Finally, some more official news on the casting for the HBO adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire.Rumours had been swirling around the interwebs that Sean Bean was being lined up to play Eddard Stark, and now GRRM has confirmed the accuracy of those rumours.
From his Not A Blog:
"Well, Reuters has the story out already, so there's no longer any reason for me to keep mum. Yes, the rumors you've been seeing all over the web the last few days are true. Another huge piece has fallen into place for the HBO pilot of A GAME OF THRONES -- we have signed Sean Bean to play the part of Lord Eddard Stark.
For the movie fans out there, Sean Bean needs no introduction. I mean, what the hell, he was Boromir and he was Sharpe, he was terrific in both roles, and in a hundred other parts besides. I can't imagine a better Ned. The deal took some doing, so my fingers have been crossed for a month now (and boy, that made it hard to type), but now it's done, and I'm thrilled."
That's not all - GRRM also confirmed that role of Jon Snow (thought by many fans to be the key figure in the entire series) has gone to a young actor called Kit Harington (left).King Robert Baratheon will be played by British actor Mark Addy who internationally is probably most widely known for his appearance in A Knight's Tale. Also confirmed are Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, and Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen.
The casting of Bean as Eddard Stark is a very sound one - as a world-famous actor, he'll lend some serious credibility to the series. Furthermore, he's got the right look and is certainly more than capable of bringing the stoic, brooding Eddard to life. Exciting news, for sure.
As for the other appointments, I've never bothered to watch A Knight's Tale all the way through and don't recall seeing Mark Addy in anything else, so I can't really comment on his acting abilities. Perhaps an odd choice, but in terms of appearance - if you slapped a beard on him - he'd look about right.
No idea what Gleeson and Lloyd look like, so can't comment. I do think though that Kit Harington looks perfect for Jon Snow. Again, no idea on the acting ability but he certainly looks the part. It's so crucial that they get the Jon Snow role nailed, so I'm certain this appointment would have had plenty of thought behind it.
Looks like this production is starting to pick up momentum...
7 comments:
I can't wait for this series to start. I'm sure it, too, will take forever to come out, but when it does it will knock our socks off (hopefully, and in a good way).
Just a quick note on Mark Addy: I did see A Knight's Tale all the way through (I know, it was awful, but I was trapped in a hotel room and sadly enough, that movie was the most worthwhile thing on).
Addy is a capable actor and did an excellent job with a poorly written role. I don't think he'll disappoint you.
Teresa
Amazing news. Can't imagine Mark Addy being able to swing around a greatsword that Sean Bean can't handle (as Robert was wont to do), but this gives real credibility to the whole series. Wow. It's actually going to happen.
Mark Addy was also in The Full Monty. And did four-five seasons of a sitcom on CBS.
Yeah Addy was the fat dude in The Full Monty and did that US sitcom "Still Standing" for about 4 years I think.
Is that the Harry Lloyd who played Will Scarlett in the Robin Hood TV show and the Jeremy Baines character from Doctor Who?
Great news on Bean, he's utterly brilliant and have loved him ever since Patriot Games.
Mark Addy is one of very few British actors who does an American accent which is utterly believable. He was great in the BBC series from the 90s Thin Blue Line, and is just a good, strong actor all around. I'm very pleased most of these castings are of relative unknows, that will suit this story very well.
I think Sean Bean is perfect for Ed Stark, but I must confess that I am a little nervous about the adaptation - in the same way I was before I went to see the LoTR films.
I love the books so much, and they are so vibrant in my mind when I read them, I really want the adaptation to be brilliant. Fingers crossed eh?
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