Casting trivia

[serai]

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Trekmovie.com is reporting that at a convention this weekend, Patrick Stewart mentioned that PJ had wanted him to play Gandalf in LOTR, but Stewart had lobbied for a different role. He didn't end up in the movie, he believes, because he had some criticisms about the script, and says he doesn't think he'll be contacted for The Hobbit, either.

Stewart wouldn't say which role he wanted, but I can hazard a pretty confident guess: Denethor. That part is aboslute steak for an actor from the RSC. I can just see him in it, too. The first role I saw him perform that was memorable for me was the part of Henry Grey, the 3rd Marqess of Dorset, who was Lady Jane Grey's father, in the film Lady Jane. It was not as complex a role as Denethor, but there was some of the same awful unhappiness in that family, and I can easily imagine him hectoring Faramir nearly to the grave. He has those hawk eyes that can pin you down like a mouse.

Comments

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Yes I could see Stewart playing Denethor, and I could see him being unhappy with the script. I wasn't entirely happy what they did with Denethor. Would it have killed PJ to put in a line or two to explain his insanity is from gazing into the Palantir?

I saw Stewart at a Star Trek con once. He projected such a marvelous sense of warmth and humor and intelligence. He did a bit of Shakespeare, I forget now from which play. The man was amazing!

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Nope, I'm in agreement with PJ on the Palantir thing. Too many fans think the movie should be stuffed with as much info as possible, but the movie wasn't just made for the people who read the books; it was made for everyone who went to see it. It's hard for those of us who know the books to realize it, but these movies are already tight to the edge of having too much information in them. A lot of people who saw them couldn't even keep what's already there straight. It's very complicated, tiring stuff, and if there's not enough time to explain something properly, then it should be cut. A line or two wouldn't have done it, especially that late in the game. The third film is too late to be going into why the hell there'd be a Palantir in Gondor in the first place, and why Denethor would have it, and why he'd be crazy enough to want to keep it, etc., etc. It's hard enough introducing a new major character that late anyway; to have to go into complicated motivational dances is really too much.

And yes, Stewart is wonderful. He's been on the Daily Show a couple of times, and he's really funny. I'd like to catch his Christmas Carol if he ever brings it out on tour again.