The Wheel of Time is almost here! After decades, Amazon is finally giving Robert Jordan’s 14-book epic fantasy series the splashy screen treatment it deserves, which means including a good part of the huge cast.
That cast includes al’Lan Mandragoran, who usually just goes by Lan, a Warder (a magically enhanced bodyguard, basically) to the Aes Sedai sorceress Moiraine (Rosamund Pike). Lan is played by Daniel Henney, who has had his eye on the role for a long time. “I do this vision board thing, where I think about something I want to do career-wise or a goal,” he told Gamespot. “So about 2011, not really knowing about the books, I saved a picture of a cover of The Eye of the World on my phone. I saw Lan on his horse and Moiraine next to him, and I wanted to play a character like that someday.”
The Eye of the World is the first book in Jordan’s series. Naturally, when the call came, Henney jumped at the chance.
The writing on The Wheel of Time is “so good”
The show will also give Henney a chance to explore some aspects of the character that aren’t touched upon much in the books, like his sense of humor. “The writing is so good though, that when there is a moment for a joke with Lan it’s well written,” he said. “We have one at the beginning of the first episode where we’re going to the Two Rivers and all he needs to do is give a look.”
"My father has a real dry sense of humor so I hope I can draw on that. I think it’s super important whenever you can find humorous moments in drama and I want to capitalize on those. I’m really excited for what’s to come with him as he does have some really great moments in episodes four through eight as well. It’s been a real pleasure of mine to do those moments because he is such a physical and stoic character so when I get a chance I kinda go for it."
Having seen the first three episodes, I can say that Henney’s performance is very strong, but not so strong that it overwhelms the series. They’ve done an excellent job of keeping the sense of an ensemble.
The Wheel of Time cast is “better for the diversity”
And that ensemble is quite racially diverse, starting with the Asian-American Henney. “It just wouldn’t have existed when I was a kid,” he said of his high-profile hero role being cast with a person of color. “I think with our cast, there is somebody everybody could hold on to.”
Rosamund Pike, who was part of the interview, also weighed in: “Our cast is all the better for the diversity. It really is Our casting director has cast her eyes over the whole world assembling this incredible cast. It’s amazing!”
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time drop on Amazon Prime Video this Friday!
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