Casting

[ConnieAnnKirk]

In the Potter films, which characters do you find to be "perfectly cast" and which left you a little wanting?

[ConnieAnnKirk]

I'll put in a first vote--Snape, perfectly cast with Alan Rickman. Just right.

~ConnieK, "20 days until Book 7"

[dcsbelle]

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ConnieK wrote:
I'll put in a first vote--Snape, perfectly cast with Alan Rickman. Just right.

~ConnieK, "20 days until Book 7"

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Connie (no longer of legal age), I agree Alan Rickman is perfect for the role. I also like Dan Radcliffe as Harry and Rupert Grint as Ron. I liked Emma Watson for the first two movies but she is too pretty now. I had no problems with Gary Oldman as Sirius and Richard Harris was a perfect Dumbledore. Hagrid and Professor MacGonagall were just as I pictured them. The actress who played Fleur just wasn't pretty enough IMO to be part Veela and mesmerize all the boys like she did. Just my two knuts worth!

[agnijay]

Well, I posted a similar thread on What Harry Means to Me. It was clearly stated on that thread that Michael Gambon was NOT correctly casted. He simply was not as playful as Dumbledore should be, and he didn't have that twinkle in his eye. I thought Peter's casting was PERFECT!!! He did look like a rat.

[jftapia88]

alan rickman= perfect
maggie smith= perfect
richard harris= perfect
garry oldman= horrible
micheal gambon= horrible
daniel radcliff= perfect
rupert grint= perfect
emma watson= great but not perfect

neville= great but not perfect
draco malfoy= perfect
crabbe & goyle= good but they mixed them up goyle is the short one not crabbe
hagrid= perfect
fleur= not great, but coulda been worse
krum= liked movie version better than book description
kakaroff= bad
madame maxime= not great
crouch= horrible
moody= horrible
filch= okay
seamus= pretty good
dean= okay
pavarti & padma patil= okay, coulda been better
fred & george= almost perfect, they need more time on screen

about all i can think of at the moment, i'll be back!

[agnijay]

Personally, I loved the way the casted the characters in the movies. Especially Draco and Moody ( though that could be the makeup artists) Did anyone not agree with the casting? I did not really like Sirius's character, and Quirrel's character. Let me know if you agree!

[Psychee]

I thought Sirius and Quirrel were perfectly cast. Frankly, I thought every person cast for the movies thus far was perfect EXCEPT for Michael Gambon. I realize that replacing Richard Harris was probably an impossible task, but I think they might have done better... someone with kinder eyes with playfulness behind them, someone who could radiate serenity instead of neurotic agitation, someone much much warmer...

[amm1]

I have never liked the casting but I know I'm in the minority on this. It's been a big disappointment and it's one reason I'm not that fond of the movies.

[agnijay]

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Psychee wrote:
I thought Sirius and Quirrel were perfectly cast. Frankly, I thought every person cast for the movies thus far was perfect EXCEPT for Michael Gambon. I realize that replacing Richard Harris was probably an impossible task, but I think they might have done better... someone with kinder eyes with playfulness behind them, someone who could radiate serenity instead of neurotic agitation, someone much much warmer...

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I agree with you on that...no one could replace Richard Harris.

[BnBookworm]

They totally misportrayed Dumbledore in the fourth movie. They had him trying to choke Harry in the "after Harry's name is Read out of the Goblet" scene

[Bookladt]

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Psychee wrote:
I thought Sirius and Quirrel were perfectly cast. Frankly, I thought every person cast for the movies thus far was perfect EXCEPT for Michael Gambon. I realize that replacing Richard Harris was probably an impossible task, but I think they might have done better... someone with kinder eyes with playfulness behind them, someone who could radiate serenity instead of neurotic agitation, someone much much warmer...

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Michael Gambon has always been the one person I would most definitely change. He shows no sense of humor and no playfulness. Any headmaster who thinks that a few words such as oddment or tweak spoken during the first of year speeches were appropriate most definitely had an odd and quirky sense of humor. Michael Gambon has never demonstrated that type of humor and only rarely shows any gentleness or connection with Harry. The first time I even saw that type of connection is in the last movie when Dumbledore tells Harry he set fire to the bed curtains during his time at Hogwarts. Still there was very lttle humor delivered in those lines.
I do not have any other strong feelings about any other character - which says a lot for the casting director - since there are so many other cast members in the movies.

[maggie21]

Julie....must agree with you about Gambon,as DD...Dreadful.Must disagree with Oldman,i liked him very much as Sirius.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

I have to confess that I have never liked anyone but Richard Harris playing Dumbledore. Isn't that sad? I mean, he was only able to do it for the first 2 films. He matched the vision in my head from the books almost to a T. And he has that Camelot connection from playing in that role that made it historically and aesthetically pleasing to have him in these movies, too. And to think he only did it because his granddaughter talked him into it (which was another great tie-in for the series). I have missed him in every film since. [Sigh].

~ConnieK, "18 days"

Message Edited by ConnieK on 07-02-2007 03:11 PM

[Nadine]

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maggie21 wrote:
Julie....must agree with you about Gambon,as DD...Dreadful.Must disagree with Oldman,i liked him very much as Sirius.

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I agree. I liked Richard Harris as the perfect DD. Gambon was a bit disappointing as DD in PoA but I am watching GoF right now and I really dislike him. He is a big worry wart and he has lost his casual sense of humor. Even under dire circumstances I never got the impression DD was very upset. I want my DD to be calm and in control even under the worse circumstances. This one seems to be falling apart just because he can't figure out a few things. At the end of OotP when DD is fighting Voldimort he is still casual and calm. It will be interesting to see what Gambion does with that when the movie comes out.

[agnijay]

Michael Gambon should not have choked Harry. I liked Columbus as director, but ever since they got the new ones, the movies just aren't the same. Snape is perfect for the job, but I also didn't like Barty Crouch junior. Didn't the book say he had straw color hair? And I think that they should have at least given Daniel green contacts! His eyes are brown (I think) because I tried to look in the 4th movie, and the lighting was off, but they seemed brown to me.

[jftapia88]

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jftapia88 wrote:
alan rickman= perfect
maggie smith= perfect
richard harris= perfect
garry oldman= horrible
micheal gambon= horrible
daniel radcliff= perfect
rupert grint= perfect
emma watson= great but not perfect

neville= great but not perfect
draco malfoy= perfect
crabbe & goyle= good but they mixed them up goyle is the short one not crabbe
hagrid= perfect
fleur= not great, but coulda been worse
krum= liked movie version better than book description
kakaroff= bad
madame maxime= not great
crouch= horrible
moody= horrible
filch= okay
seamus= pretty good
dean= okay
pavarti & padma patil= okay, coulda been better
fred & george= almost perfect, they need more time on screen

about all i can think of at the moment, i'll be back!

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im going to finish up:

why i dislike...

garry oldman= 1.) he is not anything like sirius is described in the books, hes too ugly and too depressed looking 2.) he doesnt have the right personality, hes too serious, sirius is supposed to be nonchalant and joking 3.) his voice isnt right, it should be deeper, and he should have a trace of a growl or bark like the big black dog that he is(or becomes)

micheal gambon= 1.) he doesnt have the silver hair hes supposed to, his beard is in a ponytail? no where in the books does it mention crazy facial hair styles 2.) he has no accent, he sounds like hes from the states 3.) he has none of the warmth or humor that DD has, hes too cold and seems weak

emma watson= i liked her in the first two movies, the change of directors has ruined her acting, they have taken hermione from being a strong independent know it all to being a joke. examples= i cheered when i read the part where hermione smacks malfoy, when i saw it on screen it looked way too forced, and i expected it. in the book it was a surprise to see her do something so much like ron or harry, in the movie it wasnt---in GOF during moody's lesson why in the world is hermion nears tears when he sks her for the last curse? in the book she is a lil timid about it but still very eager to give the correct answer. and then im sorry to say it but shes too pretty to be hermione, at least in the books shes a plain girl until the ball then shes plain again, in the movies shes pretty all the time.

neville= hes not as clumsy or humble in the movies, and hes not round enough.

fleur= not pretty enough to be part veela, and her accent isnt right

krum= hes not quite how i imagined him for the better, cuz they guy they got to play him is pretty good looking, a big plus too, he makes watching the atrocious acting of gambon easier to get through.

madame maxime= its her physical appearance that doesnt work for me, she just looks really tall not big like hagrid

crouch= too weak

moody= too loud, doesnt have enough scars, he lacks the clawed foot, there shouldnt be a strap on his magical eye, hes not scarry enough

fred and george= i wish they had made fred and george more important characters in the movies, all their jokes are left out and ron is made to look like the class clown more than them. im kind of afraid to see what they do to their grand exit in ootp.

thats it for now, the rest of the problems i have with the movies arent casting related so i wont mention them here.

[Psychee]

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ConnieK wrote:
I have to confess that I have never liked anyone but Richard Harris playing Dumbledore. Isn't that sad? I mean, he was only able to do it for the first 2 films. He matched the vision in my head from the books almost to a T. And he has that Camelot connection from playing in that role that made it historically and aesthetically pleasing to have him in these movies, too. And to think he only did it because his granddaughter talked him into it (which was another great tie-in for the series). I have missed him in every film since. [Sigh].

~ConnieK, "18 days"

Message Edited by ConnieK on 07-02-2007 03:11 PM

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Richard Harris was perfect for the part. He was able to carry himself with that regal perfect posture air and yet, as a person, he is a playful Irishman and so was naturally able to keep that twinkle in his eyes.

He also seemed to enjoy being with the kids. There's a clip of him on Mugglenet from the Rosie O'Donnell show and he tells a story of the first day he arrived on set and had been asked to just read a bit of Dumbledore's part. After he did it, little Rupert Grint walked up to him with a serious look as though it was up to him whether or not Harris would get the part... "That was quite good," he said, "You'll make a great Dumbledore". Harris was really amused by that ... he said he had done about 90 films in his life and won all sorts of awards for his work but this little whippersnapper felt perfectly comfortable giving him an authoritative critique like he had just been asked to audition off the street. He thought that was really funny...

As young as he was, though, Rupert was right. Harris was the BEST.

[amm1]

Well, you asked.

Snape - Rickman is wrong. All wrong. As a Snape fan I was very disappointed to see where he would be playing Snape and I was right. At least in my mind.

Dumbledore - Still waiting for the right actor. Harris had that raspy voice and he didn't have enough pep. The other guy was just way off.

Ron - Nope. Can't stand his facial expressions. Not Ron in my book.

Hermione - Bad at first but she's getting better.

Harry - First movie he was perfect. Can't hardly watch him now.

Hagrid - Good job.

Filch - Good.

Lupin - Oh goodness. Bad.

Sirius - OK.

McGonagall - The acting is good but the appearance isn't right.

Crabbe and Goyle - Good.

Draco - Not bad.

Lucius - Good.

Arthur - Could be better.

Lily and James - Far too old looking.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Oh, I remember Harris saying that on _The Rosie O'Donnell Show_, Psychee! I happened to watch that interview live--thanks for the reminder. I absolutely agree about the pleasure Harris seemed to take in the children. It came across on-screen, too, I thought. Gosh--I miss him in that role...

~ConnieK, "16 days"

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Psychee wrote:

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ConnieK wrote:
I have to confess that I have never liked anyone but Richard Harris playing Dumbledore. Isn't that sad? I mean, he was only able to do it for the first 2 films. He matched the vision in my head from the books almost to a T. And he has that Camelot connection from playing in that role that made it historically and aesthetically pleasing to have him in these movies, too. And to think he only did it because his granddaughter talked him into it (which was another great tie-in for the series). I have missed him in every film since. [Sigh].

~ConnieK, "18 days"

Message Edited by ConnieK on 07-02-2007 03:11 PM

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Richard Harris was perfect for the part. He was able to carry himself with that regal perfect posture air and yet, as a person, he is a playful Irishman and so was naturally able to keep that twinkle in his eyes.

He also seemed to enjoy being with the kids. There's a clip of him on Mugglenet from the Rosie O'Donnell show and he tells a story of the first day he arrived on set and had been asked to just read a bit of Dumbledore's part. After he did it, little Rupert Grint walked up to him with a serious look as though it was up to him whether or not Harris would get the part... "That was quite good," he said, "You'll make a great Dumbledore". Harris was really amused by that ... he said he had done about 90 films in his life and won all sorts of awards for his work but this little whippersnapper felt perfectly comfortable giving him an authoritative critique like he had just been asked to audition off the street. He thought that was really funny...

As young as he was, though, Rupert was right. Harris was the BEST.

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[dcsbelle]

Maybe if we're lucky Gambon will have taken some "happy pills" before doing his scenes. Fred and George could keep him supplied.

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ConnieK wrote:
Oh, I remember Harris saying that on _The Rosie O'Donnell Show_, Psychee! I happened to watch that interview live--thanks for the reminder. I absolutely agree about the pleasure Harris seemed to take in the children. It came across on-screen, too, I thought. Gosh--I miss him in that role...

~ConnieK, "16 days"