Cast your Favorite Discworld Characters

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I've been re-reading my Discworld books and I know that The Colour of Magic is being made into a TV movie by BBC (and the Hogfather already has been).

However, I was wondering... if you had your choice of any actor/actress to play a specific character, who would you cast? I was going over the Watch characters in my mind, and while some would be CGI (like Detrius, my favorite Sergeant) others could prove very hard to pin down. Like Carrot, for instance.

Incidentally I always picture the trolls looking a little like the rock monster from Galaxy Quest. ;)

I think it was Jenny who picked Mr. Bean as Nobby Nobbs when we had our Coruscant Watch up and running before the reset. I don't think we can do better than that for Nobby.

I tried mentally casting Granny Weatherwax earlier and the best I could come up with was Maggie Smith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_Smith). Nanny Ogg proves difficult as she's jolly and rotund, but it would be hilarious to see Judi Dench (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judi_Dench) in that role! Unfortunately I don't see her actually fitting the part.

Maybe Brad Pitt as Carrot - handsome and open and honest looking.

[General Dan]

Pitt isn't goofy enough to be Carrot. You'd want somebody who could be stoic one moment and a bit daft the next. Cary Elwes would be about the right feel, but he's too old for that now I think.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Brendan Fraser always seemed like he'd make a good Carrott.

Nobby... Tony Robinson could pull it off well, though I think both he and Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) lack some of the nastiness of the character.

Angua... Kristanna Loken (the T-X in Terminator 3) comes to mind, for some reason.

Granny = Maggie Smith in my mind too, though that may have been influenced by the fact that in the Wyrd Sisters animation she bears a striking similarity to her.

Gary Oldman for the patrician perhaps?

[General Dan]

Brendan Fraser always seemed like he'd make a good Carrott.

Not British.


Nobby... Tony Robinson could pull it off well, though I think both he and Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) lack some of the nastiness of the character.

Better idea - the guy who plays Soap in Lock Stock has a ratty look about him. He's a bit cleaned up in that, but if you've seen The Man Who Knew Too Little, he can filth up nicely.


Angua... Kristanna Loken (the T-X in Terminator 3) comes to mind, for some reason.

She's got the predatory look alright, but that's a double edged sword because you'd also want her to be somewhat endearing. Whether Loken can portray that or not, I'm not sure.

Also, not British.


Gary Oldman for the patrician perhaps?

Peter O'Toole

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ohhh, so the Morporkians have to be native Brits. I was just assuming that some of them could fake accents :mneh

You know, alongside Brendan Fraser, I always had this crazy idea that Hugh Laurie could pull of Carrott if he was bigger.

I know what you mean about Loken. I just can't think of many people who can do that duality. You know I picked Kate Winslet for her equivalent (Dirka) in our Coruscant Watch, but I don't think she looks potentially threatening enough.

Peter O'Toole? Too old!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh, and just for fun, here's the actors that Paul Kirby (the artist for Discworld) suggested:

Angua - Gwyneth Paltrow
Carrot - Liam Neeson
Granny - Sian Phillips
Magrat - Jane Horrocks
Nanny - Miriam Margolyes
Rincewind - David Thewlis
Vetinari - Jeffrey Jones and Alan Rickman (suggested by Pratchett himself)
Vimes - Hugh Laurie

To be honest, any cast would be better than most of the people they're using in the TV movies :( They have been so off the mark with many of them. I haven't seen The Colour of Magic yet, though it has been aired on TV, but the choice to re-use David Jason (who played Albert in Hogfather) as Rincewind was just... mindboggling.

[General Dan]

Peter O'Toole? Too old!

Did they ever outline an age for the Patrician? I thought he was an older gentleman.




Vimes - Hugh Laurie

This is a good match.

Statham's so-so, but he's a bit young. That said, he's pretty much the posterboy for typecast hard-boiled british guy. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

[Dasquian Belargic]

For the Patrician, I'm just going on what I've seen of the official art by Paul Kirby. Check out the sketch on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havelock_Vetinari
Apparently his appearance is heavily associated with/based on this guy Stephen Briggs, who works in the merchandising part of the Disc franchise, since he has portrayed Vetinari on stage and at numerous Discworld events.

I really wouldn't like to see Statham as Vimes. He's good at what he does, but I don't feel he's got enough age and experience behind him. Having seen how Hugh Laurie can pull off the weathered, cynical look in House, I reckon he could do it.

EDIT: Oh, also.. I dont think the BBC had anything to do with the recent adaptations. They would have done a much better job. Though if you really want to check Hogfather out, it's available on DVD in the US now.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Ok maybe my statement about the BBC in the OP is wrong. :p

And your cast lists do not have to be Brits! They're actors for crying out loud. I like Brendan Fraser as Carrot as well, and Hugh Laurie as Vimes is almost perfect!

[Dasquian Belargic]

The next book which is being made into a movie is Going Postal, btw. Wikipedia has Jeremy Irons as the only cast member, set to play Vetinari again... he was probably one of the better casting choices in The Colour of Magic, I think. Here's a little clip:

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[Turbogeek]

Me - Vimes. Bitter, antagonistic, mean streak. Perfect.

We'll bulk Chris up a bit and he's Carrot.

Patriarch - Jedieb

Cause just choosing actors is boring. Plus I'd reckon Charley could fit in somewhere, not sure where as yet. Jenny would be of course a werewolf.

[Morgan Evanar]

LOL.
Also carrot wouldn't have to be British. He's a Dwarf.

[General Dan]

IIRC, a human raised as a dwarf, right?

[Dasquian Belargic]

That's right. He was adopted by dwarfs and grew up in the mines of <strike>Moria</strike> Uberwald (I think)

[Dragon]

When I read, Vetinari is always voiced by Ian McKellan. He may be too old, but the voice is perfect for the Patrician's brand of corrosive irony.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Death must be voiced by Christopher Lee, there is no better!