin is stereotypically working class Boston/Rhode Island area, but Brits might just think he sounds “American”). A lot of Brits also wouldn’t pick Canadians from Americans from the accent.
Australians get annoyed that most outsiders can’t tell us apart from New Zealanders – to us the differences are obvious, but to people from elsewhere we sound pretty similar apparently.
IN OTHER NEWS THOUGH – I always thought it’d be kind of cool to have a fantasy setting where they didn’t have British accents… Just for something different. E.g. the “Dornish Drawl” described by GRRM could be fun if it was like they were from Alabama :) But that would really clash with audience expectations of what “sounds like fantasy”.
ChickenduckQuote Reply
(For what it’s worth, in my head, the Dornish sounded kind of like they were from Bristol. Sort of like Gareth on The Office UK).
ChickenduckQuote Reply
Some can, but a lot of them can’t… There are plenty of people with great acting chops who battle with accents.
ChickenduckQuote Reply
Sorry I haven’t read all the comments, but has anyone mentioned West for Euron Greyjoy? Personally, I’ve always thought he was much better for that role.
Crow’s EyeQuote Reply
cib,
I don’t mean to be rude but, can you people not read the 1000 times it’s been said that Purefoy is starring in another show with Kevin Bacon which it’s filmed in the same period as GOT ?
Claudiu GherganuQuote Reply
Chickenduck,
That doesn’t make any sense, America was never medieval and plus it would sound really stupid with american accents . Not to mention that GRRM based the series on the War of the Roses which was in Great Britain .
Claudiu GherganuQuote Reply
Chickenduck,
Thanks for your response you said it way better than I could of ! But thanks to time zones I was alsleep :D
Anyhoo, Dornish (Cornish in my head) is like Hagrid :)
YvyBQuote Reply
Rygar,
I agree an actor good with accents should be able to pull if off.
YvyBQuote Reply
It seems like Dominic West West must have turned down the role more than a week ago and maybe two. I found an article stating that he will be starring in the musical “My Fair Lady at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The role will be West’s first singing role and the musical is expected to run through December.
So I guess that rules out any subterfuge on his part and any chance of him rethinking the role in Game of Thrones. Not to mention means that Mo Ryan’s article was published after West had already signed on as part of My Fair Lady’s cast.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/dominic-west-my-fair-lady_n_1689814.html
darquemodeQuote Reply
Your assertions are very astute and would make for a thread about the story of
English. Every region has it’s own dialect and colloquialism. I lived for a time
in the southern US coast and had a difficult time understanding the locals and
still do. In every country there seems a spoken difference in what has been labeled
a derivative language ( from it’s origins of Latin, Spainish, English, German, French
etc). While on holiday in Germany ( Bacharach) I encountered 2 natives visiting
families or inlaws nearby and I shared a lovely dinner. One recited a well known
poem while we all listened, 1 the other German guest responded with the comment
that he barely understood a word of it (They were from opposite parts of the country).
We all had a big laugh and talked more over more wine. Don’t get me started
about France, the dialects are easily measured though. The transported language
in other countries like Haiti or Mexico is barely recognizable as is the US.
If GRRM would consider the Dornish as a southern US drawl it would be more
than amusing but also betray the perception that there is an African/Mediterran
-ean factor there.
WildSeedQuote Reply
The English spoken in medieval England didn’t sound like the English do today. In fact, some varieties of US English are much closer to Shakespearean-era English than modern British English is.
But that isn’t really the point.
My actual point was what you proved by your answer – the average audience member has an expectation that fantasy should be done in an English accent, for two reasons:
a) America (or New Zealand, or Australia, or Canada etc.) didn’t have medieval kings and general sword-waving, whereas England did.
b) fantasy is always done in a British accent. Sometimes in a “British accent”.
However, as I’ve already noted, modern British English doesn’t sound like medieval varieties of English!
BUT audience psychology places limits on what you can do with accents.
On a similar topic, does anyone else find it odd that the siblings Tyrion, Cersei and Jaime all have different accents in the show? Once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it! :P Not that I’m complaining, mind.
ChickenduckQuote Reply
Hi , they all do a generic “posh” English accent so to my ear that’s OK.
I struggled with Davos a bit … but he seems to have settled now. One of the smaller actors .. I think it was Rickard Karstack seemed to be Scotish in one episode and Yorkshire in the next .. but I’m probably being really nitpicky :\
YvyBQuote Reply
Ha!
I did notice it and I tried to come up with reasons that 3 siblings who grew up mostly in the same location of King’s Landing would have different accents. I guess Cersei and Jaime would have grown up at Casterly Rock and King’s Landing since Tywin was the Hand, but basically I just accepted Tyrion’s as an affectation of his desire to be worldly, grande or mocking and blamed Cersei’s on Lena’s acting. XD
Then again the Stark kids (especially Madden) have different accents too don’t they?
I don’t pretend to have an ear tuned for descerning UK regional accents though….
darquemodeQuote Reply
darquemode,
My take on the Stark kids is this … the younger ones who are little Lords and Ladies are influenced by their mentors… however the older Stark boys are more influenced outside the protective bubble? I could be talking total rubbish and making excuses for the fact they can’t all do the same accent ! Ha ha
Also Richard is Scottish so he is putting on a very convincing Northern English accent.
YvyBQuote Reply
YvyB,
There definitely seems to be more Scotish accents in the North and Winterfell I agree…
I think that for many of the actors D&D just have them speak however they are most comfortable and forget about attempting a regional dialect that may take away from their performance.
darquemodeQuote Reply
darquemode,
I must admit it is a mini obsession of mine … but possibly because I am from the North of England :) I will have to get back to you after we have our Mance as to whether I approve of his accent !! As a side note Craster did a Geordie accent which is what I am. Which makes me think Robson Green would play a good Mance. Being born spitting distance from “the wall” he was made for the part :D
YvyBQuote Reply
YvyB,
I really NEVER considered Robson Green for Mance until recently when I saw him hosting some extreme fishing TV series. I then started a re-watch of Wire in the Blood (one of my all-time favorite series) . Around the same time more and more of the fan favorite picks for Mance started becoming unavailable…
Green does have a lot of the traits I associate with Mance, can sing, and is seemingly available. Not what I have been picturing at all, but I think he could work and be quite good in the end.
Of course I think there are still a lot of actors that could do well in the role, but it is hard to narrow the field down.
It is so frustrating (mostly in a good way) that the 2 roles I was most interested in seeing cast (Daario and Mance) are as far as we know still uncast! XD
Speaking of casting…. I wonder if the Kettleblacks will make it into this or next season in some form. I know some think they will be left out and others think they will be combined into one or two brothers….
I was watching The Hollow Crown and was thinking if you the “hook nose” trait, I think Alun Armstrong could be Oswell with his son Joe Armstrong as Osmund. Then toss in the Phelps twins from Harry Potter as Osfryd and Osney and we have 3 similar looking brothers and their dad! XD
darquemodeQuote Reply
darquemode,
Ha ha ha I ‘m so with ya! If only we ruled the world … Mur roo ha ha ha ha.
YvyBQuote Reply
Jason Isaacs should be Mance
nightwolfQuote Reply
Handmaiden of Dany,
Ours is the Fury,
I’ve been fancasting Joe Fiennes for a while, he’d be perfect for Mance. He’s got charisma to spare, and he can actually come off as a “regular Joe” until he has to stand out. He’s who I picture when I read the books.
KatieJoQuote Reply
I like the idea of Ferdinand Kingsley in this role, if you watch this trailer he would seem like a good fit. Ok yes he is on the young side but on the plus he can blend in, and he can sing too. (he is the one you see first btw)
SarahQuote Reply
the goat,
hahahahaha… great!
phaserQuote Reply
Doesn’t this make it likely though that they’d keep offering him roles?
J WinterQuote Reply
Dominic, you idiot.
ElenaQuote Reply
What about Eric Bana as Mance Rayder? He’s Australian, about 6’2″, and can really swing a sword. He was great as “Hector” in “Troy”. Also great in “Munich”. He has a strong sensitive side and always seems to play the kind of leader that men want to follow into battle.
Tereeza777Quote Reply
darquemode,
West must have really wanted to stay home with his family for the immediate future, perhaps he has been so busy the last couple of years, he neglected the most important aspect of his life.
tysnowQuote Reply
We ccan forget about Viggo now, IMDB recently posted two films he is in pre-production on, and then Eastern Promises Deux follows.
Nina better work fast, as the well known names are falling away. Purefoy, Isaacs and Hugh have signed onto projects, Sewell is still available.
tysnowQuote Reply
For Cusik lovers, his slate is filling up, two projects now. So it is looking more and more like a somewhat known Brit will be cast.
My belief for a well known actor lies in Red Viper, it is a one season guest spot, a very juicy role that a BIG name would sign on for. HBO should pick soneone that will bring their huge fanbase to the show, while also nailing the part.
tysnowQuote Reply
After some deliberation, I think Bill Nighy would be a good Mance Rayder. He’s described as tall and lean, not particularly attractive and long mostly gray hair. Sounds like Bill Nighy to me!
Plus we already know he’s a pretty awesome actor, very likeable in his roles whether he plays a villain or not. Plus he can grasp the “singer” side of Mance too I’m sure. He plays a very different character in Love Actuallly than he usually goes for, and still did a really good job
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
Joe,
Wouldn’t “shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT” be better, I so love West in The Wire, what a show. I haven’t seen The hours yet, but plan on seeing it. He was good in 300 and Centurion also. He would have so great as Mance.
ShirleyQuote Reply
Mmmm Antonio Banderas is not american, he is from Malaga, Spain :P
Pau Captain SorianoQuote Reply
StaceyJ,
I had Ian Mc Shane as my second choice behind west and people had argued with me that he would have been too old, now we see that Hinds has been cast and it was confirmed that RR Martin had meant for Mance to be older. With this casting choice of Hinds I am convinced Ian Mc Shane would have had the same effect but would have been a better choice in my opinion.
PrettysilentoneQuote Reply
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