According to actors agency Mondi Associates, Stephanie Blacker has been cast in the next season of Game of Thrones in an unspecified role.
The English actress was a regular on the British cult series The Cut and has appeared on other shows such as Doctors, Blessed, and The Bill. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Festival Awards for the short film “Lab Rats.”
We’ve reached out to HBO, but they are unable to confirm the casting at this time.
Ours is the Fury: There are many roles Blacker could be playing, but she certainly fits the physical description of Val, the wildling sister-in-law of Mance Rayder. Given that her casting wasn’t announced on the website until the end of July, I wouldn’t be surprised if she is playing a character such as Val or Dalla, from the storyline occuring beyond the Wall.
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193 Comments
For sure Val (probably) or Dalla
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KbCIB3nV1wo/UD-keADGkkI/AAAAAAAABN8/m-A94n3pqXw/s1600/stephanie_val.jpg
MichelQuote Reply
My money on Val.
CarneQuote Reply
Belwas or Val. Heh.
RygarQuote Reply
Instant first thought was Val .
YvyBQuote Reply
I wonder if they’ll actually have both Dalla and Val or if they will combine them (similar to how it appears they’re combining Orell and Varamyr Sixskins).
TolgerosQuote Reply
Vargo… wait what ! ^^
Not exactly the way I pictured Val but it is the most probable role, since they will start shooting beyond the Wall in future weeks and that shooting in Ireland is well started.
They cant combine Val and Dalla, it would be too much trouble on the long road.
ArkashQuote Reply
I don’t know, I think if she was Val, they would have made a proper announcement about it, and not let it leak. Forgive me if my memory is failing, but haven’t most of the “leaked” casting announcements we’ve had so far been for relatively small roles? I can’t recall any major ones that weren’t simply speculated at the most.
AndrewQuote Reply
No question, just looked at her picture and thought “Val or Dalla”
Cary StormQuote Reply
Andrew,
Well, we still don’t know who Tom Brooke is playing but he will be in several episodes and he was announced along with Tobias Menzies and Anton Lesser.
CarneQuote Reply
And probably not Dalla…that’s probably going to be a rather small role.
Cary StormQuote Reply
On that picture, to me, she looks like The Perfect Daenerys Targaryan. No matter what!
BalerionQuote Reply
(Addressing Andrew here)
No, Iwan Rheon’s casting was a leak- his agency CV was updated and the Lavery Bar pictures came out. No announcement was made until after we posted his casting and then HBO confirmed him.
People found out about Gemma Whelan playing Yara when her CV popped up online last year with the name “Yara Greyjoy.”
Tom Brooke’s role is still unknown. Given his experience, I would be surprised if it wasn’t at least a decent one- if not Vargo, then some other fun part.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
She’s hot. You are welcome for the insightful comment.
KingthlayerQuote Reply
For me:
Tom Brooke – Vargo
Stephanie Blacker – Val
Charlotte Hope – Maragaery’s cousin
Elisa Lasawoski – Taena
Noah Taylor and Burn Gorman – Renegades of the NW
Iwan Rheon – Ramsay
MichelQuote Reply
I see two possibilities- either they stick largely to the book storyline and Dalla will be a featured extra, or Val is put off until next season (she’s off scouting or something) but Dalla’s role is expanded which would allow us to see more of her husband than we do in the books.
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Michel,
Elisa Lasowski is playing a character named Mirelle. They could’ve changed the character Taena’s name but I don’t know why they would bother.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Yes to that :)
YvyBQuote Reply
Mirelle Lady from Myr… :)
YvyBQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
Oh, I didn’t remember that..yeah, so she could be other Margaery’s cousin, but she is very like some fan arts that I found of Taena
MichelQuote Reply
Mirelle, Myranda and Margaery..
MichelQuote Reply
YvyB,
Eh, that’s a little too on-point for my tastes. Mirelle is such an oddly French name. If they were going to change Taena’s name, I just can’t imagine them going with an uninteresting name like that. This is the show that turned Jeyne into Talisa, after all. :)
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Michel,
Was Charlotte hope confirmed as Myranda Royce??
I thought I read she was, but it could have been someone’s unconfirmed report that I read….
Otherwise I see the unconfirmed roles the same way…. although I would not mind if Taylor or Gorman were Night’s Watchmen that will last a bit longer…..
darquemodeQuote Reply
darquemode,
I’m 60% sure that she was cast as only “Myranda” and not “Myranda Royce”, but since Lysa and Robin were confirmed to Season 3..she could be the real Myranda to, or even Roslin Frey, but for me, some Margaery cousin
MichelQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
I’m not saying they are going to permanently change it … I was just going along the lines of “Boy” ?
YvyBQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
Maybe “Mirelle” is something like “Boy”; just something to whet our infuriatingly curious appetite?
Cary StormQuote Reply
darquemode,
The only “confirmation” we have regarding Charlotte Hope’s character is that her name is Myranda. No Royce.
We’ve got Margaery’s cousins to be revealead as well. There was an audition video leaked, so we know they’re being cast, right?
Hi-FiQuote Reply
I’m still hopping that Talisa is Jeyne, and different from the books, it was all planned by Tywin, and them, giving the non readers viewers an impression after the RW: “Oh, I hate him, but he is a genious”
MichelQuote Reply
darquemode,
Charlotte Hope was not confirmed at all by HBO. So all we know is what we saw on her CV- she’s Myranda, not Royce as far as we know.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Gorman and Brooke could also be playing Freys as well…
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
Gorman and Taylor, you surely mean :)
And which Freys are important enough to be cast by such acclaimed actors?
Cary StormQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
Fair enough, I had completely forgotten about Tom Brooke to be honest. This wouldn’t be the first time my memory has failed, haha.
AndrewQuote Reply
Balerion,
Wouldn’t the perfect Dany be a little girl?
Aegon the ConquerorQuote Reply
Cary Storm,
Isn’t there a Frey in Riverrun to negotiate with Robb, Cat and the others? They could easily beef up that role.
Also, I don’t think Taena’s character is a revelation as important as Ramsay to have her name camuflated as Mirelle. I do see they doing that to Roslin, so that we can’t tell wether the RW might happen this season (though, really, we all know it’s happening).
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Isn’t it possible that Mirelle is one of Ros’ friends at the brothel?
CarneQuote Reply
That girl looks so “Valish” that I do not know who else she might be. ;)
btw, Anyone remember the description of Roslin Frey from the books?
Somehow I am sure she ll be cast this season.
The RabbitQuote Reply
Since when is Val a major character? She certainly is not.
LarsQuote Reply
Ugh, I tried to edit my prior comment to cover the spoilers, but there was no spoiler button. I don’t know how to do it. If one of the mods could help me out, I’d appreciate it.
They could also have changed Roslin’s name to not confuse viewers with Ros. lol. Though Elisa Lasowski doesn’t look like a Frey and Mirelle doesn’t sound like a Frey name. It sounds like someone from Highgarden (which I like to call the Paris of Westeros). : )
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Sure, Mirelle could be a friend o’ Ros. She could be a cousin, or a random townsperson. Basically anywhere there are beautiful women, which is lots of scenes in GoT. :)
The Rabbit,
Wiki of ice and fire says:
Roslin is small. She has very white skin, a pretty face with a small chin, delicate nose, and big brown eyes. Between her teeth she has a small gap. Her hair is brown and reaches her waist.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
The Rabbit,
AWOIAF says “Roslin is small. She has very white skin, a pretty face with a small chin, delicate nose, and big brown eyes. Between her teeth she has a small gap. Her hair is brown and reaches her waist.”
Cary StormQuote Reply
I’m sticking with my little Myr Elle theory … in fact it’s where I came in!
First post here…
YvyBQuote Reply
Charlotte Hope kinda fits that description (a lot more than Elisa Lasowski). Roslin is supposed to be one of the few “pretty” Freys. Plus Myranda Frey makes more sense than Mirelle Frey.
But I still think she’s playing one of Margaery’s cousins.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Weird, I looked at Elisa Lasowski’s pictures now and see Arianne Martell. But that’s impossible, right, she’s not going to be cast in S3, right? (Although calling her Mirelle would be a sure way of hiding that fact)
Cary StormQuote Reply
Carne,
My first thought for Elisa was Taena of Myr despite the name Mirelle, but my second was a brothel worker. I do wonder if they would create another brothel worker role at this point in the series…. It seems like with Littlefinger moving on up to the Eyrie soon it might be unneeded.
If neither of those two roles perhaps a lady in waiting for Margery as many have said. Mirelle does sound French like OitF mentioned and I tend to think of the Tyrells as French although I’m not sure why. XD
darquemodeQuote Reply
Cary Storm,
Yeah, the first thing I thought of when seeing her picture was Dorne. But then I quickly dismissed it. I think there’s no way they’re casting Arianne this season.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Unless they’re planning on keeping Myrcella in the forefront rather than having her sit out an entire season.
Cary StormQuote Reply
^^^ And…was that a spoiler: Myrcella not in Season 3? I don’t seem to have my edit buttons on this computer (Safari on Mac) and can’t fix it.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Cary Storm,
But D&D have always been pretty clear and adamant about their casting budget. To this date, their strategy has been to postpone introducing new characters as long as they can (so that they can replace the ones getting killed without exploding the budget).
I’d love to see Dorne this season, but sadly, I don’t think that’s happening. I’m sure we’ll see them in Season 4, though.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Val or Dahlia methinks.. Greetings Cranog !
WildSeedQuote Reply
darquemode,
Ha! I just said I see Highgarden as Paris. Glad I’m not the only one. I had no problems with Margaery’s dresses last season as some others did, I thought it made perfect sense for her to be more out there and risky with her clothes.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
I think they’re gonna go the featured extra route with Dalla, since all she does of importance is have Mance’s baby and die.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
She could not look more like Val in that photo if she tried!
Is she tall? I do hope so.
EleanorQuote Reply
She’s a stunner. If that’s Val, it works for me.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Possibly maybe. The Dominic West was a leak, albeit later confirmed by upcoming interview to be published ( ?) Have to agree with you about ” most” major characters
though. It certainly maintains the speculation threads and good for fandom
somehow :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
Greetings … I’m from the isle of faces tho … :p
YvyBQuote Reply
But can she SING (?) :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
That’s my hangout, who invited you there? I sent no raven :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
Changing Roslin’s name makes a lot of sense because of dear ole Ros. I agree that “Mirelle” isn’t a Frey name.
Elisa Lasawoski looks like Taena, to me. But why change the name? Do they think that viewers will confuse Taena and Talisa?
Alternatively, why do with Taena what they are doing with “Boy”? Taena isn’t that important.
lovesduncanQuote Reply
Hi-Fi,
I did not mind her dresses either. It was mentioned more than once in the books that Highgarden and the reach are the seat of chilvalry and fashion so it made sense she would be in haute coutureof the day. Maybe that’s why I thought of France? XD
Eleanor,
Her CV states she’s 5′-7″ so that’s on the tall side of average I guess.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Do you not see my face? :)
YvyBQuote Reply
One of the BwB extras posted this quote on Facebook, might be made up by him or in the show:
CarneQuote Reply
lovesduncan,
I will never understand or agree with their name changing….
Seriously?!?? Do they think that no two characters in Westeros can have the same name even if related or named for another chracter?
Viewers are not that dumb as to not be able to tell the difference between two different actors/ actresses who protray characters with the same or similar names.
It is just silly to me!
End rant.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Appearance-wise she’d be a perfect fit for Val, though for some reason I’ve always imagined Val to look slightly more mature than that. But yay, casting news!
MachaQuote Reply
Lars,
Well, I didn’t mean Sean Bean, Dinklage, Gonna-Win-An-Emmy major, but I’d put her on par with characters like Varys, Thoros, Queen of Thorns, etc. She’s quite central to Stannis’ plans after the battle at the wall, and she’s pretty important to Jons story after he becomes the Lord Commander. Might also provide another oppertunity to get to know the wildlings outside Tormund and Ygritte.
I’d certainly rate her of more importance than something like Myranda Royce.
AndrewQuote Reply
So did I, pour yourself a glass of chardoney :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
I pictured her as” little girl “princess pretty, almost to pretty to be a wildling(?) And to me she would do just fine.
YvyBQuote Reply
Green with envy I thought. No I considered only Peat Boggs and places where Ivy thrives.
Ivy does not do well in the Frostfangs methinks. Weirwood Trees do tho.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Michel,
Myrelle Tyrell???
Ren SnowQuote Reply
Sadly, lots of viewers ARE that dumb. No matter how much obvious exposition they did explaining Theon’s situation, there were lots of people saying on twitter and tumblr during the first season that they didn’t understand who that guy was [Theon], was he another Stark brother or what.
And it’s more that when people are discussing the character in-show, it may confuse people to see Varys talking to Ros in one scene and then in the next Catelyn mentions Roslin (whenever she appears- this is just an example.) If the names are or sound the same, it causes confusion. Same thing with Asha/Osha. Not that Yara was a great name choice, but the reason for changing it was sound.
This shows has dozens of characters, they can’t spend time helpfully noting the last names or whatever in dialogue.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
WildSeed,
It’s the iconic picture of “THE GREEN MAN” …. An actual thing is English mythology..
YvyBQuote Reply
I kind of agree with your rant. I’m not a book purist and I don’t want to revive old debates but I still don’t get the reasoning behind changing Asha to Yara. Whatever…its done.
The name changing is just odd. I don’t understand why they have done it when they have. But, in the long run, I would much prefer that the essence of the character remains the same.
lovesduncanQuote Reply
I am so with you here.
Cary StormQuote Reply
She’d be a lovely Val, but part of the problem with having such a pretty cast in GoT is that she doesn’t especially stand out. She’s certainly no sharp contrast with the also gorgeous Rose Leslie. It’s part of the problem with a movie like Troy, while Diane Krueger is beautiful, her Helen isn’t amazingly more pretty than the other women, or than Brad Pitt for that matter.
SkipjackQuote Reply
Whoa that’s a lovely publicity photo there.
I wish I remembered more about the characters of Val and Dalla. Guess it means my recent idea to get re-reading is a good plan.
ZackQuote Reply
Everyone looks younger in their agency photo.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Looks like Val to this woman! Val should be so beautiful that a man would risk his life to try to steal her, Ms. Blacker fits the bill. Of course, there are other beautiful women to be cast as well, so we shall see. Agree that she fits the Val description perfectly.
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
WildSeed,
Wish I could, but I’m supposed to be “working” right now. : (
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
The “which one is he?’ question is brought up a lot on boards where there are people that are not that familiar with the source material. It’s almost a meme.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Also, Stephanie Blacker is much more mature in this photograph:
http://www.exposay.com/stephanie-blacker-i-want-candy-movie-premiere-in-london/p/9480/1/?f=Stephanie+Blacker
Cary StormQuote Reply
To be honest, I don’t think Theon was well introduced. I had to struggle to figure out which one he was in the first couple episodes and I was looking for him.
Cary StormQuote Reply
You took the words from my mouth. I wish I could find another showreel or sth. to get a better idea of her range.
From the very little I’ve seen she doesn’t seem to have a very “Val” stance, but she seems to be regarded as quite a good actress, so if she was Val, I’m sure she was chosen because she could pull off the Val they are intending to portray. She could also be someone else like a Tyrell cousin, but it’s kind of hard not to think of Val with that picture.
Tír AirgidQuote Reply
I’m with you on this one…
And someone used the word “mature”, for what Val should look like more…
I’d add the word “cold” too… Blacker’s not cold enough imo from what I have seen of pictures.
ArkashQuote Reply
I was hoping for Rosamund Pike in the role, I wonder if she has the “cold” quality you’re referring to?
JillQuote Reply
A more casual but nice photo of Blacker: http://seventy2minutes.com/blog/2012/08/british-designer-hermione-harbutt-launches-red-carpet-headwear-range/emrhys-cooper-stephanie-blacker/
And you honestly cannot judge an actress’s presence or ability from a couple headshots. I mean, really.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
I think cold is another good descriptor for the Val the book evoked in my head…
Tír AirgidQuote Reply
Blimey she looks totally different there OitF
YvyBQuote Reply
In a way, yes, indeed.
But I was also Ingrid Bergman in my mind… but only for facial expressions… not my Val, otherwise! ^^
ArkashQuote Reply
I can’t see her as anyone else then Val. I liked the idea of Charlize Theron playing Val, even though she said she’d love to be on the show, that was just wishful thinking on everyone’s part.
The Young WolfQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
Personally I think the uninitiated would have problems recalling every character’s name even if every name was completely unique. There are just too many characters for people to recall at first glance. I had problems when I first started reading ASOIAF, I think most people did.
I’m just not sure name changing helps all that much in the end. I understand Osha and Asha look alike on paper and sound quite similar to one another so I understand the name change on that level, but did that name change help people remember who Yara was or who Osha was more easily? People may not confuse two similarly named roles now, but they still need to just as frequently ask, “Which one was she?”
Oh well, I don’t mind the changes from a purist point of view, I just do not see it making that much of a difference I guess. If changing something does not make a difference I do not see the need to change it…. *Shrug*
darquemodeQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
I agree! XD
I mean actors and actresses are suppsoe to be able to adapt their performances to different types of roles… It is not fair to judge on a photo. It’s one thing if the actress has a different body type like being tall when the role is described as short, but warm or cold? Meh.
I have faith in most acotrs to protray both warm and cold roles…. .hell, even the more complicated luke warm roles! XD
darquemodeQuote Reply
It’s not dumb, but it’s a real problem to have similar sounding characters. You really, really cannot have similar names. In fact, the rule of thumb is not to have two characters whose name starts with the same letter/sound.
It’s admittedly a bigger problem in movies, where you only have 2 hours, but it would be an issue here with Asha and Osha, for example, especially when people talk about them when they aren’t around.
I just worked on a short that failed to recognize this and the ACTORS were even confused on set; let alone the viewers.
AlanQuote Reply
It’s a good thing she’s an actress.
AlanQuote Reply
As far as the name changing…there probably isn’t a good answer. The multitude of characters in ASOIAF is a bit over-whelming. I am doing my first re-read and I am still confused about some of the knights and bannermen.
As I said above, as long as they stay true to the essence of the character, I’m OK.
lovesduncanQuote Reply
Well we can freak out when they change Jon Connington to ‘Steve’ Connington because they can’t have two Jon’s on the show.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
I don’t think anyone who came to the series from the books has any business criticizing viewers for not being able to learn all the characters names. When’s the last time you learned 130 names after 20 hours of interaction without seeing any of them written down?
WatsonQuote Reply
Wait til we get over to Dany’s arc.. ! ALL those names sounded the same to me
YvyBQuote Reply
I know this is OT but I wanted to share this:
Top Nike Designer rebrands Game of Thrones
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670630/a-top-nike-designer-rebrands-game-of-thrones#1
aceQuote Reply
dizzy_34,
True but we did have a Jon already… ok he was dead … but he was mentioned!
YvyBQuote Reply
A good point. Seeing these names in print and hearing them spoken are two different things. The latter is much more difficult with all of these characters.
Agree – that should be interesting for non-readers.
lovesduncanQuote Reply
Well, Jon Arryn is still Jon Arryn though he hadn’t actually ever been alive in the series.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Haha! You kid, but I wonder if they will take the Robin Arryn route with him and just call him Griff Connington?
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
YvyB,
Did those names really matter? The only Meereenese that stood out to me were the dudes with the rabbit masks.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Winter Is Coming,
I was just about to say that…but with spoiler code. :P
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Oh, I am truly sorry and quite ignorant of that. I’ll look it up. Sure he isn’t a relative? :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
Winter Is Coming,
I like Steve better or how about Phil? ;)
Brad has already been assigned.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Har, I ‘ll order up Arbor Gold to be fetched so that you may enjoy it later.
WildSeedQuote Reply
They’ll probably leave Jon Connington. One, it’s a common name. Two, it’s not like anyone ever just calls him Jon. Three, it’s vaguely important that they keep the ambiguity as to which older Jon was Snow’s namesake.
WatsonQuote Reply
WildSeed,
Well I think that’s were GRRM drew his Green men on the Isle of Faces from…
YvyBQuote Reply
She looks more like a Myranda Royce to me, where Charlotte Hope (playing a Myranda) looks like how I envision Roslin Frey on the nose.
I’m surprised so many people are saying Val. She doesn’t seem Val-ish at all to me, although I know pictures can be misleading.
MQuote Reply
I did not when I noticed him in S1, however many have reported here of his visibly
shocking blond hair ( during the Ned /Robert hunt scene ) which escaped me
entirely. His interaction with Robb and Bran spoke volumes for me and made
his character easier to discern.
WildSeedQuote Reply
I wouldn’t be surprised if they combined Val and Dalla’s role into one. Very easy to accomplish IMO
LemonTurncloakQuote Reply
Winter Is Coming,
I thought it, but you wrote it! XD
Maybe they will go with Con Griffington……
darquemodeQuote Reply
I have good sources that tell me she will be playing ros’s sister…
The mighty hodorQuote Reply
Here’s her showreel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C36gtaLTbV4
PateQuote Reply
Erm, how many different films/TV programs in that showreel… One? (I want candy)
Looks unfortunately one-dimensional to me. Her ImDb does list a number of titles though, I hope this showreel does not do her justice.
LavignacQuote Reply
She looks exactly like I imagined Val.. there is no way she is playing anyone else
WinturdQuote Reply
I say if they’re going to change Jon Connington’s name, they should go all out, Harry Potter-style. How about Calaburnius Connington? Or Ser Tonkamuss Fiddlefaddle? Lord Bibbulwippy the Abstemious? Anything but Steve (no offense to Steve).
Varamyr FourskinsQuote Reply
The mighty hodor,
You know when I was watching her show reel, I thought the same, that she kinda resembled and sounded similar to Esme. Stephanie apparently has no problem with morally loose roles.
This though would piss me off, if HBO invented a sister for Ros but left Val/Dalla out.
tysnowQuote Reply
I think they should combine Val and Dalla. I’ve always found them unnecessarily confusing in the book.
LexQuote Reply
Martin has gone five books without giving Lord Varys a second name. I imagine Connington will be Griff and then Lord Connington 99% of the time.
AlanQuote Reply
Correct. Something a sizable chunk of the foaming-at-the-mouth book purists don’t seem to really understand.
Watching the show with my non-reader wife, there have been plenty of scenes where she’s completely bewildered as to who the characters on screen are, even if they have briefly been in earlier episodes. It’s simply not possible to keep track of all of them unless you’re the Rain Man of fantasy.
It’s a massive, massive cast by TV standards, even with the simplifications.
ChickenduckQuote Reply
I think Stephanie will be Val or Dalla or both, and the girl who is playing possibly Taena is really pretty! about charlotte hope, she is also how i pictured roslin frey, but i’m sure that if she is myranda royce she’ll do great
Caro HQuote Reply
Noah Taylor was in Belfast to film “The Double”, so I think we can rule him out of GoT.
CarneQuote Reply
Val. Who else?
Lyonel the RedQuote Reply
Hey Val.
The GreatsteveQuote Reply
Carne,
He was doing that in July but filming’s finished on that film. Our source on Taylor is very reliable. He was staying in the hotel with the GoT cast and was seen with the cast in August.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
She can be Val if she wants. I couldn’t care less about Val – she was a minor and pretty dull character that I don’t even remember much about from ADWD, except she was blonde and Jon reluctantly had the hots for her.
So if this is Val, great. I still don’t care much.
TheAmirQuote Reply
I’d hit it.
TrappingsofpowerQuote Reply
Talisa was ~leaked~, right? She doesn’t even had an proper name tho, it was very confusing at the time and still is.
Ana CarolQuote Reply
Maybe he just likes to party hard with those GoT types on his down time?
Cary StormQuote Reply
It would pose many problems in the long road and I never been confused, personally.
ArkashQuote Reply
She looks great! Both as Val, and… in general. Also, awfully nordic. Being a Scandinavian, I should know.
sjweningsQuote Reply
Her a wildling? Really? Wandering around in the frozen wilderness all her life? Competent in the outdoors? I don’t think so.
Alex AlsoQuote Reply
I think she is going to be playing Val. I wouldn’t be surprised if they merged dalla and val into one character.
HedgeWizardQuote Reply
It wouldn’t pose any problem. dalla dies at childbirth. They can jus have Val play Mance’s wife and survive the childbirth. U can’t get any more simpler than that. This is just like making Bronn commander of the gold clocks. A very nice way to streamline characters without any harm done.
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
I absolutely agree.. big problems would arise from merging I’m sure George is going somewhere with the heavy attraction between Jon and Val..there’s the baby swap..an it’s just begun to be hinted in ADWD ..but with hindsight there could have been earlier signs..that Val and Dalla are both priestesses of the old religion..and not necessarily blood sisters.. And while Mance was the strong leader Dalla allied herself to , and lent her cred with the wildlings to.. Val has begun to ally herself to Jon..and she says she can do more to help him. When she brings Tormund in, his people swear directly to Jon.. Stay tuned
ObsidianQuote Reply
Meant to add , she’s a very pretty girl , but ideally , I’d like someone with a bit more of an air of command.
ObsidianQuote Reply
I don’t think she is Val, seems a bit older to me. The actress play Val should be early or mid-20s. Perhaps she plays the Frey who will marry Edmure.
TJeffQuote Reply
Do you really think Mance would sit around quitely or go off on a mission for Mel/Jon while his wife was kept locked in a tower till Stannis decided which of his Knights/Lords he should marry her off to?
She gives a playing range of 16 – 25 on her CV and while I’d struggle to see her playing a 16 year old I would think her actual age can’t be more than mid twenties.
MormegilQuote Reply
Well, then, Stannis offers Val to Jon… this wont work if she’s the wife of Mance.
Moreover, it wouldnt suit the character of Val to be a mother, imo…
And the Dalla’s giving birth scene is so amazing ! Need to happen like in the books !
ArkashQuote Reply
Cary Storm,
Heard that Noah Taylor’s private plane was caught in a bad electrical storm the other day – but thank goodness they made it. Whew! ;-)
(Noah is sitting up front with the metal brief case on his lap.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKgS24IG3HY
Tereeza777Quote Reply
dizzy_34,
This is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. ‘Steve’ haha :P
Michael HarperQuote Reply
This is why I always recommend watching the show with the captions on if possible. The show is so visual that the subtleties of dialogue can be missed.
Many times accents, speaking volume, or context can be hard to understand. Reading the words is definitely helpful.
RygarQuote Reply
It looks like she’s @stephblacker on Twitter.
CarolQuote Reply
Carol,
Yes, that’s her. Started following her yesterday. :)
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Ours is the Fury,
That’s because you are always awesomely on top of things. :) I didn’t notice it being mentioned in the post or thread, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to say.
CarolQuote Reply
guise
guise, srsly guise
I saw her pic and thought of shiera seastar
omg this actress gets to be even prettier than marg tyrrell
JP DayneQuote Reply
Anybody saying Val and Dalla need to be merged clearly doesn’t remember why they were two separate characters in the first place. First, part of Mance’s motivation is the death of his “wife”. Second, Mance and Val are both still alive, and therefore the idea that Stannis would offer her to Jon cannot happen.
Bottom line; Dalla will likely be played by a featured extra, might appear twice at most, and will have one or two lines at most. This woman is Val.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
It seems that a lot of readers, myself included, feel that some characters are more important to the plot than they really are. They act like we’ll need a fully fleshed-out character for a role that’s basically living scenery. Just because the scene they were in in the book or GRRM’s introduction of the character left an impression on us does not mean they NEED to be included as MAJOR characters in the show.
Dalla is a classic example of a character who isn’t important at all, except as a plot device. Does she even have a line in the book? I don’t recall.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
Josh Parker,
Having Dalla for 2 lines is the same a not having her at all. Ur kind of proving my point for me. She can easily be merged with Val and have Val survive the childbirth. Mance is not motivated by Dalla’s death. Where is the proof for that statement?
Tom O' SevensQuote Reply
For all Stannis knows, Mance is a dead man walking. Of course he can offer her to Jon Snow
Tom O' SevensQuote Reply
Mormegil,
yes. If Mance objects he is dead. Simple is that. Plus who knows we might even get a single Mance instead of a married Mance. This is an adaptation after all
Tom O' SevensQuote Reply
Tom O' Sevens,
I admit my memory isn’t good, but I seem to recall a statement made to Jon that he is determined to keep fighting now that Dalla is dead and his son needs an example. I don’t have the books with me, and I haven’t read them for a while, so I could be wrong.
I’m not opposed to them combining the characters. They just don’t need to.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
Haha, I am opposed to the idea… first time the show scares me that much ! I’m ready to accept changes, but this one would really annoy me !
ArkashQuote Reply
Gotta be Val, I am already smitten.
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Arkash,
My initial reaction is “don’t” because in doing so you create a more muddied story than if you simply had one character be minor-ized.
But if they do, it won’t ruin the show for me.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
What is your basis for this? Any featured extra can do this. She’s not important enough to announce a casting choice.
It does not make sense to merge the characters and change the story around when it is actually much simpler to keep these aspects of the story the same. Why have someone Mance had an emotional attachment with locked up at the wall, complicating the story, when a separate Val simplifies it. Why rewrite a perfectly good setting.
Merging the characters is complex and pointless.
Cary StormQuote Reply
And here’s another reason. Whoever plays Dalla only has one make-up and costume set and she doesn’t exactly have to be pretty; whereas the pregnancy and birth are an additional make-up and costume set for Val; someone who will probably be introduced to us as an attractive woman.
Cary StormQuote Reply
^^ If there’s spoilers there, please add the tags for me. I’m on a version of Safari that doesn’t like the “edit” script.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Arkash,
I don’t see what’s so confusing about them. If they are going to follow the story at all, Dalla needs to die and Val needs to be around for the politic games between the Wildlings and Stannis and also as kind of a “road not travelled” reminder for Jon.
paylorQuote Reply
She looks like the perfect Val…
ArthurQuote Reply
Hopefully she will replace Emilia “the mouth” Clarke. But she’ll probably play a random recurring whore character.
WesQuote Reply
Why is that a problem? Stannis kills Mance (or at least he thinks he does). Why wouldn’t it work for Stannis to offer Jon Mance’s widow?
AemonQuote Reply
Oh my sweet summer child, what can we do about the exigencies of adaptation but grin and bear it?
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
Boogie
Joshua Taylor,
YouCanDanceQuote Reply
I’ve honored thy Viking ancestors, and know that my death will bring me to ValDalla.
TomQuote Reply
darquemode,
my father, uncle, some cousins, and other friends who only watch the show casually would get confused, but i don’t think they’re dumb. not all viewers are hard core you know.
SinslashQuote Reply
I think Dalla. She looks too soft to be Val.
EemlaoQuote Reply
If they change jon’s scene,in the book where Jon meets Mance for the first time, at all i will be extremely disappointed.
brightroarQuote Reply
That scene to me is incredible. That and Joffrey calling Tywin out in front of Cersei and Tyrion.
brightroarQuote Reply
Brightroar, they don’t need to change those scenes. It’s perfect writing as it is. My worst fear is the tv writers won’t give Jon his power back in the specific scene, that he’ll just stand there looking like a blundering idiot and that Ciaran Hinds will get all the best lines.. But I should probably be more positive.
mags giantsbabeQuote Reply
Sinslash,
My point was not that any new viewer who is confused is dumb.
As I stated I was confused when I first read the books and I assume everyone was by the sheer number of names. My point was that having each character have a unique name does not help much and it does not stop people unfamiliar with the books from frequently being confused or asking “Who are they again?”
How did changing Robert Arryn’s name help people? Would they seriously have confused two characters named Robert, one the King and one a breast-fed preteen, because their names were the same? No.
Changing the names just does not matter much in the end since most new viewers are still overwhelmed by the number of characters and confused even with the unique name changes.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Cary Storm,
who says they need to show the birth? They could just say the baby was born. Will save time
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
Seems to me she’s Roslin – good age, stunningly pretty. I see Val as tougher – sorry, I’m still dreaming of Charlize as Val.
Roslin = drop dead gorgeous and more fragile
Val = drop dead gorgeouse and tough as nails
I could see where Edmure’s brain would go into brain freeze with her.
freoduwebbeQuote Reply
freoduwebbe,
Not that book descriptions will match the actors cast perfectly, but doesn’t Roslin Frey have brown hair to her waist along with brown eyes and a gap in her teeth? Stephanie Blacker has none of those traits.
Sadly I think Miss Theron is not for Game of Thrones.
Cersei was her perfect role if she were to be cast. Beyond that there really is no role for her unless she wants to play a very minor character to just get on the series and then somehting like Septa Lemore is an outside chance. Maybe some meaty role will appear in the last books that will suit her….. although still unlikely she will be cast in Thrones.
darquemodeQuote Reply
My point still stands. It’s simpler to have separate Val and Dalla. It’s more complicated and not necessarily less expensive to merge them.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Has there been any kind of confirmation regarding David Bradley returning for Season 3?
Reverse NielsenQuote Reply
Wouldn’t events w either Val or Dalla be in season 4 since they are splitting the 3rd book into 2 seasons? I don’t remember much ab them specifically until later in the 3rd book, except that they existed, they didn’t really contribute to the storyline until later..
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
darquemode,
She’s an overactor anyway a lot of times, gla she’s not actually being cast despite her wishes. She was overdramatic in that silly snow white movie w Kristen Stewart, and in Prometheus too
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
freoduwebbe,
I agree with you that she is more fitting for Roslin Frey, esp because of the timing. I’m not sure Val or Dalla will be in season 3 at all, and Dalla def isn’t a major character to cast, I don’t think.
I have to disagree that Roslin Frey is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous though. I Thought she was made out to be halfway decent looking (ESP compared to the other Freys), but not some beautiful maiden who would be described as drop dead gorgeous.
Another thing tho, we can’t necessarily tell who she would play just by her picture.. Anyone can look much rougher w the right costume and makeup and expression.
Another thing we can’t unfortunately rule out is that she may be some made up character (I.e. Robb Starks rushed marriage w this made up character in the show) w the purpose of advancing the plot a little faster…
Could be that woman who becomes Cersei’s bedmate and confidante in feast for crows… Of course shed need to dye her hair for that role.
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
Wes,
How could you not like Emilia Clarke?! Blasphemy!!!! Ha jk (kind of ha ha )
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
Hmm Roose needs to in Harrenhal in Season 3 so he can release Jaime. I wonder if D&D will eliminate this scene considering its a dead giveaway of Roose’s betrayal of Robb.
I still say they stick to the book on this one
RooseQuote Reply
Roose,
random but Roose in the show doesn’t really match his description in the book does he? Appearance at least, since we haven’t gotten much dialogue from him yet
The Sand SnakeQuote Reply
The Sand Snake,
You’re right, she has given a number of very overacted performances in her past… along with some imcredible performances too though.
I thnk she is capable of great subtle acting, but that movie was (and a few other movies she has been in were) terrible! Even good actors make bad acting choices or maybe to be more accurate, the directors almost seem to request bad acting from their actors. Single note, overwrought performances seem to be all the rage in most FX ridden films. I try not to hold it against the actors too much if I have seen them give great performances elsewhere.
Oh well, moot debate since she will not be in Thrones anyway.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Wes
Lol haters. I want Stephanie Blacker to be Val. She looks the part. Blonde and buxom.
LuthienQuote Reply
Winter Is Coming,
Well, I’m very late to this convo, but since he’s pretty much the only Connington, they could keep his official name Jon, but pretty much every time refer to him as (Lord) Connington. They can do that here, whereas they couldn’t with females as much, or with large families (imagine everyone being referred to as Lannister or Stark all the time, hehe).
It is harder to keep names in mind and tell them apart (at least for me) when you only hear them, as on a show (where I rely on the visuals much more), as opposed to reading them in a book.
Hear Me RoarQuote Reply
darquemode,
In Theron’s defense I thought she was awesome in both Prometheus and Snow White. She played the part well. Unfortunately in Prometheus’ case the writing wasn’t there to back her up. As for Snow White it requires an OTT performance and she looked like she had a good time. Any positive criticism from SWATH mostly concerned her.
She’s fantastic in Young Adult. IMHO anyway.
PS: In regard to what directors expect from actors…we know very well what the Snow White director expects from his actresses at least ;-)
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
I saw that on twitter :
http://www.olivia-bell.co.uk/clients_cv.php?id=138
Who the fuck is Lord Torturer ?? I can’t remember anyone..
MichelQuote Reply
Michel,
Yeah, saw that. A character without even a name. I assume he’s just some passing character torturing a lord. GoT never lacks for opportunities to include a violent scene.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Lol…when I read I assumed that was a Lord that tortures people, not someone who is torturing a Lord
MichelQuote Reply
Hmm, I’m not sure if she is pretty enough for Val
I always thought Laura Haddock (British actress) was PERFECT for Val and hoped she may be cast. Although it seems she’s been signed as the lead in a new Starz show.
http://www.artsed.co.uk/who-we-are/alumni-detail/laura-haddock/
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/starz-da-vincis-demons-laura-haddock-304711
MattQuote Reply
She’s exactly as I imagine Val *___*
irenuski181Quote Reply
I don’t think we’re going to see Dalla or Val this season…which brings us back to Stephanie Blacker. Who will she be playing?
outdoorcatsQuote Reply
she’s playing a peasant woman named Violet. I never read the book. Anyone know if Violet had an important role? There wasn’t much info on her.
kimQuote Reply